event
Wednesday 17 Nov 2010: Science with ALMA: Capabilities and opportunities
Dr Anita Richards - Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics, University of Manchester, UK
Physics, 4th Floor interaction area 11:00-12:00
ALMA (the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array) will provide a window on the cool universe, at wavelengths from 400 um to 1 cm with resolution from 0.005 to a few arcsec. Its 66 dishes will provide unprecedented sensitivity; two of its goals are to resolve planets forming in nearby protostellar discs, and to image CO in galaxies like the Milky Way (or its precursors) at redshifts of 2-3. I will present the goals of ALMA, the current status of construction, and the opportunities for Early Science. A call is expected early in 2011 for observations with 16 antennas on short baselines in selected spectral configurations. I will also summarise support available from the ALMA Regional Centre and the tools developed to help ALMA users.