ALMA North American Science Advisory Committee Meeting

August 17, 2007, Charlottesville, VA

Overview: North Overview: North American ALMA American ALMA Science CenterScience Center

Chris Carilli

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ALMA Operations: Guiding principles

“The exponential advance in capability demands an equally forward-looking and effective operations model and plan. ALMA operations must fully enable the scientific promise of ALMA, through: maximum efficiency and productiveness of operations, optimal ease of access and use for a broad community, fostering a U.S. community that is competitive in the use of ALMA.”

(NAASC/NSF proposal)

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ALMA Operations: Core functions

• AOS: ALMA array, correlator – modular design to mitigate high-site maintenance • OSF, San Pedro: Operate array, schedule & calibration QA0 (AoD), basic module repair, Antenna Maintenance• SCO: Archive & Pipeline, QA1, Business, Science

ARCs • Observational Support (OT)• Basic analysis support • Archive copy & research• OSF AoD staffing & QA2• H/W, S/W MR&D

Sufficient to deliver pipeline-processed data to users, and support through electronic helpdesk

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ALMA Operations: Full Science Support

Full Science support: Required to realize the full scientific potential of ALMA

Nationally funded in Europe

•Advanced User support (Legacy/complex projects) •Adv. algorithm/pipeline heuristics•Spectral line++ DB and anal.tools•Postdocs, students•Workshops, schools, tutorials•EPO

User Grants program: advocate for Decadal committee recommendation; strongly endorsed by ANASAC/Users committees

Levels the playing-field for U.S. scientists.

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Activities Aug 2006 - Aug 2007

Major Activity: ALMA operations and NAASC plans

ALMA operations plan (Hibbard) • Formulate international operations working group (JAO, Executives)• Revise based on Japanese contribution and rebaselined project• Reconsider all positions, and tie schedule to construction milestones• Internal reviews: NRAO, ESO, NAOJ, ALMA Board• International external review at NSF Feb 27,28

NAASC and NA operations NSF proposal (Carilli)• Incorporate core functions + full support under single, seamless management structure• Fully matrixed into NRAO: E2E, SAA, EPO, NTC• Internal reviews: NRAO + Canada, ANASAC ‘red team’• Site visit by NSF review panel plus Carilli, NSF January 2007• NSF review March 1

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NSF Review of ALMA Ops

Summary of exit interview comments from review panels • ALMA operations planning is more mature and better delineated than any other

ground-based observatory in history.• The basic assumptions and plan are well founded and justified. • Excel spreadsheet is a comprehensive, powerful tool for implementation, and real-

time adjustment, of operations ramp-up, coupled closely to the construction schedule.

Concerns• International communication and coordination. Response: continue IPT structure• Rapid ramp-up of skilled labor. Response: current plan captures expertise through

transfer of staff as they roll-off construction.• Importance of adequate user support for new, complex instrument, especially during

early science to early full operations, both in terms of software and man-power. Response: developing contingency plan for (possible) short term increase in user demand during early science/ops.

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Aug 2006 to 2007• Change of J. Hibbard from acting to permanent ARC manager• C. Brogan remains NAASC astronomer, and becomes CASA

subsystem scientist• Support 3.4 CASA programmers• Support business manager

Sept 2007 - Sept 2008• Two Scientists to perform AoD/CSV duties• Two EPO staff (matrixed to EPO division) for web presence and

other ALMA related EPO• Move five staff at Office of Chilean Affairs from construction to

Ops• First ALMA ops postdoc

North American ALMA Science Center Staffing

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• Respond to NSF and international review panel comments• ANASAC – formalize charge-response format. First major charge

was key NAASC plan review.• Canadian participation in NA ALMA ops: first face to face in

Tucson Aug 06. • Monthly organizational meetings. • Supported CASA S/W development (alpha testing/release)• Participated in extensive S/W testing: OST, pipeline, off-line.• Develop calibrator & spectral line databases http://www.splatalogue.net• AAS summer 2006 ALMA special session. • Second NAASC Workshop June 2007: ‘Through disks to stars and

planets’ //www.cv.nrao.edu/naasc/disk07• Series of ALMA science lectures in 2007

Other NAASC Activities Aug 2006 -- 2007

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• Implement plan with first hires in CSV, EPO• CASA limited beta release, Fall 2007• S/W testing: continuing (Obs tool, pipeline, off-line)• Participate in testing/training at ATF• Participate in NRAO summer school• Working visits to other Science centers: compare and coordinate• New MOU with Canada for operations• Third Science Workshop Summer 2008• ANASAC -- main charge will concern User grants

NAASC activities Aug 2007 -- Aug 2008

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ALMA Global Operations 2006-2007

Key JAO operations staff hires Head Science Operations - Lars-Ake Nyman Head of Admin - Russell Smeback EPO officer at JAO - TBA Head of Technical Services - TBA Human Resources Manager - Joanna Mackenzie Recruitment Officer - Pamela Rivera Warehouse Supervisor - Hector Ceballos Array operators (2), Admin ass’t

Key activities: Develop ALMA Operations Plan & present for review Assume budget and staffing spreadsheet. Define recruitment and hiring procedures for Chilean operations staff Develop international EPO plan

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ALMA Global Operations 2007-2008

Key JAO operations staff hires 2007-2008 84 Operations staff +4 DSO (safety) +15 ADM (warehouse management & facility maintenance) +12 DSO (9 astronomers, including 5 transfer from AIV) +41 DTS (Engineering leads, 1st contingent of Electronics & Antenna groups)

Key activities for 2008: Finalize and adopt Version C of AOP -- incorporate some full service functions (advanced user

support) Take over logistics and warehouse support of OSF Responsible for general maintenance activities & safety Operate telescopes for AIV/CSV Maintain correlator Support AIV/CSV at OSF Prepare for start of 1-baseline interferometry at OSF

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ALMA Global Operations

Some User-related ALMA Project Milestones (taken from IPS April07)

Q1 2009 start of commissioning and science verification at AOS

Q2 2010 early science proposal submissionQ4 2010 start of early science operationsQ3 2012 start full science operations

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ALMA User grants initiatives

• “Future of Radio Astronomy Committee,” McCray/AUI, Letter to NSF

• Bally and colleagues open letter to AAS president

• ANASAC report to NRAO (other?)

• Users committee report to NRAO

• AURA initiative?

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Yellow: LSMduty station=OSF

Light green: ISM, Duty station=OSF

Mustard: LSMDuty station=SCO

or both

Position - Milestone+offset/startyear.quarter

Darker Green: ISMDuty station=SCO

or both

Solid=Staff hire dotted=contract staff

Key

ISM LSM

SCO

OSF

Accountant 1 - OSF-3/2007.4Accountant 2 - OSF-3/2007.4Accountant 3 - OSF-3/2007.4

Procurement 1 - OSF-3/2007.4Procurement 2 - OSF-3/2007.4Procurement 3 - OSF-3/2007.4

Executive Based Staff (EXE)

General Services (GS)

Admin Asst - OPS+23/2007.4

Head of AdministrationOps+11/2006.4

GS Manager - OSF-3/2007.4

Travel Agent 1 - OSF-3/2007.4Travel Agent 2 - OSF-3/2007.4

Warehouse Staff (3) 1-3 - Ware+0/2007.3

(2) 4-5 - Ware+12/2008.3

Facilities Group (FG)

Buyer 1 - OSF+6/2008.3Buyer 2 - OSF+6/2008.3Buyer 3 - OSF+6/2008.3

Budget Controller - OSF-3/2007.4Logistics Officer - Ops+24/2008.1

Warehouse Super - Ware-3/2007.2

Facilities Managr1 - OSF-3/2007.4Facilities Managr2 - OSF-3/2007.4

Facility Operators (5) 1-5 - OSF+0/2008.1

Civil Works (3) 1-3 - OSF+0/2008.1

Security Officers (4) 1-4 - OSF+0/2008.1

Off-site Driver OSF +0/2008.1

Catering & Cleaning(20) 1-20 - OSF+0/2008.1

Grounds Keepers (2) 1-2 - OSF+0/2008.1

Auto Mechanics (2) 1-2 - OSF+0/2008.1

OSF/AOS Transfer Drivers (3) 1-3 - OSF+0/2008.1

ALMA Operations: Administration Division (ADM): 2008.4

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ALMA Operations: Division of Science Operations (DSO): 2008.4

2008 Milestones:Apr-07 Ant 1 AIV Receive at OSFJun-08 Ant 1&2 OSF Interferometer Start Aug-08 Ant 1 AOS Checkout

Array Operator1 - 2006+3/2007.1Array Operator2 - 2006+6/2007.2

AOG Manager1 - OSF+0/2008.1

Array Operator3 - Ant1-A/2008.3Array Operator4 - Ant1-A/2008.3Array Operator5 - Ant1-A/2008.3

Antenna Operations Group (AOG)

Program and Data Management Group (PDG)

Admin Asst1 - OSF+0/2008.1Admin Asst2 - OSF+0/2008.1

Head of Science Operations2006+0/2006.4

Sci. Prog. Manager-AIVx-3/2008.1

System Astr1 - 2bl+0/2008.2System Astr2 - 2bl+0/2008.2System Astr3 - 2bl+0/2008.2System Astr4 - 2bl+6/2008.4

PDM Astr1 - 2bl-3/2008.1PDM Astr2 - AIVx+0/2008.2PDM Astr3 - AIVx+0/2008.2PDM Astr4 - AIVx+0/2008.2