nrao users committee meeting may 20-21, 2008 1 national radio astronomy observatory nrao users...

NRAO Users Committee MeetingMay 20-21, 2008

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National Radio Astronomy ObservatoryNRAO Users Committee Meeting – May 20-21, 2008

ALMA Operations

Chris Carilli (NAASC Head)

John Hibbard (ARC Manager)


Response to UC Questions

• “What are the plans for the NAASC?


NAASC StaffingNA ARC Operations:• (2) ARC Head & Admin. Asst.;• (12) Astronomers/Scientist – proposal functions, AoD, documentation, user support;• (5) DB Manager, developers, techs – archive functions;

Total NA ARC Ops: 19 employeesFull Science Support:• (3) NAASC Head & business support• (5) Advanced User Support: workshops, schools, algorithm development (3

astronomers, 2 astronomical programmers)• (7) ALMA Postdocs & Fellows;• (2) Pre-doctoral students;• (5) EPO (International, Chilean, U.S.)• (6) Office of Chilean Affairs

Additional NAASC: 19 + 9 students/postdocsALMA Technical Support:• (12 FTE) Engineer/tech – hardware M&R• (17.5 FTE) Programmers – software M&R

Total Technical support: 29.5 FTE

Total NAASC: 67.5 + 9 students/postdocs


• 2008 Start of Antenna Integration and Verification (AIV) work at OSF.• early 2009 Three antenna array at high site. Start of Commissioning

and Science Verification (CSV). • late 2010 Start of early science operations.• late 2012 Start full science operations.


NAASC Activities 2008Activities• Hiring (2 CSV, EPO, CASA Developer, JAO positions in Chile)• Update NAASC plan to AOP Vers. D• Participate in CSV at ATF and OSF • Test ALMA user software systems (observing tool, CASA, pipeline). • Support CASA development: establish CASA helpdesk; hire CASA developer. First

tutorial associated with beta release held Oct. 2007 in Socorro. Next will be at Synthesis Imaging Summer School in June 2008 in Socorro.

• Proto-Archive implementation plan (deploy 2009Q1 in C’ville to receive CSV data)• Participate in Chilean ops planning through SciOps IPT• Finalize the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with our Canadian partners.• Hire EPO specialist, and review/revision of ALMA web pages • Working visits to other Science centers: compare and coordinate (“Lessons Learned”

visits to STScI, SSC; extended visit to SSC)• ANASAC: Address key issues in NAm ALMA ops through formal charges• Third Science Workshop: http://www.cv.nrao.edu/naasc/massive08/• Continue science talks at North American institutions• AAS townhall presentations


3rd NAASC Science

WorkshopSept 25-27 2008

Charlottesville

http://www.cv.nrao.edu/naasc/massive08/


NAASC Staffing 2008

Staffing• Full time staff: C. Carilli (AD), J. Hibbard (ARC manager), C.Brogan

(CASA subsystem scientist)• Two 50/50 appointments made with UVa -- A. Evans, R. Indebetouw

(community outreach, CASA user support)• Support 3 FTE CASA programmers• Support 0.5 FTE business support, 40% admin assist, 25% postdoc

New Hires • CSV hires (2): First to start June 2008 (A. Remijan),

second offer made• CASA developer hire: Offer made/declined. Postdoc in Fall?• ALMA EPO officer: to start Aug 2008 (J. Stoke from STScI)• Jansky Fellow: to start Sep 2008 in CV (B. Kent)

Transfers• H. Liszt Q4 (75%)• T. Hunter Q4 (25%)


Organizing for FY2009



• “What are the plans for the NAASC? How will it relate to the proposed Array Science Center in Socorro and what are the plans for that facility?”


NAASC & NM Ops & GBT Ops

• “Towards Integrated NRAO Operations” (see summary by D. Frail)

• Share what can easily be shared (CASA development between ALMA & EVLA; PST between EVLA/VLBA/GBT; EPO; OSAA; NTC; E2E/VO)

• Develop new functionality closely associated with specific facility, but with a view of sharing when appropriate (Archive, helpdesk)

• Keep tasks that require intimate connection with telescope closely associated with that telescope (technical feasibility, observing modes, helpdesk “level 2”)

• As processes, idiosyncrasies and workflow are understood, use E2E to deploy sharable tasks across the Observatory (helpdesk triage & level 1, sb verification)



• “We had endorsed the ALMA Users Grant Program through NSF and request an update on the status of this”


User Grants Program

ANASAC Endorsed $6M/yr user data analysis grants program Grants tied to successful observing proposals Bottom-up and top-down analysis for amount (ANASAC): would provide

average of $2500/hr for US astronomers, with support ranging from grad student, through postdoc, salary, and resources for complex programs

Strongly endorsed by Decadal Report for all new NSF facilities

Broad Community support: Future of Radio Astronomy Committee, McCray/AUI, Letter to NSF Bally and colleagues open letter to AAS president ANASAC letter to NSF and NAS Users committee report to NRAO AURA initiative?

Not included by NSF in NAASC budget recommended to NSB NSF Response: Establish a high-level committee to consider user grants with

observing time on new, large ground based facilities


NAASC Community Support

Reworked NAASC budget to include: • page charge support• support for data reduction trips to the NAASC• support for students working with ALMA data, similar to

the GBT and VLBA student support program (ramping up to a total of 12 students per year).

• The NAASC will support 4 Jansky Fellows, who may choose to be stationed at U.S. Universities.


END

nrao users committee meeting may 20-21, 2008 1 national radio astronomy observatory nrao users...

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