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2\25 ESO and NSF Sign Agreement on ALMA (ESO Press Release 04/03)
Part 2 of 2

Current observatories simply do not have anywhere near the necessary
sensitivity and resolution to unlock the secrets that abundant
sub-millimeter and millimeter wavelength radiation can reveal. It will 
take the unparalleled power of ALMA to fully study the cosmic emission 
at this wavelength and better understand the nature of the universe.

Scientists from all over the world will use ALMA. They will compete 
for observing time by submitting proposals, which will be judged by a 
group of their peers on the basis of scientific merit.


ALMA's unique capabilities
--------------------------
ALMA's ability to detect remarkably faint sub-millimeter and 
millimeter wavelength emission and to create high-resolution images of 
the source of that emission gives it capabilities not found in any 
other astronomical instruments. ALMA will therefore be able to study 
phenomena previously out of reach to astronomers and astrophysicists, 
such as:

* Very young galaxies forming stars at the earliest times in cosmic
  history;
* New planets forming around young stars in our galaxy,
  the Milky Way;
* The birth of new stars in spinning clouds of gas and dust; and
* Interstellar clouds of gas and dust that are the nurseries of 
  complex molecules and even organic chemicals that form the building 
  blocks of life.


How will ALMA work?
-------------------
All of ALMA's 64 antennae will work in concert, taking quick 
"snapshots" or long-term exposures of astronomical objects. Cosmic 
radiation from these objects will be reflected from the surface of 
each antenna and focussed onto highly sensitive receivers cooled to 
just a few degrees above absolute zero in order to suppress undesired 
"noise" from the surroundings. There the signals will be amplified 
many times, digitized, and then sent along underground fiber-optic 
cables to a large signal processor in the central control building.

This specialized computer, called a correlator - running at 16,000
million-million operations per second - will combine all of the data 
from the 64 antennae to make images of remarkable quality.


The extraordinary ALMA site
---------------------------
Since atmospheric water vapor absorbs millimeter and (especially)
sub-millimeter waves, ALMA must be constructed at a very high altitude 
in a very dry region of the earth.

Extensive tests showed that the sky above the Atacama Desert of Chile 
has the excellent clarity and stability essential for ALMA. That is 
why ALMA will be built there, on Llano de Chajnantor at an altitude of 
5,000 metres in the Chilean Andes.

A series of views of this site, also in high-resolution suitable for
reproduction, is available at the Chajnantor Photo Gallery.

Timeline for ALMA

 June 1998: Phase 1 (Research and Development)

 June 1999: European/American Memorandum of Understanding

 February   Signature of the bilateral Agreement 2003:

 2004:      Tests of the Prototype System

 2007:      Initial scientific operation of a partially completed 
            array

 2011:      End of construction of the array

Note

[1]: This is a joint press release by ESO and the NSF.

Press Contacts

Richard West
ESO EPR Dept.
Garching bei M=FCnchen, Germany
Tel: +49-89-3200-6276
email: rwest{at}eso.org

Charles E. Blue
National Radio Observtory
Charlottesville VA, USA
Tel: +1-434-296-0323
email: cblue{at}nrao.edu

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