Showcasing ALMA Results from the UK Community
The UK ARC Node would like to showcase the excellent research being conducted by UK-based astronomers using ALMA. Each month, we plan to highlight one or two recent journal articles or press releases as lead items in this newsletter. In the interest of fairness, news items will be allocated on a first come, first served basis, with other submissions provided as a list of recently published papers.
We plan to start this in the May 2021 newsletter (after the ALMA Cycle 8 proposal submission deadline), and we will send a request for submissions closer to the time. If you are a UK based astronomer currently leading or contributing significantly to a soon-to-be-published article, we look forward to sharing your science.
The ALMA Cycle 8 2021 Call for Proposals: The Countdown Begins
In December, the Joint ALMA Observatory made its pre-announcement for the Cycle 8 2021 call for proposals. The formal Call for Proposals (CfP), with detailed information for observing in Cycle 8, is expected in mid-March 2021 with a deadline in April 2021. The information provided in the pre-announcement is published to highlight features of the upcoming CfP to assist with early proposal planning.
The full pre-announcement includes details on new ALMA capabilities for Cycle 8, expected array configuration, and important information on the updated Proposal Review Process, which will differ from previous ALMA Cycles.
The UK ARC Node is available to help all UK based astronomers with their ALMA proposal planning and submission. If you have any questions related to a proposal for Cycle 8 2021 please contact us.
I-TRAIN #5: Simulating ALMA Observations with the OST
11 March 2021
The European ARC Network is offering an online training on simulating observations with the ALMA Observation Support Tool (OST) on Thursday March 11, 2021, 10:00 GMT (11:00 CET). The OST allows users to test the effect of differing array configurations, frequency tunings, pointing strategies and weather conditions on imaging (2D or 3D) a sky-model of their choosing. The output images can be used to support the scientific and technical justifications of their ALMA proposals or for comparing model data to existing ALMA observations. In this training session, participants will learn how to work with the OST to produce robust and meaningful ALMA simulations.
No specific preparations will be needed to follow this tutorial in full. The OST is available online at http://almaost.jb.man.ac.uk/. If attendees wish to simulate a sky-model of their favourite targets, these should be prepared in FITS format following the help documentation. Presentation slides will be shared in the Science Portal the day before the session.
The duration of this training session, hosted by the UK ARC node, will be about one hour and will include a live demo and an interactive Q&A session. For questions do not hesitate to contact the UK ARC node.
Note: The tutor's presentation will be recorded and an edited version of the recording will be posted in the Science Portal after the session. The interactive Q&A will not be recorded.
Conference announcement: "DELVE: Death-throes of EvoLved stars, a Virtual Encounter"
12-16 April 2021
Virtual Conference
The chairs, on behalf of the SOC, would like to announce an upcoming online conference on the topic of evolved stars. DELVE: Death-throes of EvoLved stars, a Virtual Encounter will run April 12-16 with different time slots on different days to accommodate people working in different time zones across the world.
The scientific focus of the conference will be on the chemistry and physics of evolved stars, particularly AGB and RSG stars. The SOC welcome contributions delving into any topic related to AGB or RSG stars, including observations, modelling and theory of the chemical or physical states of these stars and their circumstellar environments.
Talks will take place over Zoom (uploaded to YouTube for asynchronous viewing) with coffee breaks and poster sessions taking place in the virtual space of Gather Town. Registration is open now and abstract submissions will close on 1 March. For more details visit the conference website.