The Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), presently under construction, is a revolutionary astronomical interferometer, that will operate at (sub)millimeter wavelengths. With unprecedented sensitivity, resolution, and imaging capability, ALMA will explore the (sub-)mm Universe, one of astronomy's last frontiers. ALMA is expected to provide insight in star- and galaxy formation in the early Universe and to image local star- and planet formation in great detail. The ALMA Commissioning and Science Verification phase is currently in course, preparing the path for Early Science. The Call for ALMA Early Science proposals is expected to be released before the end of 2010. In this contribution we will describe the ALMA project, the array and its receivers, its science goals, and its scientific and technological potential. We will outline the organizational structure of the ALMA Regional Centres, that will play an important role in providing support to the users, with particular attention to the Italian ALMA Regional Centre in Bologna. Finally, we will illustrate what ALMA can contribute to the specific science case of AGN fueling.
European Southern Observatory(欧洲南方天文台);ALMA Santiago Central Offices(ALMA圣地亚哥中央办公室);National Radio Astronomy Observatory(美国国家射电天文台);National Astronomical Observatory of Japan(日本国立天文台)
Millimetre/Sub-Millimetre SETI: Expanding the Radio Technosignature Parameter Space with ALMA2040
University of Manchester(曼彻斯特大学);Leiden University(莱顿大学);University of Malta(马耳他大学);SETI Institute(SETI研究所);University of Oxford(牛津大学);University of California, Berkeley(加州大学伯克利分校);University of New Mexico(新墨西哥大学);National Radio Astronomy Observatory(美国国家射电天文台)
VAPOLA -- A multi-year, multi-band polarization survey of AGN and Sgr A* at mm wavelengths with ALMA I. Survey Overview and Science-Ready Archival Products
Università degli Studi di Cagliari(卡利亚里大学);INAF - Osservatorio Astronomico di Cagliari(意大利国家天体物理研究所卡利亚里天文台);University of Balearic Islands(巴利阿里群岛大学);Institute of the Balearic Islands (IAIB)(巴利阿里群岛研究所);Health Research Institute of the Balearic Islands (IdISBa)(巴利阿里群岛健康研究所);Universidade São Paulo, Instituto de Astronomia, Geofísica e Ciéencias Atmosféricas(圣保罗大学天文、地球物理与大气科学研究所);INAF-Istituto di Radioastronomia(意大利国家天体物理研究所射电天文学研究所);INAF–Italian Centre for Astronomical Archive(意大利天体物理研究所意大利天文档案中心)
Future mmVLBI Research with ALMA: A European vision
毫米/亚毫米波长甚长基线干涉测量(mmVLBI)提供了天文学中任何波长下可达到的最高空间分辨率。ALMA作为相控阵列被纳入全球VLBI网络,将为mmVLBI带来前所未有的灵敏度和能力的转型飞跃。基于美国和欧洲多年来的开拓性努力,正在进行的ALMA分阶段项目(APP),美国领导的国际合作与MPIfR领导的欧洲贡献,预计将在2014年底前为ALMA提供波束形成器和VLBI能力(APP:Fish et al. 2013,arXiv:1309.3519)。本报告从欧洲的角度着重讨论国际用户界今后使用毫米甚长基线干涉仪的情况。首先,它突出了强烈的科学兴趣,在欧洲未来的毫米VLBI观测汇编从响应一般呼吁欧洲共同体未来的研究项目。提出了广泛的研究,其中包括:- 对银河系中心黑洞的事件视界进行成像-测试广义相对论理论和/或寻找替代理论-研究活动星系核喷流的起源和喷流的形成-星系和黑洞的宇宙演化,AGN反馈--银河系中的脉泽(在恒星和恒星形成区)-河外发射线和天体化学-遥远星系的红移吸收线和ISM和环核气体的研究-脉冲星,中子星,X射线双星.检验宇宙学.检验基本物理常数