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arXiv · 2001.11076

The ALMA Development Program: Roadmap to 2030

John Carpenter·Daisuke Iono·Francisca Kemper·Al Wootten
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Abstract

The Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) is the premier telescope for sensitive, high-resolution observations at millimeter and submillimeter wavelengths. The array consists of fifty 12-m diameter antennas that can be reconfigured to baselines as long as 16 km, twelve 7-m antennas that sample the short visibility spacings, and four 12-m antennas that provide total power capabilities for spectral line and continuum observations. Located in the Atacama desert in northern Chile at an elevation of 5000 m on the Chajnantour plateau, the ALMA site provides excellent observing conditions with low precipitable water vapor. The large number of antennas, the high-altitude site, and excellent receivers with low-noise performance provide an extremely sensitive, flexible instrument for submillimeter imaging.

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John Carpenter, Daisuke Iono, Francisca Kemper, Al Wootten. 2020-01-29. The ALMA Development Program: Roadmap to 2030. https://arxiv.org/abs/2001.11076

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