ALMA Observatory WHERE SCIENCE NEVER STOPS
www.almaobservatory.org
WHERE SCIENCE NEVER STOPS ALMA Observatory It’s been nearly five years since we last spoke with the team at ALMA, so when the opportunity recently arose to find out how they were progressing, we were pleased to see that things had gone arguably even better than originally forecast back in 2013, at the time of its inauguration. WORDS BY
Michael Minihan
RESEARCH BY
Maria Cobano
Mr Jorge Ibsen, interviewee
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ALMA OBSERVATORY
ome readers may recall that ALMA is an acronym used for the Atacama Large Millimeter/ submillimeter Array. It’s been nearly five years since we last spoke with the team at ALMA, so when the opportunity recently arose to find out how they were progressing, we were pleased to see that things had gone arguably even better than originally forecast back in 2013, at the time of its inauguration. While over half of the firms we interview are of a technical nature, perhaps ALMA can lay claim to be the most technical of all. There aren’t many firms which we interview which can legitimately claim to be assisting scientists in studying the black hole that exists at the centre of our Milky Way, for example. Such is the level of technicality at ALMA. ALMA is able to do this through the use of up to 100 times better angular resolution than compared to other interferometers (in s tr u m e nt s wh ich su p e rim p ose electromagnetic waves to extract information of an astronomical objects). Its higher resolution and larger sensitivity speed, makes it a one-of-a-kind radio astronomical instrument enabling ‘transformational science.’ What’s clear is that the observatory is no longer initiating activities as when we first met, but now is a mainstay of the broader scientific community. An indication of this is that its members are now no longer
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“ALMA is able to do this through the use of up to 100 times better angular resolution than compared to other interferometers”
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ALMA receives award for its contribution to the progress of Chile. Award Ceremony ICARE 2017. Credit: Icare
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ALMA OBSERVATORY
focused on building the instrument, but instead focusing their efforts on streamlining the observatory production chain: project proposal preparation, project ranking, data acquisition, data processing and ultimately, and data delivery to an eager scientific community.
Scientific breakthroughs At the end of 2017, ALMA is not only starting the fifth observing cycle, where its team aims to deliver 4,000 hours of science time - a milestone which represents a significant increase in the number of hours offered to
the community, but already looking towards the capabilities of its next observation cycles which will be offering a number of new observation modes to scientists in the field. The increase in hours reflects the productivity of ALMA – to date, around 800 scientific articles have been published, including 243 in 2017 alone – approximately 6 per week, an unprecedented number. In 2014, for example, ALMA revealed remarkable details of a solar system currently forming, with the individual planets vacuuming up dust and gas in a protoplanetary disc. More recently, in 2017, two teams of AOS Technical Building. © ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO)
“At the end of 2017, ALMA is not only starting the fifth observing cycle, where its team aims to deliver 4,000 hours of science time”
Antenna relocation. Credit: Carlos Padilla – ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO)
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European astronomers were responsible for the first ever detection of a probiotic molecule – the complex organic molecule methyl isocyanate – which has been recognized as one of the most relevant discoveries of science in the past five years, described by authors of one study as “another piece of the puzzle in understanding how life came about on our planet.”
a resource not only to the organization but to the scientific community in Latin America. This More recently, in has led to increased cooperation 2017, two teams with universities both in Chile of European and neighbouring countries. astronomers It also has the added benefit were responsible of drawing in students and for the first ever researchers from diverse fields detection of a such as software, electronic and probiotic molecule mechanical engineering. - described by This pays an ongoing dividend authors of one in intellectual capital. With more study as “another Ongoing work astronomical installations, the piece of the puzzle The team at ALMA is currently Chilean National Research and in understanding focusing on further developing Education Network (REUNA) how life came about a data-driven approach to is expected to significantly on our planet.” management to ensure that develop its network capacity decisions are taken in terms of for science and data centres for well-defined metrics, thresholds the storage and processing of and key performance indicators scientific data most likely will be (KPIs). This will ensure that the all aspects of developed over the coming years, which will at the operation represent a perfect balance almost certainly further catalyse what ALMA between results and operational stability. is doing and accelerate the development In addition, ALMA’s astronomical of data-science based digital business installations in Chile continue to provide in the region.
Did you know?
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ALMA OBSERVATORY
Partnerships within the Scientific Community
Laboratories. © Carlos Padilla – ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO)
As our last article on ALMA highlighted, it is itself the result of a worldwide partnership between three separate organizations: The European Southern Observatory (Europe), the National Science Foundation (United States) and the National Institutes of Natural Sciences (Japan), all of which bring the work of ALMA to a larger audience, including other astronomical agencies. Partnerships are also being established all the time by way of the Astronomical Data Analysis Software and Systems (ADASS) Conference series, of which ALMA is now a regular participant. Not only a forum for astronomers, computer scientists, software engineers, faculty members and students, but also a solid way in which to connect with this community and establish mutually-beneficial relationships. At the 27th edition of the conference, held in Santiago de Chile in October 2017 and co-hosted by ESO, ALMA and a Chilean university, a record of 400 participants attended (beating the previous record of 320 by 25%), providing around 50 oral presentations. One of the supporters of this conference edition is the Chilean corporation in charge of promoting industrial production (CORFO), an agency from the country’s Ministry of the Economy. One of the takeaways from this year’s event, was the important role that women
Board of Directors outside the SCO Building in Santiago, March 14, 2014. Credit:© ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO)
have to play in the future of science. The Chilean Minister for Gender Equality, Claudia Pascual Grau, headed up a meeting which addressed the topic (organized by ALMA and Associated Universities Inc), and pointed to the good example that ALMA was setting in this area, not just in Chile, but internationally.
Science Never Stops
“By 2025, it is estimated that Chile will be hosting around 70% of the world’s astronomical observatory capacity”
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The field of science doesn’t know what ‘market saturation’ means, forcing scientific organizations like ALMA to keep researching, keep innovating and keep improving. ALMA has already put plans in place for 5-year and 30-year roadmaps for future major developments. The final details of both will be delivered in 2018. Both will ensure that the foremost radio observatory in the world maintains and builds upon its position.
By 2025, it is estimated that Chile will be hosting around 70% of the world’s astronomical observatory capacity. There’s no reason to fear this near monopoly. In Chile, the science community has found a country which is willing to put women at the forefront, educate children on the importance of science inside and outside their careers and to cooperate with foreign scientists. ALMA is the proof and a leading actor of all this.
ALMA OBSERVATORY
+56 2 2467 6100 info@almaobservatory.org @almaobs www.almaobservatory.org
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ALMA Observatory
+56 2 2467 6100 info@almaobservatory.org @almaobs www.almaobservatory.org
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