UK ALMA Regional Centre Node 2020 - 2024

这项提议是为了资助欧洲ALMA区域中心的英国节点，该节点将继续为联合王国ALMA社区提供直接的用户支持、培训和专门软件，用于实验设计、时间安排、数据分析和天体物理解释。阿塔卡马大毫米阵列(ALMA)具有变革性，正在毫米和亚毫米波段的天文学领域带来革命性的变化，其角度分辨率、灵敏度、成像质量和光谱覆盖范围数量级超过了几年前的水平。科学应用的范围非常广泛，从彗星到宇宙学，但ALMA的关键优势是对我们银河系和整个宇宙中恒星和行星形成过程的详细成像，直接解决了STFC天文学愿景的许多关键主题。ALMA运行在智利北部阿塔卡马沙漠一个非常干燥的高度(5000米)，靠近无线电大气窗口的边缘。在标准操作模式的大部分数据处理自动化方面，该望远镜非常成功，产生了接近可发表质量的可接受图像，供非干涉测量专家的天文学家使用。然而，为了充分利用从高级成像中提取的科学知识，许多用户需要并赞赏来自熟练的干涉测量专家的额外支持。此外，ALMA操作有时可能具有挑战性，特别是非标准模式，例如在最短波长波段使用物理扩展的望远镜配置进行超高角度分辨率成像。ALMA的运营计划将所有用户互动和支持移交给美国、日本和欧洲的三个区域中心(ARC)。欧洲模式是一种分布式模式，在Garching的ESO有一个中央协调节点，所有面对面的用户支持和更先进的数据分析设施以及由国家一级资助的单个节点网络提供的增强成像。除了ESO节点，欧洲还有7个地区节点，英国ALMA用户支持由设在曼彻斯特大学的英国节点提供。英国节点根据英国ALMA用户的个人需求提供用户支持，以帮助他们在ALMA计划中获得最大的科学回报。它还为所有英国ALMA用户提供支持，为他们的ALMA科学计划提供全套要素，从提案准备到数据的质量保证评估(特别是那些涉及非标准操作模式的计划)，到先进的成像和最大限度地提高科学提取。该节点还提供定期研讨会，通过先进的数据处理/成像加强科学提取，并确保分发关于ALMA新发展和能力的信息。英国节点还提供IT硬件(计算能力和数据存储)，以同时支持由英国牵头的几个ALMA项目(通过面对面和远程支持)；包括主办大型ALMA方案和面向国际财团的方案。英国节点参与开发新的和增强的软件工具，以帮助英国ALMA用户进行项目规划和执行--包括新方案和档案获取项目。英国节点人员参与ALMA开发和EOC(能力扩展和优化)试运行计划，以利用现有的英国节点技能来交付此类计划，并在新的ALMA开发方面为英国ALMA用户提供增强的支持。英国ALMA用户社区受益于UK Node提供的专家支持，并已成长为ALMA的主要用户。在ALMA运营的最后三年(周期4-6)中，成功的英国ALMA用户获得了所有批准的欧洲时间的26%。

This proposal is for funding of the UK Node of the European ALMA Regional Centre, which will continue to provide the UK ALMA community with direct user support, training and specialized software for experiment design, scheduling, data analysis and astrophysical interpretation. The Atacama Large Millimetre Array (ALMA) is transformational, and is revolutionising astronomy in the millimetre and sub-millimetre band with angular resolution, sensitivity, imaging quality and spectral coverage orders of magnitude beyond what available only a few years ago. The range of scientific applications is very broad, stretching from comets to cosmology, but ALMA's key strength is the detailed imaging of the processes of star and planet formation in our own galaxy and in the Universe at large, directly addressing many of the key themes of STFC's astronomical vision. ALMA operates at a very dry high (5000m) site in the Atacama Desert of northern Chile, close to the edge of the radio atmospheric window. The telescope has been very successful in automating much of the data processing for standard modes of operation, producing acceptable images approaching publishable quality for astronomers who are not experts in interferometry. However, for full exploitation of science extraction from advanced imaging many users require and appreciate additional support from skilled interferometry experts. In addition, ALMA operations can at times be challenging, especially non-standard modes such as for ultra-high angular resolution imaging with physically extended telescope configurations in the shortest wavelength bands. The operating plan for ALMA devolves all user interaction and support to three regional centres (ARCs) in US, Japan and Europe. The European model is a distributed one, with a central coordinating Node based at ESO in Garching and all face-to-face user support and more advanced data analysis facilities and enhanced imaging provided by a network of individual Nodes funded at the national level. In addition to the ESO Node there a 7 regional Nodes across Europe with UK ALMA user support being provided by the UK Node housed at the University of Manchester. The UK Node provides user support tailored to the requirements of individual UK ALMA users to assist in maximising their scientific return on ALMA programmes. It also provides support to all UK ALMA users for the complete set of elements for their ALMA science programmes from proposal preparation through quality assurance assessment of their data (especially for those programmes involving non-standard operational modes), to advanced imaging and maximisation of science extraction. The Node also provides regular workshops to both enhance science extraction through advanced data processing/imaging, and ensures the distribution of information regarding new ALMA developments and capabilities. The UK Node also provides IT hardware (computing power and data storage) to simultaneously support several UK-led ALMA projects (through both face-to-face and remote support); including the hosting of large ALMA programmes and programmes for international consortia. The UK Node is involved in the development of new and enhanced software tools to assist UK ALMA users in their project planning and execution - for both new programmes and archival access projects. UK Node personnel participate in ALMA development and EOC (Extension and Optimisation of Capabilities) commissioning programmes to utilise existing UK Node skills to deliver such programmes, and in addition provide enhanced support for UK ALMA users with regard to new ALMA developments.The UK ALMA user community has benefitted from the expert support provided by the UK Node and has grown to be a major user of ALMA. In the last 3 years of ALMA operations (Cycles 4-6) successful UK ALMA users have been awarded 26% of all the approved European time.