AST Committee of Visitors February 2011 Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA)

1. AST Committee of VisitorsFebruary 2011Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) Phil Puxley Program Officer, ALMA

2. ALMA Science • Top-level science objectives: • Image the redshifted dust- continuum emission from evolving galaxies as early as 500Myr after the Big Bang (z~10). • Determine the chemical composition and dynamics of star-forming gas in normal galaxies like the Milky Way but ¾ of the way across the Universe (z~3). • Measure the gas kinematics in young disks in nearby molecular clouds and detect the tidal gaps induced by planet formation.

3. What is ALMA? • $1.3 billion international partnership • “North America” (NSF/AUI/NRAO, Canada/HIA and Taiwan/NSC) • Europe (ESO) • “East Asia” (Japan/NAOJ and Taiwan/ASIAA) • To build and operate: • At least 50 x 12m telescopes with 4 receiver bands from NA and ESO • 4 x 12m and 12 x 7m telescopes in a compact formation, plus 3 receiver bands, from EA • Situated at 5100m on the Chajnantor plain in Northern Chile

4. ALMA Management and Organization • International agreements establish the partnership and roles of ALMA Board and regional Executives • Bilateral NSF-ESO agreement amended in 2006 and 2007… • Japan contributions finalized; NSF-ESO-NINS agreement amended in 2006 … • In North America • NSF is lead agency • AUI is NA Executive, manages NRAO as lead NA institution • In Chile, the Executives form the Joint ALMA Observatory • JAO is not a separate legal entity • AUI is employer of all Chilean staff • JAO matrix-manages construction and operations staff from Executives Not shown: Directors Council, IPTs

5. ALMA Program Management at NSF • NSF holds seat on ALMA Board and appoints other US members • ALMA Management Advisory Committee, conducts ALMA Annual External Review • Five NA members appointed by NSF • Consultation with NSF LFP, ALMA PAT, Canada • ALMA Science Advisory Committee • Five NA members appointed by NSF • Recommended by NRAO, also serve on ANASAC • NSF programmatic and managerial oversight: • NSF/AST Program Officer responsible for Programmatic Management of construction and operations • PO supported by Project Advisory Team (MPS, BFA, OGC, OISE, OLPA and LFP) • Large Facility Project division and MREFC panel • NA construction and operations embedded in NRAO; oversight coordinated within AST

6. Program Management Activities • NSF member of ALMA Board • Annually, 2face-to-face meetings and ~7 intervening telecons (and NA caucus meetings…); Budget and Personnel subcommittees • Annual budget material preparation and maintenance • Daily-weekly discussions with DDD/AST, ALMA NA, AUI, NRAO, JAO project staff • Weekly-monthly discussions with DD/LFP, BFA/Grants & Agreements Officer and others in Project Advisory Team • Quarterly PAT meetings • Monthly ALMA NA progress reports and face-to-face meetings • Monthly reports to DD LFP (and NSF Director and others) • Monthly discussions with international partners • Observe and interact with AMAC/AAER, ASAC, ANASAC • Site visits (Chajnantor, Santiago, key vendors e.g. Vertex) • Domestic and international reviews: e.g. Operations and Annual External Reviews, coordinated with ALMA Board; AST-led reviews • Annual program plans and reports • Read and digest material, strategic planning etc.

7. ALMA Schedule and Funding (I) • Construction and operations co-exist through FY2012 • Strictly separate budgets (MREFC construction, R&RA ops) • Early Science planned to start in 2011, full science in 2013 • Construction • Project-wide re-baselining in 2005; bi-lateral array reduced from 64 to 50 antennas and other descopes • NSB authorized 45% increase in funding and schedule extension MREFC total funding of $499.26M (TYD) Current spent down from $8M/month to $4M/month

8. ALMA Schedule and Funding (II) • Operations • NSB authorized FY07-FY11 ALMA NA operations profile of $70.52M • Establish NAASC, develop operations plans, train staff, user support documentation, outreach, U.S. share of support for facilities handed over from construction • From FY08, funded under separate CSA to the NRAO O&M for budget tracking and management • Renewal proposal for FY12-FY15 externally review in mid-2010, submitted to NSB (Feb 2011) • Series of internal project and external reviews in 2010 assessed readiness for Early Science • Community access to (16-antenna) subset of array, (4) frequency bands and observing modes • Announced in early January: Call for Proposals 31 March, start of Early Science 30 September

9. Construction Status • 33antennas in Chile

10. Construction Status • mm/sub-mm receivers in production

11. Construction Status • High site and mid-level facilities constructed

12. Construction Status Antennas Receivers Integration Final North American deliverables

13. Construction Status • Science commissioning is underway

14. ALMA Challenges • Management and governance complexity • Construction • Complete within budget and schedule and scope constraints • Currently 81% complete with $22M in contingency (33% of uncommitted budget); cost performance is good but about 5% behind reference schedule • Significant liens on contingency; after known liens and pending change requests, contingency is reduced to $10M (15%) • Demonstrating and maintaining production • Pacing items are front-end receivers (near term) and European antennas (to completion) • AST is keeping a close eye on performance through reports, site visits and reviews • Encouraged strategic use of contingency to limit exposure to schedule risk

15. ALMA Challenges • Review identified principal issues, risks and challenges as • Permanent power supply - settled on multi-fuel turbine plant; factory testing completed; installation of 23kV distribution system underway • Power and maintenance costs - will review updated ALMA Operations Plan with international partners and assess Chile vs NAASC budget allocation • Risk assessment - AUI/NRAO responded with a comprehensive Risk Management Plan. Principal risks are construction delays, staffing and resource contention, power costs, data (re-)processing capacity. Will assess risk status periodically and review annually. • Complex partnership - commitment to continue to further improve processes and relations at all levels (agency, Board, Executives, ARCs, IPTs) • Management of expectation in Early Science - announcement of ES has been carefully controlled. Priority is completing construction. • Education and outreach Strategic Plan - AUI/NRAO produced responsive plan. Implementation will be reviewed annually.

16. Material Available to COV • 2008, 2009, 2010 Annual External Review reports and responses • 2010 NSF operations review, response and Program Officer’s analysis • 2010 NSF/ESO review of AUI’s Chilean labor management • 2009 NSF review of schedule and spacing items • 2008 external safety review • AUI/NRAO and Program Officer’s monthly reports • Annual Reports • Program Plans • …please ask for anything else you would like.

17. Backup Slides