ALMA Design Reference Science Plan

DRSP 2.1

Last updated, 2008-08-07

This is the top page of the ALMA Design Reference Science Plan (Version 2.1) to provide a prototype suite of high-priority ALMA projects that could be carried out in ~3-4 years of full ALMA operations. The DRSP serves as a quantitative reference for developing the science operations plan, for performing imaging simulations, for software design, and for other applications within the ALMA project.

Note that the DRSP projects are NOT approved for execution with ALMA. ALMA science projects will be selected from the responses to Call for Observing Proposals. It is currently expected that the first of such calls will be issued in 2010 and that full science operations will begin towards the end of 2012.

Until May 2008, the DRSP was maintained by Michiel Hogerheide at the University of Leiden. Previous versions of the DRSP can be accessed at ALMA DRSP pages in Leiden.

Individual DRSP projects can be accessed by clicking on the links below, or download the complete DRSP as a text file or pdf file (over 150 pages).

Quick links:

 
IDTitleLead AuthorHrs
  
  
1Galaxies and Cosmology
  
1.1 The High-Redshift Universe
1.1.1 Unbiased survey of submm galaxies: continuum survey at 1 mm S.Guilloteau 80 hrs
1.1.2 Unbiased survey of submm galaxies: combined line+cont at 3 mm S.Guilloteau 256 hrs
1.1.3 Unbiased survey of submm galaxies: pointed cont. at 650 GHz S.Guilloteau 150-450 hrs
1.1.4 Unbiased survey of submm galaxies: line survey 210-275 GHz S.Guilloteau 180 hrs
1.1.5 Molecular line studies of submm galaxies --constraining dust obscured galaxy formation C. Carilli 170 hrs
1.1.6 Ultradeep ALMA continuum survey A. Blain 4120 hrs
1.1.7 A deep search for line-emitting galaxies using ALMA A. Blain 160 hrs
1.1.8 Follow-up observations of high-redshift submillimeter galaxies A. Blain 5300 hrs
1.1.9 Dust in normal Lyman Break Galaxies M. Sawicki 80 hrs
1.1.10 Follow-up observations of Spitzer selected galaxies A. Blain 560
  
1.2 Gravitational Lenses
1.2.1 Weak lensing using ALMA A. Blain 100 hrs
1.2.2 A ultradeep galaxy survey through clusters using ALMA A. Blain 1740 hrs
1.2.3 Follow-up observations of very bright Planck Surveyor sources A. Blain 500 hrs
1.2.4 A submm study of strong gravitational lenses T. Wiklind 230 hrs
1.2.5 Dust in gravitationally lensed Lyman Break Galaxies M. Sawicki 94.2 hrs
  
1.3 Quasar Absorption Lines
1.3.1 Spectral line survey in high-z molecular absorption systems T. Wiklind 240.3 hrs
1.3.2 A deep search for new molecular absorption line systems T. Wiklind 260 hrs
  
1.4 SZ with ALMA
1.4.1 Imaging galaxy cluster mergers via the Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effect K. Yamada 400 hrs
1.4.2 Sunyaev-Zeldovich Effect of Galaxy Clusters at High Redshift N. Sugiyama 400 hrs
  
1.5 Gas in Galactic Nuclei
1.5.1 Imaging Molecular material in the vicinity of an AGN E. Schinnerer 64 hrs
1.5.2 Circumnuclear Starburst Rings: From Gas to Stars E. Schinnerer 80 hrs
1.5.3 Nuclear Dense Gas in Active Galaxies E. Schinnerer 256 hrs
1.5.4 Excitation Conditions of Nuclear GMCs E. Schinnerer 75 hrs
1.5.5 Physical Condition for the Gas in Galactic Centers E. Schinnerer 240 hrs
  
1.6 The AGN Engine
1.6.1 High resolution imaging of radio hot spots C. Carilli 32 hrs
1.6.2 High resolution imaging of X-ray hot spots in radio C. Carilli 16 hrs
1.6.3 The general relativistic shadow of Sgr A* C. Carilli 16 hrs
1.6.4 mm VLBI observations of core-jets C. Carilli 50 hrs
1.6.5 Imaging the molecular gas in high redshift FIR-luminous C. Carilli 60 hrs
1.6.6 mm VLBI imaging of IDVs C. Carilli 50 hrs
1.6.7 Search for flat spectrum mm-loud AGN C. Carilli 20 hrs
  
1.7 Galaxies in the Local Universe
1.7.1 The GMC Scale Chemical Anatomy of Nearby Galaxies D. Meier 144 hrs
1.7.2 The Molecular ISM in Low Surface Brightness Galaxies Turner 96 hrs
1.7.3 Calibrating the I_CO to N(H_2) Conversion Factor in Nearby Galaxies D. Meier 140 hrs
1.7.4 Structure of the ISM in irregular galaxies C. Wilson 180 hrs
1.7.5 Low Frequency Survey of Free-Free Emission in Nearby Starburst Galaxies J. Turner 43 hrs
1.7.6 Study of Gas Masses and Star Formation Efficiencies in Nearby Galaxies J. Turner 120 hrs
1.7.7 Gas Content and Dynamics of Elliptical Galaxies C. Wilson 12 hrs
1.7.8 Gas densities and dynamics in central regions N. Nakai 99 hrs
1.7.9 CO(6-5) emission from a small sample of Ultraluminous Infrared K. Isaak 65 hrs
1.7.10 Searching for Proto- Super Star Clusters in the Antennae C. Wilson 20 hrs
1.7.11 The CO-to-H2 conversion factor N. Nakai 43 hrs
  
1.8 ALMA and the Magellanic Clouds
1.8.1 Structure and starformation of LMC/SMC molecular clouds S. Aalto 630 hrs
1.8.2 Evolved stars and mass loss in the Magellanic Clouds S. Aalto 500 hrs
1.8.3 Background quasars and the chemistry of the ISM Black 396 hrs
1.8.4 Low Frequency Continuum Survey of Free-Free Emission in the LMC J. Turner 2400 hrs
1.8.5 Gas and Dust in 30 Doradus J. Turner 80 hrs
1.8.6 Mass loss and outflow velocities in Magellanic Cloud AGB stars M. Groenewegen 50 hrs
  
1.9 Gamma Ray Bursts
1.9.1 GRB environment 300 hrs
1.9.2 ToO Observing of GRB Afterglows S. Van Dyk 30 hrs
  
  
2Star and Planet Formation
  
2.1 Initial Conditions of Star Formation
2.1.1 Small scale structure of molecular clouds J. Pety 225 hrs
2.1.2 Kinetics, density and temperature profile in pre-stellar cores A. Bacmann 125 hrs
2.1.3 Kinetic Temperature Structure in Protostars and YSOs J. Mangum 15 hrs
2.1.4 Density and temperature profile in high-mass cores A. Bacmann 155 hrs
2.1.5 Spatial Density Probe Comparison in Protostars and YSOs J. Mangum 15 hrs
2.1.6 The Connection Between Cloud Structure and the IMF C. Chandler 400 hrs
2.1.7 Physical Structure of Low-mass Star-Forming Cores Y. Shirley 120 hrs
2.1.8 Infall velocity structure of starless cores JP. Myers 100 hrs
2.1.9 Envelope Structure of Intermediate-Mass YSOs J. Di Francesco 4850 hrs
  
2.2 Young Stellar Objects
2.2.1 Mapping the turbulence in a molecular cloud J. Richer 121 hrs
2.2.2 Magnetic field geometry in protostellar envelopes J. Richer 112 hrs
2.2.3 Structure and collapse of protostellar envelopes J. Richer 240 hrs
2.2.4 Infall toward protostars A. Wootten 900 hrs
2.2.5 Magnetic field in molecular outflows J. Richer 168 hrs
2.2.6 Energetics of the HH 80-81 molecular outflow D. Shepherd 325 hrs
2.2.7 Survey of massive molecular outflows with ACA and TP only D. Shepherd 180 hrs
2.2.8 Survey of the central fields in massive molecular outflow with the ALMA interferometer. D. Shepherd 200 hrs
2.2.9 Deep integration on the massive jet source HH80-81: the disk-outflow connection D. Shepherd 95 hrs
2.2.10 The internal structure of the BHR71 outlow F.Gueth 65 hrs
2.2.11 Inner kinematics in pre-stellar cores with H2D+ A. Bacmann 360 hrs
2.2.12 Proving the existence of Keplerian rotation about a 20 solar masses young star M. Beltran 55 hrs
2.2.13 Resolving the jet-disk interaction H. Beuther 18 hrs
2.2.14 Probing the outflow launching mechanism through observations of the molecular outflow rotation H. Arce 80 hrs
2.2.15 The energetics and temperature structure of protostellar outflows H. G. Arce 840 hrs
2.2.16 Ionized Gas Accretion in Hypercompact HII Regions S. Kurtz 6 hrs
  
2.3 Chemistry of Star-Forming Regions
2.3.1 Chemical survey of hot cores and inner warm envelopes around YSOs E. van Dishoeck 650 hrs
2.3.2 Chemical fractionation in Low-mass Cores Y. Aikawa 358 hrs
2.3.3 Chemical differentiation in star-forming regions M. Wright 134 hrs
2.3.4 Unbiased line surveys of high mass star forming regions P. Schilke 612 hrs
2.3.5 Low Frequency Spectral Survey aimed at Complex Organics B. E. Turner 35 hrs
2.3.6 Surveys of interstellar HCO+ absorption R. Lucas 80 hrs
2.3.7 Surveys of interstellar molecular absorption R. Lucas 57 hrs
2.3.8 Chemical Enhancements in Outflows R. Plume 16 hrs
2.3.9 Tracing the photoprocesses shaping the Horsehead nebula J. Pety 103 hrs
2.3.10 Investigation of Water in galactic sources A. Wootten 80 hrs
  
2.4 Protoplanetary Disks
2.4.1 CO surveys of disks around stars from 0.3 to 3 msun A. Dutrey 2760 hrs
2.4.2 Molecular surveys in 2-3 ``small'' samples from 0.5 to 3 msun A. Dutrey 229 hrs
2.4.3 Continuum survey from 80 to 900 GHz S.Guilloteau 260 hrs
2.4.4 Disks in the sub-stellar regime L. Testi 54 hrs
2.4.5 Gaps in nearby protoplanetary disks S.Guilloteau 13 hrs
2.4.6 Transitions disks around CTTs/WTTs & near ZAMS stars. A.Bacmann 88 hrs
2.4.7 Structure of Debris disks & Vega-type objects. A. Dutrey 690 hrs
2.4.8 Structure and properties of disks around high-mass (proto-)stars L. Testi 190 hrs
2.4.9 Dust and Gas distribution in multiple-systems A. Dutrey 120 hrs
2.4.10 Deuteration in Proto-Planetary Disks: DCO+ and HDO A. Dutrey 25 hrs
2.4.11 Search for CI in circumstellar disks around young stars A. Dutrey 0.33 hrs
2.4.12 Protoplanetary disks in Orion J. Williams 90 hrs
  
  
3Stars and Their Evolution
  
3.1 The Sun
3.1.1 Structure and Dynamics of the Chromosphere A. O. Benz 10 hrs
3.1.2 Solar Radio Recombination Lines A. O. Benz 10 hrs
  
3.2 Mm continuum from stars
3.2.1 Evolution of Magnetic Activity in Main Sequence Stars M. Guedel 30 hrs
3.2.2 Magnetic Energy Release and High-Energy Particles in Stellar Atmospheres M. Guedel 14 hrs
3.2.3 Thermal Emission from Red Giant and Supergiant Stars K.M. Menten 100 hrs
3.2.4 The photospheres and proper motions of normal stars Black 200 hrs
3.2.5 Millimeter observations of nonthermal emission from active stars R. A. Osten 36 hrs
3.2.6 Millimeter survey of stellar disk emission from late-type giants and supergiants R. A. Osten 3.5 hrs
3.2.7 Flares from Young Stellar Objects: What we learned from 2003 January flare in GMR-A R.S.Furuya 96 hrs
3.2.8 TOO Observations of Energetic Particles in Stellar Superflares R. A. Osten 2 hrs
  
3.3 Circumstellar envelopes
3.3.1 Probing the Dust Formation Zone around Red Giant Stars K. M. Menten 200 hrs
3.3.2 Line surveys in evolved stars P. Cox 680 hrs
3.3.3 Resolving the Molspheres of M supergiants G. Harper 18,4 hrs
  
3.4 Post-AGB sources
3.4.1 Post-AGB Stars: proto-planetary and planetary nebulae P. Cox 238 hrs
3.4.2 Molecular and atomic gas in planetary nebulae P. Cox 73.2 hrs
3.4.3 The Heart of Eta Carinae S. M. White
  
3.5 Supernovae
3.5.1 Structure of the Molecular Gas Shocked by Supernova Remnatns K. Tatematsu 206 hrs
3.5.2 SNR-cloud interaction search in LMC K. Tatematsu 86 hrs
3.5.3 The populations of relativistic particles and magnetic field structure in the Crab Nebula and other plerions R. Bandiera 229 hrs
3.5.4 ToO Observing of Radio Supernovae - S. Van Dyk 50 hrs per semester
3.5.5 Monitoring of Radio Supernovae S. Van Dyk 30 hrs per semester
  
  
4Solar System
  
4.1 Planetary atmospheres
4.1.1 The dynamics of Mars' and Venus' middle atmopheres E. Lellouch 120 hrs
4.1.2 The three-dimensional water cycle of Mars E. Lellouch 320 hrs
4.1.3 Chemistry in the atmospheres of Venus and Mars E. Lellouch 70 hrs
4.1.4 Composition and dynamics of giant planet stratospheres E. Lellouch 160 hrs
4.1.5 Search for broad lines in the tropospheres of the giant planets E. Lellouch 16 hrs
4.1.6 Chemical-dynamical couplings and meteorology in Titan's atmosphere E. Lellouch 160 hrs
4.1.7 Io's volcanism E. Lellouch 100 hrs
4.1.8 The atmospheres of Triton, Pluto and other transneptunians (TNO) E. Lellouc 432 hrs
  
4.2 Planetary surfaces and dynamics
4.2.1 Albedos, sizes and surface properties of transneptunian objects E. Lellouch 140 hrs
4.2.2 Mapping the surfaces of the Moon, Mercury and Mars B. Butler 66 hrs
4.2.3 Mapping the surfaces of large icy bodies B. Butler 104 hrs
4.2.4 Structure and composition of Saturn's rings B. Butler 48 hrs
4.2.5 Mapping the surfaces of larger asteroids B. Butler 105 hrs
4.2.6 Sizes and albedoes of NEAs B. Butler 20 hrs
4.2.7 Astrometry of NEAs and TNOs B. Butler 30 hrs
4.2.8 Radar observations of NEAs B. Butler 12 hrs
  
4.3 Comets
4.3.1 A complete picture of an Earth-grazing short-period comet D. Bockelee-Morvan 168 hrs
4.3.2 A TOO observation of an Oort cloud comet D. Bockelee-Morvan 168 hrs
4.3.3 Observations of the great comet of the decade D. Bockelee-Morvan 200 hrs
4.3.4 Characterization of the Jupiter-family comet population D. Bockelee-Morva 200 hrs
4.3.5 is Hale-Bopp still alive? D. Bockelee-Morvan 12 hrs
4.3.6 Chiron distant activity D. Bockelee-Morvan 5 hr
4.3.7 CO nucleus outgassing of 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 1 D. Bockelee-Morvan
4.3.8 CO nucleus outgassing of 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 1 D. Bockelee-Morvan 40 hrs
4.3.9 D/H in cometary water D. Bockelée-Morvan 10 hrs per year
  
4.4 Extrasolar planets
4.4.1 Direct detection of Jupiters around nearby solar-like stars K. M. Menten 500 hrs
4.4.2 Dynamical parameters of extrasolar planets by ALMA astrometry J-F Lestrade 100 hrs
4.4.3 Search for extrasolar planets via astrometry of nearby stars B. Butler 144 hrs