1 00:00:03,000 --> 00:00:07,000 High on the Chajnantor plateau in the Chilean Andes, 2 00:00:07,000 --> 00:00:11,000 the first antennas of the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array 3 00:00:11,000 --> 00:00:14,000 or ALMA for short, move in unison. 4 00:00:15,000 --> 00:00:19,000 Work progresses at a frantic pace in this ambitious project, 5 00:00:19,000 --> 00:00:27,000 which, in a few years from now, will consist of 66 antennas, working together at an altitude of 5000 metres. 6 00:00:27,000 --> 00:00:34,000 Once completed, ALMA will enable astronomers to study the cold Universe in unprecedented detail. 7 00:00:38,000 --> 00:00:40,000 This is the ESOcast! 8 00:00:40,000 --> 00:00:44,000 Cutting-edge science and life behind the scenes of ESO, the European Southern Observatory. 9 00:00:44,000 --> 00:00:50,000 Exploring the ultimate frontier with our host Dr J, a.k.a. Dr Joe Liske. 10 00:00:55,000 --> 00:00:57,000 Hello and welcome to the ESOcast. 11 00:00:57,000 --> 00:01:02,000 In this episode we are going to visit the ALMA observatory in the Atacama Desert in Chile. 12 00:01:02,000 --> 00:01:05,000 Here, ESO, together with its international partners, 13 00:01:05,000 --> 00:01:10,000 is building what will become the world´s largest astronomical facility. 14 00:01:10,000 --> 00:01:14,000 ALMA will observe the Universe at millimetre and submillimetre wavelengths. 15 00:01:14,000 --> 00:01:21,000 This will allow astronomers to study both very cold objects as well as very distant objects in the early Universe. 16 00:01:21,000 --> 00:01:25,000 Now because such observations are disturbed by water vapour in the atmosphere, 17 00:01:25,000 --> 00:01:31,000 ALMA’s being built on one of the driest places on Earth, the Chajnantor plateau at an altitude of 5000 metres, 18 00:01:31,000 --> 00:01:35,000 which also makes it one of the highest astronomy sites in the world. 19 00:01:35,000 --> 00:01:38,000 ALMA will be operated at two distinct sites: 20 00:01:38,000 --> 00:01:43,000 First, there’s the Array Operations Site up on the plateau where the antennas are actually located, 21 00:01:43,000 --> 00:01:47,000 and then, further down, there’s the Operations Support Facility. 22 00:01:50,000 --> 00:01:58,000 Constructing the ALMA observatory in the arid Atacama desert and at such high altitude is no easy undertaking. 23 00:01:59,000 --> 00:02:07,000 Before the antennas are brought to the high site they must be assembled at the Operations Support Facility or OSF. 24 00:02:08,000 --> 00:02:11,000 Located at 2900 metres altitude, 25 00:02:11,000 --> 00:02:18,000 the OSF also serves as the control centre for the antenna array, which is located at the high site. 26 00:02:19,000 --> 00:02:26,000 With majestic volcanoes looming in the distance, engineers are busy integrating and verifying the numerous parts of the antennas 27 00:02:26,000 --> 00:02:32,000 and by now, many antennas at various assembly stages can be found at the OSF. 28 00:02:32,000 --> 00:02:36,000 Each new antenna must meet very strict requirements. 29 00:02:36,000 --> 00:02:41,000 The surface of each dish is accurate to much less than the thickness of a sheet of paper, 30 00:02:41,000 --> 00:02:49,000 and the antennas can be pointed precisely enough to pick out a golf ball at a distance of 15 km. 31 00:02:50,000 --> 00:02:53,000 In many ways the OSF has become the heart of the ALMA project. 32 00:02:53,000 --> 00:02:58,000 This is where the staff live during their shifts and where much of the daily routine is going on. 33 00:02:58,000 --> 00:03:01,000 There are lots of meetings between various groups of scientists and engineers 34 00:03:01,000 --> 00:03:06,000 and there are even scientific conferences that are being held at this remote location. 35 00:03:06,000 --> 00:03:10,000 The OSF also houses the two transporters that are used to move the antennas. 36 00:03:10,000 --> 00:03:16,000 So with the scientists and engineers assembling and testing the antennas and conducting the operations at the high site, 37 00:03:16,000 --> 00:03:20,000 the OSF has become a rather busy and vibrant place. 38 00:03:23,000 --> 00:03:28,000 Scientists and engineers test the ultimate performance of the complex system. 39 00:03:28,000 --> 00:03:32,000 Pointing and holography tests are performed around the clock 40 00:03:32,000 --> 00:03:39,000 and the experts make sure that only antennas fulfilling the tough ALMA specifications get the green light. 41 00:03:41,000 --> 00:03:46,000 After an antenna has successfully passed all tests at the OSF, 42 00:03:46,000 --> 00:03:53,000 the time has come to move it up to the Array Operations Site, which lies at an altitude of 5000 metres. 43 00:03:53,000 --> 00:03:58,000 This was successfully done for the first time in September 2009. 44 00:03:58,000 --> 00:04:03,000 A giant custom-designed transporter is used to bring up the antenna. 45 00:04:03,000 --> 00:04:11,000 As each antenna weighs about 100 tons, this is a delicate task that requires the utmost attention. 46 00:04:11,000 --> 00:04:19,000 Two transporters are available and they are also used to move the antennas to different positions to reconfigure the ALMA array. 47 00:04:21,000 --> 00:04:24,000 The Array Operations Site is a place of extremes, 48 00:04:24,000 --> 00:04:27,000 with strong winds, low temperatures and a thin atmosphere. 49 00:04:27,000 --> 00:04:30,000 However, because of its extreme dryness and altitude, 50 00:04:30,000 --> 00:04:36,000 the site offers excellent conditions for observing the submillimetre radio waves for which ALMA was designed. 51 00:04:36,000 --> 00:04:39,000 In addition, Chajnantor offers plenty of space. 52 00:04:39,000 --> 00:04:47,000 And that’s needed because, in its most extended configuration, the array of antennas measures 16 kilometres across. 53 00:04:47,000 --> 00:04:52,000 Despite the harsh conditions, work is ongoing to prepare the plateau for the antennas. 54 00:04:52,000 --> 00:04:57,000 A road network has been built and the workers are busy with various tasks to finish the construction work. 55 00:04:57,000 --> 00:05:03,000 All of the 192 antenna foundations have been completed and some of them are already in use. 56 00:05:03,000 --> 00:05:08,000 There is also the technical building, which will eventually be used to receive the data from the antennas 57 00:05:08,000 --> 00:05:13,000 to further process and then to transmit them down to the OSF. 58 00:05:13,000 --> 00:05:17,000 Now as the number of antennas on the high site is constantly increasing, 59 00:05:17,000 --> 00:05:23,000 the project is moving into a new and important phase: that of Commissioning and Science Verification. 60 00:05:25,000 --> 00:05:30,000 Down at the OSF control room the tension is high as the tests are performed. 61 00:05:31,000 --> 00:05:35,000 The Commissioning and Science Verification process is intended to confirm 62 00:05:35,000 --> 00:05:41,000 that the whole facility has been taken from the stage where it was a collection of very complex parts 63 00:05:41,000 --> 00:05:48,000 into an instrument capable of producing images and measurements with exquisite sensitivity and precision. 64 00:05:48,000 --> 00:05:52,000 The antennas are placed at different positions within the array 65 00:05:52,000 --> 00:05:57,000 to make sure that all of their basic functions work correctly at different baselines. 66 00:05:57,000 --> 00:06:00,000 Currently, the antennas are located at the centre of the site, 67 00:06:00,000 --> 00:06:06,000 using antenna stations that will eventually form the so-called Atacama Compact Array. 68 00:06:07,000 --> 00:06:12,000 ALMA is rapidly moving forward and it holds a bright future for many areas of astronomy. 69 00:06:12,000 --> 00:06:17,000 For example, it will provide us with some unique insight into how stars and planets form, 70 00:06:17,000 --> 00:06:23,000 and it will be one of the premier tools to study the first stars and galaxies in the early and distant Universe. 71 00:06:23,000 --> 00:06:30,000 And so, many of us astronomers simply can't wait to get their hands on to this fantastic science machine! 72 00:06:30,000 --> 00:06:33,000 This is Dr J signing off for the ESOcast. 73 00:06:33,000 --> 00:06:36,000 Join me again next time for another cosmic adventure. 74 00:06:38,000 --> 00:06:40,000 ESOcast is produced by ESO, the European Southern Observatory. 75 00:06:40,000 --> 00:06:43,000 ESO, the European Southern Observatory, is the pre-eminent intergovernmental science and technology organisation in astronomy 76 00:06:43,000 --> 00:06:46,000 designing, constructing and operating the world’s most advanced ground-based telescopes. 77 00:06:46,000 --> 00:06:48,000 The ALMA Project is a partnership between the scientific communities of East Asia, Europe and North America with Chile. 78 00:06:48,000 --> 00:06:51,000 Transcription by ESO ; translation by — 79 00:06:52,000 --> 00:06:56,000 Now that you've caught up with ESO, 80 00:06:58,000 --> 00:07:01,000 head 'out of this world' with Hubble. 81 00:07:03,000 --> 00:07:11,000 The Hubblecast highlights the latest discoveries of the world's most recognized and prized space observatory, 82 00:07:12,000 --> 00:07:16,000 the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope