EU ARC Announcements

INAF-OAS kick-off

On 13 April 2026, ESO held the kick-off meeting for the Feasibility Study for a new generation of European ALMA receivers covering the 125–211 GHz band (ESO-654032) at the INAF-OAS premises in Bologna, Italy. The meeting marked the formal start of a two-year study to explore the technical and scientific feasibility of a combined ALMA Band 4+5 receiver system covering the 125–211 GHz frequency range. This ALMA development study is relevant for the later stages of the Wideband Sensitivity Upgrade (WSU) programme.

cycle 13 call for proposals

Cycle 13 Call for Proposals has been released. Cycle 13 introduces two new developments: Band 2 (67–116 GHz) will be offered for the 12m array, and the new web-based Observing Tool (OT) will replace the desktop version. This cycle will offer long baseline configurations (C9 and C10). Further details of the capabilities offered can be found in the Proposer's Guide.

We particularly encourage proposals using long baselines at lower frequencies (Bands 1-4), high-frequency observations (Bands 8-10) and stand-alone ACA.

As always, users are strongly encouraged to submit their proposals early, especially in view of the introduction of the new web-based OT. The Emergency Helpdesk will be open for the 3 days leading up to the proposal deadline.

cycle 13 node workshops

The European ALMA Regional Centre (ARC) network is organising virtual and in-person proposal preparation events related to the Cycle 13 Call for Proposals across Europe.

An overview of the activities and information about participating can be found here.

introducing the web-based OT

ALMA is pleased to announce that a web-based interface of the ALMA Observing Tool (OT) will replace the previously used desktop-based OT for the Cycle 13 Call for Proposals. The web-based OT was developed by ESO and replaces the previous desktop Java version. It offers the same functionality as the desktop-based OT, but offers a modernized and optimized view while retaining the same familiar workflow and structure. Proposal drafts will now be automatically saved within the system, without the need to save local files.

SVP development study

In a recently concluded development study, a small team at ASTRON, The Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy, investigated the concept of Streaming Visibility Processing (SVP) for ALMA. The key idea behind the SVP concept is to stream the visibilities produced by the ALMA correlator into the (initial) data processing stages without storing them first. SVP performs initial visibility processing in real-time up to the point where the data is reduced to more tractable rates without detrimental effects on the scientific quality of the end products. Further details are in the final report of the streaming visibility processing study and by following the 'read more' link.

Band 2 offered in cycle 13

Band 2 (67-116 GHz) is anticipated to be offered on the 12m Array from the start of Cycle 13 (October 2026). As with previous new band introductions (e.g. Band 1), the exact start date and number of available antennas may be subject to operational and technical constraints. Based on current receiver integration progress, up to 43 Band 2 receivers may be available at the start of the cycle.

Band 2 offered in cycle 13

The ESO ARC is looking for a scientist to support ALMA operations. Deadline for applications is on 25 March. More information can be found at this link.

2nd european alma school kicks off

The 2nd European ALMA school kicked off on Monday 26th January in Leiden. With almost 70 participants from 22 countries - and 20 tutors and lecturers from all the European ARC nodes - this is the largest ALMA-specific training event in Europe to date. Unusually for the Netherlands, Day 1 started with a low pwv and abundant sunshine. Over the next five days, we will cover a wide range of topics, from introduction to CASA to advanced data-processing techniques.

Many thanks to our sponsors: Dutch Research Council, LKBF, NOVA, and the Leiden University Funds.

Cycle 13 pre-planning

ALMA has made information available to assist with early proposal planning for Cycle 13 (see Read More). Full details will be published in the Cycle 13 Call for Proposals.

AIN SIS development study

The results from the recently completed ESO ALMA development study on the development of sub-micron sized Aluminium Nitride barrier Superconductor Insulator Superconductor junctions have now been published in an article in the Journal of Superconductor Science and Technology . The full study report has now also been made public on the ESO ALMA development pages.

Completion of the TASER development study

Progress in engineering at millimetre wavelengths and advances in semiconductor fabrication techniques offer low noise amplifier (LNA) based radioastronomy receivers which operate at higher temperatures and wider operational bandwidths, with reduced noise, higher pixel density, and more. The University of Manchester and STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory have recently completed ESO's ALMA development study, Towards ALMA System-on-Chip European Receivers (TASER). This two year project developed key technologies for compact integrated front end receivers for ALMA. The benefits of LNA receiver integration and miniaturisation are, among others, lower operational costs, reduced manufacturing and testing labour needs, and the potential for high density focal plane array/phased array feed technology. The results of the TASER study are important steps towards implementing the ALMA Development Roadmap, and beyond, with the aim of enhancing ALMA's status as a globally leading scientific tool.

image similarity tool

The ALMA Science Archive (ASA) now allows you to visually search for images that are morphologically similar to a given ASA image (currently 259,126 continuum images and 196,322 peak-flux images of data-cubes) with the aim to help you find such images extremely rapidly within the vast ASA holdings. A description of the state-of-the-art deep learning method used to determine similar images - self-supervised contrastive affine-transformation-independent representation learning with a deep neural network - and the interface we have developed can be found in this ESO Messenger article.

assess_ms 3.0

An updated version of the uv coverage assessment tool "assess_ms" is now available here. The software will now run with NumPy 2 under the recently released CASA 6.6.6, the official CASA version for ALMA Cycle 12. Additional information can also be found here.

band 2 science verification targets

New Science Verification targets that will demonstrate the Band 2 receivers are now listed on the Science Verification webpage. The possible targets are G31.41+0.31, Arp 220, SPT 0027-50 and HR 5907. The data are planned to be taken with about 25 antennas and will be released for public use; the release of any Science Verification data will also be preceded by a similar announcement. Please visit the above web page for more information.

Cycle 11 record hours

The ALMA Observatory is delighted to announce that Cycle 11 has set a new all-time record in the number of science-quality observing hours (QA0 PASS observations) delivered across all three arrays. During Cycle 11, ALMA successfully acquired a total of 4496 hours of science-quality data with the 12-m Array, surpassing for the first time the ambitious goal of 4300 hours offered. In addition, 4201 hours were delivered with the 7-m Array, and 3240 hours with the Total Power Array.

Band 2 INAF workshop

In anticipation of Band 2 being offered in the near future, this European ARC workshop brings together astronomers and ALMA/ARC staff to discuss the new potential for various scientific fields. We plan to have a dedicated session focused on looking at the Band 2 Science Verification data. The meeting is hosted by the Italian ALMA Regional Centre node. It will be held in person at the CNR Area in Bologna from Tuesday February 24 to Thursday February 26, 2026.

The workshop will have a number of invited talks to provide information about the Band 2 receiver, and cover the main scientific areas for which Band 2 is expected to be important. In addition, there will be space for several contributed talks and posters. Participants that are interested in presenting their science and ideas, including synergies with other wavelength regimes, are encouraged to submit an abstract by October 31st.

Band 2 Workshop

Installation and testing of the ALMA Band 2 receivers, covering 67 to 116 GHz, is currently underway. In anticipation of Band 2 being offered in the near future, the ALMA Band 2 workshop brings together astronomers and ALMA/ARC staff to discuss the new potential for various scientific fields. We plan to have a dedicated session focused on looking at the Band 2 Science Verification data. The workshop will be held in person on 24 - 26 February 2026, Bologna, Italy.

For more information, registration and abstract submission (abstract deadline October 31), please visit the workshop's website.

Advanced data products white paper

A white paper has been published summarising the outcomes of ADP2024 workshop on advanced data products. Advanced Data Products (ADPs) are increasingly central to enhancing the efficiency and scientific output of radio observatories. Designed to bridge the gap between raw observational data and science-ready results, ADPs reduce processing overhead, improve reproducibility, and enable a wider range of researchers to engage with complex datasets. The paper reviews current practices at major facilities including ALMA, SKAO, LOFAR, VLA, and ESO. Learning from current initiatives, it identifies critical issues and makes suggestions to address technical and organizational challenges.

European ALMA School 2026

We are delighted to announce that the 2026 European ALMA school will be hosted by the Allegro ARC node in Leiden, the Netherlands, from 26 to 30 January 2026. Whether you are an intermediate user or have never seen ALMA data before, this is the event for you - and a great opportunity to meet fellow ALMA users from Europe and beyond. The school will cover a broad range of topics related to ALMA: basics of interferometry, data calibration, synthesis imaging, working with the ALMA archive, advance data analysis techniques, and future ALMA developments.

Cycle 12 proposal statistics

Statistics of proposal submission for Cycle 12 have been released. Europe continues to be the region with the highest oversubscription rate (7.8 for time on the 12m array). The median time requested on the 12m array per proposal increased to it's highest ever: 15.1 hrs. The report can be accessed here.