alma little universe by ALMA Observatory

Nobody interested in science and the Universe could ignore the existence of black holes and protoplanetary discs. Do you know about these discs? In the last ten years, ALMA has changed how we view these phenomena. In this episode, ALMA Director Sean Dougherty explains to us which are the main fields where ALMA focuses its efforts. Let's know how ALMA is constantly improving to help humanity look as far as possible towards the beginning of the Universe. 

Undoubtedly, the COVID-19 pandemic was a problem for all humankind, and its effects were seen in almost any imaginable aspect. Consequently, how did COVID-19 affect ALMA's functionality? Was there a shutdown? 

We have discussed widely the technologies and processes that made ALMA possible. Nevertheless, there could be no observatory if there were not people from more than 20 countries and many disciplines working together for a unique objective.

In the previous episodes of ALMA's Little Universe, we have described the technologies and many of the processes and labors that made the observatory's operations possible. Nevertheless, we have not spoken yet about the Fellows. In this episode, Pei-Ying Hsieh and James Miley will tell us about their experiences and responsibilities at ALMA. Let's know how diverse research approaches and scientists from all over the world coexist at the heart of the observatory.

In this episode of ALMA's Little Universe, we will deepen our knowledge about how the raw data collected through the telescope becomes images intelligible by the human eye.

How do the raw data collected from the antennas become images from distant galaxies? In this episode, Drew Brisbin and Chin-Shin Chang, two scientists from the Science Archive Content Management, will help us to understand this. 

Though most engineering and technical works of ALMA occur during the daytime, astronomical observations can run day and night since the telescope is sensible to radio waves, which do not interfere with daylight. But how does the observatory operate 24/7? In this episode, James Miley, an ALMA Fellow who has worked as an astronomer on duty, will explain to us how they constantly monitor all weather conditions to achieve the best possible samples of the Universe through the instrumentation of ALMA. Let's discover how the two control rooms of the observatory operate to analyze 24/7 under constantly changing weather conditions.

ALMA's 66 antennas are located in the Array Operation Site (or AOS for short), a 40-minute drive from the observatory's camp. As AOS is 5,000 meters above sea level, anyone working there must be subjected to health tests to avoid risks.

As we have known in our last episode of ALMA's Little Universe, OSF staff, during their shifts, are provided with many services that guarantee their comfort and proper work in the heights of the Atacama Desert. 

In this episode of ALMA's Little Universe, we will discuss how the Operation Support Facility is equipped to give their workers all the comforts and services needed, even at almost 3000 meters altitude in the Atacama Desert. 

On the Chajnantor Plateau, at 5000 meters altitude, there are the 66 antennas that constitute the ALMA radio telescope. 2 kilometers below is the Operation Support Facility, where many engineers, technicians, and scientists work nights and days. 

The antennas are located in the Atacama Desert at 5000 meters altitude and are constantly exposed to extreme weather conditions and temperatures. How much time will they last? Are they durable through time? In this episode, Mark Galilee, one of the technician engineers of ALMA, will tell us about the antennas and their constant maintenance and inspections to keep the observatory functioning properly.

As we have stated in our previous episode, ALMA's multiple receiver bands are used to detect signals from the sky. However, these receiver bands must be kept at very cold temperatures to work properly on their purpose. 

How does the supercomputer that translates to binary code all the information received by ALMA antennas operate? In this episode, Lorenzo Martínez-Conde, an engineer who has been working at ALMA Observatory for 15 years, explains how the brain of the system behind this radio telescope operates and how each piece of information we have about the Cosmos is obtained through a complicated mathematical process that synthesizes the observations made.

We have already referred to the 66 antennas that make up ALMA, but how do they operate as one telescope? In this episode, Giorgio Siringo, Senior Radio-Frequency Engineer, will explain how interferometry works. Furthermore, let's discover how one supercomputer synchronizes and synthesizes the light received through the antennas to constitute only one giant telescope.

What technologies have made it possible for the ALMA Observatory to observe and analyze with the accuracy of a human hair in distances of light-years? In this episode, Mark Galilei, technical mechanical lead at ALMA, will explain to us how the multiple receiver bands of each antenna are helping the scientific community to see and understand phenomena far away from us in the Universe.

The 66 antennas of the ALMA Observatory operate in different configurations of distance between each of them to help scientists from various fields observe and analyze the previously unreachable and unseeable areas of the Cosmos. In this episode, Alfredo Elgueta, a mechanic operator of one of the massive transporters, will explain how they constantly move the 66 antennas of ALMA, which weigh 100 tons each. Let's discover how Otto and Lore, the nicknames of the two transporters, help scientists understand the mysteries of the Cosmos.

Sixty-six antennas working together made possible the operation of ALMA Observatory.

The construction cost of ALMA is estimated at over a billion US dollars, and every year of operation involves millions of dollars of investment and resources. Twenty-one countries from all around the world have collaborated to make this feat happen. In this episode, Cristian Puentes, ALMA Director of Finance and Administration, will explain to us how they manage the investments from many countries' public money in benefit to the pursuit of knowledge about the Cosmos that is revolutionizing astronomy.

Using ALMA to do research and explore the Universe has a worldwide benefit". Nevertheless, there is a limit to scientific projects that the observatory can be involved in. In this episode, Observatory Scientist John Carpenter explains to us how, each year, ALMA receives proposals from researchers from all over the world and the mechanisms used to select the ones that are going to gaze at the Cosmos.

The human eye can only see a small portion of the light within the Universe. But the elements of the Cosmos emit in a wide range of wavelengths. Thus, it has been only through engineering that scientists have been able to see the light that our eyes can't see.

From the Atacama Desert in Northern Chile, we can observe the light of distant galaxies hidden behind stardust and images of the early origins of the Universe.

ALMA Little Universe - A micro podcast about the world's largest ground-based astronomical observatory.