ALMA OT Release Notes for Cycle 3
Summary list of the key new capabilities, features and improvements since Cycle 2.
- Band 10 is now available for limited use.
- Free choice of TDM frequency for full polarization observations, in Bands 3, 6 and 7.
- Increase in number of antennas: 36 12-m array, 10 7-m array, 2 Total Power array.
- Introduction of non-standard modes.
- New antenna beamsize definition in use.
- Sesame is now used to query source information.
- A Science Goal may now contain multiple sources with rectangular field definitions.
- The Total Power mapping area is automatically calculated for custom mosaics or single pointings.
- Fuller Import/export of pointing positions.
- Absolute positions are now supported for pointing centres.
- The “Point source” button has been removed.
- Source declination is taken into account when determining which array configurations are required.
- Total Power will not be scheduled if the 7-m array can achieve the requested Largest Angular Scale.
- Noise contribution from the image sideband is now explicitly calculated for DSB receivers (Bands 9 and 10).
- Improvements to the time-constrained interface.
- Overhaul of Technical Justification node:
- Better organised
- More information for the user
- Copy and Paste between SGs improved
- The total time for a proposal can be displayed in the main OT GUI - see under "Tool" on the top-level menu bar.
- J2000 coordinate system name changed to "FK5 J2000".
- The target linewidth may only be specified in velocity units, km/s or m/s.
More detailed information on the above can be found in the Science Portal under Documents and Tools.