German ALMA Regional Centre (ARC) Node

The Atacama Large Millimeter/Submillimeter Array (ALMA) is a revolutionary interferometer for mm and submm astronomy in the Atacama desert in Northern Chile. It is operated by a global collaboration between Europe (ESO), North America (NRAO) and East Asia (NAOJ), in cooperation with Chile. The interface between ALMA and the user communities is provided by three ALMA Regional Centres (ARCs) in Europe, North America and East Asia.

The European ARC (EU ARC) is organized as a coordinated network with a central node at ESO Headquarters in Garching bei München and regional nodes located in Bologna(I), Bonn/Cologne(D), Grenoble(F), Leiden(NL), Manchester(GB), Ondrejov(CZ), and Onsala(S). The concept and the implementation of the EU ARC network has been described in an article in the ESO Messenger (Hatziminaoglou et al. 2015, Msngr. 162, 24).

The German ARC node is a collaboration of the universities of Bonn and Cologne. Its headquarters are located at the Argelander-Institut für Astronomie in Bonn. The German ARC node provides services to ALMA operations, the local astronomical community and the general public:

Newsletters and Announcements

German ALMA Community Day 2026

 [latest update 03 March 2026]

The next Call for Proposals for observing time with ALMA (Cycle 13) is anticipated to be issued on 19 March 2026. The deadline for proposals is expected to be on 23 April 2026, with observations starting in October 2026. Capabilities and modes offered in Cycle 13 will include Large Programs and Band 2 on the 12-m Array. Please refer to the announcement for early proposal planning for Cycle 13 and the update on band 2 for more details.

As a kick-off into the proposal preparation season, the German ARC node cordially invites its community to gather at the German ALMA Community Day 2026.

Place: Argelander-Institut für Astronomie, Auf dem Hügel 71, 53121 Bonn
Date: Thursday, 26 March 2026, starting at 10:00 CET

Registration for this event is now open. First come, first served!

Web-based OT to be used for Cycle 13 proposal submission

 [latest update 03 March 2026]

ALMA is pleased to announce that, for the Cycle 13 Call for Proposals, a web-based interface of the ALMA Observing Tool (OT) will replace the previously used desktop-based OT. The web-based OT offers the same functionality as the desktop-based OT. The new interface 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.

As always, users are strongly encouraged to submit their proposals early. This allows users to ensure that their proposals are correctly set up for successful submission, and allows time to seek support from local ARC staff if needed. While this has also been the guidance in previous cycles, Cycle 13 proposers may want to give this guidance special consideration while they gain familiarity with the web-based OT.

More details about the web-based OT will be available in the Call for Proposals documentation that will be released on 19 March 2026.

Expected ALMA capabilities for Cycle 14

 [latest update 03 March 2026]

The ALMA Observatory is currently planning for the implementation and commissioning of the Wideband Sensitivity Upgrade (https://www.almaobservatory.org/en/scientists/alma-2030-wsu/). The impact on science operations, including PI observations, for future observing cycles is currently being evaluated. However, for Cycle 14, the anticipated top-level capabilities -- including available observing hours and configuration schedule -- remain unchanged. The configuration schedule for Cycle 14 is therefore expected to be similar to that of Cycle 12. The precise information can be found at https://almascience.org/observing/observing-configuration-schedule/long-term-configuration-schedule.

For the capabilities of Cycles 15 and beyond, updates will be provided through the Science Portal once available.

Science Verification Data Release - Band 2

 [latest update 02 March 2026]

The first data release of Band 2 Science Verification data observed on November 2025 are now available on the ALMA Science Portal. The release consists of the following targets:
  • G31.41+0.31: spectral scan in Band 2
  • SPT 0027-50: spectral scan in Band 2
  • HR 5907: full polarization in Band 2
These Science Verification datasets and more detailed information can be found on the Science Verification web page (datasets #23, #24, and #25 listed there).

The release of Band 2 Science Verification data on Arp 220 is planned for 11 March 2026. Details of the target will be listed on the Science Verification page as well. There will be a separate announcement once the data are released.

Update on Band 2 for early proposal planning for Cycle 13

 [latest update 30 January 2026]

Band 2 (67 - 116 GHz) is anticipated to be offered on the 12-m 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. Details on the anticipated capabilities and constraints can be found here. Full details will be published in the Cycle 13 Call for Proposals.

New Feature in ALMA Science Archive: Morphological Image Similarity Search

 [latest update 22 January 2026]

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 and of the interface can be found in this ESO Messenger article. A brief tutorial is provided in this news item.