Abstract

Contributed Talk - Splinter ALMA2040

Wednesday, 17 September 2025, 14:45   (Benigna - Theater)

The ALMA2030 Wideband Sensitivity Upgrade

Stefanie Mühle
German ARC node, University of Bonn

The Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) is the largest (sub)mm-wavelength ground-based telescope and has been producing ground-breaking science since it became operational in 2011.However, it was built using technology from the early 2000s to serve the top-level scientific goals defined by the Scientific Community at that time. Based on an assessment of the top priorities for expanding ALMA‘s capabilities and enhancing its scientific reach in the coming decades, laid down in the ALMA Development Roadmap in 2018, the ALMA Observatory has begun to undertake a major upgrade of ALMA, which is now known as the ALMA2030 Wideband Sensitivity Upgrade (WSU).  After an overview of the planned enhancements of the various ALMA components, I will discuss the implications and new opportunities for ALMA users during the process and after the completion of the WSU.