The ALMA Telescope
The Story of a Science Mega-Project

An insiders' account of the ALMA mega-project, for a broad spectrum of readers from scientists and historians to general readers.

Paul A. Vanden Bout (Author), Robert L. Dickman (Author), Adele L. Plunkett (Author)

9781009279680, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 17 August 2023

300 pages
27 x 18 x 2 cm, 0.504 kg

ALMA, the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array, situated high in the Chilean desert, is the largest ground-based telescope on Earth. This is an insiders' account of how this complex mega-project came to fruition from authors with intimate knowledge of its past and present. The separate roots of ALMA in the United States, Europe, and Japan are traced to their merger into an international partnership involving more than 20 countries. The book relates the search for a suitable telescope site, challenges encountered in organization, funding, and construction, and lessons learned along the way. It closes with a review of the most significant results from ALMA, now one of the most productive telescopes in the world. Written for a broad spectrum of readers, including astronomers, engineers, project managers, science historians, government officials, and the general public, the eBook edition is available to download as an Open Access publication on Cambridge Core.

Foreword Anneila Sargent
Preface
1. Interstellar Carbon Monoxide
2. What Now?
3. The Millimeter Array
4. Searching for a Site
5. Foreign Affairs
6. Organizing ALMA
7. Contentious Matters
8. Funding ALMA
9. Construction and Inauguration
10. Promises Fulfilled
Appendix A. Radioastronomy
Appendix B. Millimeter/Submillimeter Telescopes
Appendix C. Lessons Learned
Bibliography
Glossary
Index.

Subject Areas: History of science [PDX]