The Organisation The Signing of the ALMA Trilateral Agreement Nikolaj Gube1 Since then, ALMA has developed tre­ in stunning discoveries, with more still Tim de Zeeuw1 mendously. Sixty­six antennas have been being revealed. built and commissioned, and now pop­ ulate the Chajnantor Plateau in northern Quite naturally for a project of this size 1 ESO Chile. All the antennas are equipped and complexity, matters have evolved with, and supported by, cutting­edge considerably from the early days when technologies, hardware and software; the ink of the first signatures on the The first Atacama Large Millimeter/sub­ upgrades and the opening of more fre­ agreement was not even dry. Also quite millimeter Array (ALMA) Agreement quency bands continues to enhance the naturally, the initial agreements no longer between ESO and the US National Sci­ capabilities. All the necessary infrastruc­ fully reflect the currentmodus operandi ence Foundation (NSF) entered into force ture, buildings and roads on the ALMA of ALMA. NINS is now fully committed to on 25 February 2003, following various site and in Santiago have been con­ ALMA operations, the ALMA Director’s earlier approaches and contacts between structed and — last, but surely not least Council was created while other com­ different radio astronomy projects, and — the technicians, engineers, scientists mittees were disbanded, and ALMA has as a result of the visionary key decision to and administrative staff from all over the moved on from being a construction join the strengths and efforts of the North world and with many different cultural project to operations, and is on its way to American, East Asian and European pro­ backgrounds have learnt to work together a steady state. The ALMA parties ESO, jects in Chile. Japan, through the National for the good of the project. The last NINS and NSF thus decided to review the Institutes of Natural Sciences (NINS), for­ remaining milestone — the Residencia — high­level agreements and consolidate mally joined the construction project a is in an advanced state of construction them in a single consistent agreement — year later. and due to be occupied later this year. the Agreement Concerning Operations of There have already been more than three ALMA — which was signed in Tokyo on years of science observations — resulting 15 December 2015. ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO) ALMA Figure 1. Signing of the ALMA Trilateral Agreement in Tokyo on 15 December 2015, by the three represent­ atives of the ALMA partners. Left to right: Tim de Zeeuw, ESO Director General; Katsuhiko Sato, NINS President; F. Fleming Crim, NSF Assistant Director. 2 The Messenger 163 – March 2016 The Organisation Text of the Speech by the ESO Director General, Tim de Zeeuw, at the Signing of the ALMA Trilateral Agreement President Satoh, Professor Hayashi, Dr. Crim, distinguished colleagues and friends from NAOJ, NSF and ESO. S. Otarola/ESO It is a pleasure to say a few words on behalf of ESO at today’s ceremony, which marks the next phase in the interconti­ nental ALMA project, namely the signa­ ture of the Trilateral Agreement governing the operational phase, which sees all three Partners, NINS, NSF and ESO on an equal footing. It is just over thirty years ago since the IAU Symposium 115, entitled Star­forming Regions, took place in the Hotel Metro­ politan here in Tokyo in November 1985. including Masatoshi Ohishi and Hiroko Figure 1. Night­time operations of ALMA on the The topic and timing were related to the Suzuki, who sadly passed away too soon. Chajnantor Plateau. coming online of the Nobeyama 45­metre telescope and interferometer, both of In the years that followed, plans were which were world­leading at the time. My made on three continents for a next gen­ As ALMA construction proceeded, it wife Ewine and I were postdocs, and we eration facility, with much increased became clear that it would be very useful participated in the Symposium. It was our resolution and sensitivity. This naturally to replace the three bilateral agreements first direct and very positive encounter led to the idea of a large interferometer by a single Trilateral Agreement governing with Japanese astronomy. The visit to the on a very high site, with the best high-­ operations, which would take into Nobeyama Radio Observatory was one frequency receivers that can be built. The account the experience gained during of the highlights of the entire week! power of a radio interferometer goes up construction. with the square of the number of anten­ In preparation for today’s event, I looked nas, so by combining the individual plans The development of the Trilateral Agree­ again at the published proceedings in East Asia, North America and Europe ment was performed by a small group, from that Symposium, and discovered into the worldwide ALMA partnership it consisting of Masa Hayashi and Satoru not only a detailed list of participants, but was possible to build a much more pow­ Iguchi for NAOJ/NINS, Dana Lehr also three photos showing nearly every­ erful facility at an affordable cost. and Phil Puxley for NSF, and the former one who attended. Amazingly, quite a Council President Xavier Barcons, few are here today! Many others also had Building the array in northern Chile on Nikolaj Gube and myself for ESO. Nikolaj key roles in making ALMA become a Chajnantor, half­way up into space, with was the main keeper of the document reality, or became leaders in other areas the strong support of the Chilean govern­ and garnered credit from all involved. I of astronomy! The cast included three ment, was a fairly natural step for NSF, am pleased he is here today, and want to future IAU Presidents (amongst whom of which funds optical observatories in Chile, express my thanks to him and all others course Norio Kaifu), two Directors of and certainly for ESO, which operates the in the team for the very constructive spirit NRAO (Paul Vanden Bout and Fred Lo), La Silla Paranal Observatory there. But in which the Trilateral Agreement was the first ALMA Director (again Vanden Chile is very far away from where we are written, which has further increased the Bout), all three chairs to date of the ALMA today. I admire the commitment of our level of trust between the Partners. Proposal Review Committee (Neal Evans, Japanese and East Asian colleagues for Anneila Sargent and Francoise Combes), taking the bold step to go for the best The ALMA conference which took place members and chairs of the ALMA Board site worldwide and join ALMA. in Tokyo last year demonstrated that (Evans, Sargent, Ewine van Dishoeck, the dream of a truly transformational facil­ Shoken Miyama, Hideyuki Kobayashi, ALMA construction was started as a ity for astronomy has become a reality. Masahiko Hayashi), future Directors Gen­ bilateral project between NSF and ESO, I am certain that the power and efficiency eral of NAOJ, NINS and ESO, the former and Japan joined soon after via bilateral of the facility will continue to increase in Gemini and STScI Director and current agreements with each. This was a key the years to come. It is a testimony to the AURA President (Matt Mountain), as well step as it enabled ALMA to become a truly visionary and motivated individuals who as many others. transformational facility. It also strength­ laid the groundwork more than three ened the partnership and enriched it with decades ago, and turned it onto a reality. Ewine and I subsequently attended the an additional scientific community and Who could have thought this in 1985 IAU General Assembly in Delhi and then culture. Of course it also projected Japan when many of us met during IAU Sympo­ took a tour of Rajasthan together with a straight into the global arena, building sium 115 as young astronomers! few US colleagues and a small group of on the success of Nobeyama and of the Japanese astronomers led by Kaifu, and Subaru Telescope on Hawaii. The Messenger 163 – March 2016 3.