Science with the Atacama Large Millimeter Array:: A New Era for Astrophysics

Currently under construction in the Andean Altiplano, Northern Chile, the Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA) is the most ambitious astronomy facility under construction. ALMA is a radio interferometer composed of 54 antennas of 12 m diameter, and twelve 7 m antennas with about 6600 square meters of total collecting area. Initially covering the most interesting spectral wavelength ranges from 3 to 0.3 mm, ALMA will be a revolutionary telescope aimed to unveil the details of star and planet formation and to provide astronomy with the first exhaustive view of the dark and youngest objects of the Universe.

This book describes the enormous capabilities of ALMA, the state of the project, and most notably the scientific prospects with such a unique facility. The book includes comprehensive reviews and recent results on most hot topics of modern Astronomy (the formation and evolution of galaxies, the physics and chemistry of the interstellar medium, and the processes of star and planet formation) with prospects to the revolutionary results to be obtained with ALMA. These topics, discussed with special emphasis on millimeter and sub-millimeter astronomy, are presented by some of the most world-wide reputed scientists in their fields.

Rafael Bachiller is the director of the Spanish Observatorio Astronómico Nacional (OAN). He received his doctorate in physics at the University Joseph Fourier (Grenoble, France). His research interests include the molecular content of planetary nebulae and the processes of star formation with special emphasis in the bipolar molecular outflows and their chemistry.

José Cernicharo is a research professor at the Spanish Consejo Superior of Investigaciones Científicas. He received his doctorate in physics at the University of Paris IX. He is project scientist of the Herschel Space Observatory. His research interests cover most aspects of molecular astrophysics (identification of interstellar molecular species, physics and chemistry of the interstellar and circumstellar media, study of water vapour in space, etc).

Both are world-wide recognized specialists in millimeter/submillimeter astronomy and have been involved in ALMA from the genesis of the project to the more recent participation in the advisory and governing bodies (namely in the Scientific Advisory Committees and the ALMA Boards).