Users support

The ARC provides remote and face-to-face user support for observations preparation, data reduction and analysis, or archival research. More details are given in the Guide to the European ARC.

Helpdesk: the ALMA Helpdesk must be used for any enquiry. Note that you must be registered as ALMA user (on the ALMA Science Portal) to submit a ticket to the helpdesk.

Phase II support: each project gets a Contact Scientist in one of the ARC nodes. The Contact Scientist interacts with the PI to discuss and validate the Scheduling Blocks (SBs) that have been created from the initial proposals. The role of the ALMA Contact Scientist is similar to that of the PdBI Local Contact.


Face-to-face support, expecially for data reduction, is provided by the ARC nodes. The PI must create a Helpdesk ticket to request for a visit in an ARC node: log in; select "Submit a Ticket" and then the category "Face to Face Support (EU)"; a form is open that must be filled in.

At IRAM, the face-to-face support will be organized in the continuity of the Plateau de Bure interferometer support that has been in place for 15 years. Practical aspects -including travel funding- are described here. More informations will be added on these pages as the procedures and details are defined.