European ALMA operations: the interaction with and support to the users
Paola Andreani, Martin Zwaan

TL;DR
This paper describes the operational framework of ALMA, focusing on user interaction, data processing, and support structures to optimize scientific output from this complex observatory.
Contribution
It provides a comprehensive overview of ALMA's operational procedures, user support systems, and data flow from proposal to data delivery.
Findings
ALMA operates exclusively in service mode to adapt to weather conditions.
European ARC enhances user support and data processing efficiency.
End-to-end data flow from proposal to delivery is detailed.
Abstract
The Atacama Large Millimetre/submillimetre Array (ALMA) is one of the largest and most complicated observatories ever built. Constructing and operating an observatory at high altitude (5000m) in a cost effective and safe manner, with minimal effect on the environment creates interesting challenges. Since the array will have to adapt quickly to prevailing weather conditions, ALMA will be operated exclusively in service mode. By the time of full science operations, the fundamental ALMA data product shall be calibrated, deconvolved data cubes and images, but raw data and data reduction software will be made available to users as well. User support is provided by the ALMA Regional Centres (ARCs) located in Europe, North America and Japan. These ARCs constitute the interface between the user community and the ALMA observatory in Chile. For European users the European ARC is being set up as a…
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