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11th IRAM Interferometry School

The 11th IRAM Interferometry School took place from November 21-25, 2022, at IRAM headquarters in Grenoble, France. Organized by IRAM every two years, the school was canceled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Aimed at students, postdocs, and researchers, it was intended to provide a solid foundation in interferometry and data reduction techniques at millimeter wavelengths, with a particular focus on the NOEMA interferometer and its latest capabilities.

Through a combination of lectures by IRAM experts and hands-on tutorials, participants gained a solid foundation in calibration, imaging, and data analysis. The program also included an introduction to ALMA, providing a broader perspective on millimeter interferometry techniques. The 2022 program served as a training opportunity for researchers aiming to work with NOEMA or other millimeter interferometers and to prepare them to effectively process and interpret interferometric data.

Fundamentals of millimeter astronomy – An introduction to millimeter-wave astronomy and key interferometric principles

  • Millimeter astronomy (C. Kramer)
  • Interferometry at millimeter wavelengths (F. Gueth)

    • NOEMA – A guide to the NOEMA interferometer, from basic capabilities to data reduction and future developments

  • NOEMA (J-M. Winters)
  • How to use NOEMA (M. Krips)
  • NOEMA data reduction pipeline (V. Arumugam)
  • Future NOEMA upgrades (R. Neri)

    • ALMA & high-resolution observations – An overview of ALMA and insights into VLBI techniques, including the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT)

  • An introduction to ALMA and how to use it (E. Chapillon)
  • EHT and VLBI (M. Bremer)

    • Calibration techniques – Calibration methods: from single-dish to interferometry.ic observations.

  • Calibration principles (F. Gueth)
  • Single dish calibration (C. Kramer)
  • Instrumental calibration (V. Piétu)

    • Interferometric imaging and data analysis – Sensitivity optimization and methods for interferometric imaging, deconvolution and mosaicking.

  • Self-calibration (R. Neri)
  • Brightness sensitivity (F. Gueth)
  • Imaging and deconvolution: single pointing imaging (J. Pety)
  • Imaging and deconvolution: single pointing deconvolution (J. Pety)
  • Imaging and deconvolution: wide-field imaging (J. Pety)

    • Tutorials – Hands-on NOEMA training.

  • NOEMA tutorials: guidelines (J. Pety)

    • Lectures were combined with practical exercises when possible to ensure that participants not only understand the theoretical background but also gain hands-on experience with real data.

    All presentation files are provided in PDF format, and the use of their content should be appropriately referenced in academic or research work.

    The school received financial support from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 101004719, ensuring broad accessibility to students and researchers worldwide.