The 12th IRAM Millimeter Interferometry School took place from November 18 to 23, 2024 at the IRAM headquarters in Grenoble, France. Over the course of the week, 51 researchers from 11 countries, including 10% from outside the European Union, participated in the event, reflecting the school’s international reach. The participants included 73% PhD students and 14% postdoctoral researchers, highlighting its role in training early-career astronomers.
The program was structured to provide a solid foundation in interferometric techniques, an understanding of the NOEMA interferometer, and an overview of ongoing and future developments of the interferometer. A series of lectures and hands-on training sessions were delivered not only by IRAM experts but also by external specialists, who provided insights into the latest scientific research across various fields. Additionally, former IRAM experts played a key role in supervising the tutorials, bringing their expertise to the practical exercises. The following lectures 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. They are made publicly available.
Exploring the millimeter universe – Exploring the role of millimeter facilities in different astrophysical contexts, from galaxies to star formation:
Fundamentals of millimeter astronomy – An introduction to the principles and techniques of millimeter interferometry:
NOEMA – The NOEMA interferometer, how it is operated, the life cycle of a project from its submission to data release:
Calibration – Data calibration techniques at the NOEMA observatory:
Imaging and data analysis – Comprehensive training on imaging techniques, deconvolution, and data analysis methods:
A dedicated session on proposal preparation, first introduced in the previous school, was further developed this year with a stronger focus on the optimal technical use of the interferometer. Participants, grouped according to their scientific interests, worked under the guidance of a tutor to refine their observing proposals for NOEMA, ensuring that they could best translate scientific goals into technically sound observations. This session encouraged productive discussions and knowledge exchange between early-career researchers, IRAM astronomers and external experts.
Originally, the final day of the school was planned to include a visit to the NOEMA observatory in the French Alps. However, due to difficult weather conditions, the trip had to be canceled. Instead, participants visited the Museum of the French Revolution in the Chateau de Vizille, an important landmark in French history.
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.
