In Cycle 3, standard observing modes are those that have been used in previous Cycles and for which the data can be reduced by the pipeline.
Non-standard modes are observing modes that are less well characterized, or for which the data need to be processed by ALMA staff. Up to 25% of the total observing time will be assigned to such projects (see Section 5.3 and Appendix A of the Cycle 3 Proposer's Guide and Capabilities).
Non-standard mode observations will be conducted on a best-effort basis, while standard modes will no longer be subject to such limitations. ALMA has entered into a phase where PI-science observations dominate activities while continued improvements and developments are also explored.
Non-standard modes are:
- Bands 8, 9 & 10 observations
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Long baselines (> 2km)
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Polarization
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Spectral Scans
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Spectral setups with only narrow band spectral windows (aggregate bandwidth < 934 MHz)
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User-defined calibrations