ALMAGAL
Astronomy and Astrophysics, vol. 696, pp. A150
Abstract
Context. Stars form preferentially in clusters embedded inside massive molecular clouds, many of which contain high-mass stars. Thus, a comprehensive understanding of star formation requires a robust and statistically well-constrained characterization of the formation and early evolution of these high-mass star clusters. To achieve this, we designed the ALMAGAL Large Program that observed 1017 high-mass star-forming regions distributed throughout the Galaxy, sampling different evolutionary stages and environmental conditions. Aims. In this work, we present the acquisition and processing of the ALMAGAL data. The main goal is to set up a robust pipeline that generates science-ready products, that is, continuum and spectral cubes for each ALMAGAL field, with a good and uniform quality across the whole sample. Methods. ALMAGAL observations were performed with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA). Each field was observed in three different telescope arrays, being sensitive to spatial scales ranging from ≈1000 au up to ≈0.1 pc. The spectral setup allows sensitive (≈0.1 mJy beam−1) imaging of the continuum emission at 219 GHz (or 1.38 mm), and it covers multiple molecular spectral lines observed in four different spectral windows that span about ≈4 GHz in frequency coverage. We have designed a Python-based processing workflow to calibrate and image these observational data. This ALMAGAL pipeline includes an improved continuum determination, suited for line-rich sources; an automatic self-calibration process that reduces phase-noise fluctuations and improves the dynamical range by up to a factor ≈5 in about 15% of the fields; and the combination of data from different telescope arrays to produce science-ready, fully combined images. Results. The final products are a set of uniformly generated continuum images and spectral cubes for each ALMAGAL field, including individual-array and combined-array products. The fully combined products have spatial resolutions in the range 800–2000 au, and mass sensitivities in the range 0.02–0.07 M⊙. We also present a first analysis of the spectral line information included in the ALMAGAL setup, and its potential for future scientific studies. As an example, specific spectral lines (e.g., SiO and CH3CN) at ≈1000 au scales resolve the presence of multiple outflows in clusters and will help us to search for disk candidates around massive protostars. Moreover, the broad frequency bands provide information on the chemical richness of the different cluster members, which can be used to study the chemical evolution during the formation process of star clusters.
Authors 54
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Institute of Space Sciences · Institut d'Estudis Espacials de Catalunya
Affiliation as printed
Institut de Ciències de l’Espai (ICE), CSIC, Campus UAB, Carrer de Can Magrans s/n, 08193 Bellaterra (Barcelona), Spain
Institut d’Estudis Espacials de Catalunya (IEEC), 08860, Castelldefels (Barcelona), Spain
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National Radio Astronomy Observatory
Affiliation as printed
National Radio Astronomy Observatory, 520 Edgemont Road, Charlottesville, VA 22903, USA
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National Radio Astronomy Observatory
Affiliation as printed
National Radio Astronomy Observatory, 520 Edgemont Road, Charlottesville, VA 22903, USA
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Leiden University · Leiden Observatory
Affiliation as printed
Leiden Observatory, Leiden University, PO Box 9513, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands
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University of Manchester · SKA Observatory
Affiliation as printed
Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics, Oxford Road, The University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
SKA Observatory, Jodrell Bank, Lower Withington, Macclesfield SK11 9FT, UK
UK ALMA Regional Centre Node M13 9PL, Manchester, UK
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Arcetri Astrophysical Observatory
Affiliation as printed
INAF-Osservatorio Astrofisico di Arcetri, Largo E. Fermi 5, 50125 Firenze, Italy
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Max Planck Institute for Astronomy
Affiliation as printed
Max Planck Institute for Astronomy, Königstuhl 17, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany
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Institute for Space Astrophysics and Planetology · Sapienza University of Rome · National Institute for Astrophysics
Affiliation as printed
Dipartimento di Fisica, Sapienza Università di Roma, Piazzale Aldo Moro 2, 00185 Rome, Italy
INAF-Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziale, Via Fosso del Cavaliere 100, 00133 Roma, Italy
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University of Cologne · University of Manchester
Affiliation as printed
I. Physikalisches Institut, Universität zu Köln, Zülpicher Str. 77, 50937 Köln, Germany
Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics, Oxford Road, The University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
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Affiliation as printed
School of Engineering and Physical Sciences, Isaac Newton Building, University of Lincoln, Brayford Pool, Lincoln LN6 7TS, UK
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Affiliation as printed
I. Physikalisches Institut, Universität zu Köln, Zülpicher Str. 77, 50937 Köln, Germany
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Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Academia Sinica · Academia Sinica
Affiliation as printed
Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Academia Sinica, 11F of ASMAB, AS/NTU No. 1, Sec. 4, Roosevelt Road, Taipei 10617, Taiwan
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Institute for Space Astrophysics and Planetology · National Institute for Astrophysics
Affiliation as printed
INAF-Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziale, Via Fosso del Cavaliere 100, 00133 Roma, Italy
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Institute for Space Astrophysics and Planetology · National Institute for Astrophysics
Affiliation as printed
INAF-Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziale, Via Fosso del Cavaliere 100, 00133 Roma, Italy
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Affiliation as printed
I. Physikalisches Institut, Universität zu Köln, Zülpicher Str. 77, 50937 Köln, Germany
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Institute for Space Astrophysics and Planetology · National Institute for Astrophysics
Affiliation as printed
INAF-Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziale, Via Fosso del Cavaliere 100, 00133 Roma, Italy
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Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Academia Sinica · Academia Sinica
Affiliation as printed
Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Academia Sinica, 11F of ASMAB, AS/NTU No. 1, Sec. 4, Roosevelt Road, Taipei 10617, Taiwan
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Institute for Space Astrophysics and Planetology · National Institute for Astrophysics
Affiliation as printed
INAF-Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziale, Via Fosso del Cavaliere 100, 00133 Roma, Italy
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Center for Astrophysics Harvard & Smithsonian
Affiliation as printed
Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian, 60 Garden St, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
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Affiliation as printed
University of Connecticut, Department of Physics, 2152 Hillside Road, Unit 3046 Storrs, CT 06269, USA
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Institute for Space Astrophysics and Planetology · National Institute for Astrophysics
Affiliation as printed
INAF-Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziale, Via Fosso del Cavaliere 100, 00133 Roma, Italy
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Institute for Space Astrophysics and Planetology · National Institute for Astrophysics
Affiliation as printed
INAF-Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziale, Via Fosso del Cavaliere 100, 00133 Roma, Italy
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Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Academia Sinica · East Asian Observatory · Academia Sinica
Affiliation as printed
East Asian Observatory, 660 N. A’ohoku, Hilo, Hawaii, HI 96720, USA
Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Academia Sinica, 11F of ASMAB, AS/NTU No. 1, Sec. 4, Roosevelt Road, Taipei 10617, Taiwan
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Royal Observatory · UK Astronomy Technology Centre
Affiliation as printed
UK Astronomy Technology Centre, Royal Observatory Edinburgh, Blackford Hill, Edinburgh EH9 3HJ, UK
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Harvard University · Heidelberg University · Center for Astrophysics Harvard & Smithsonian
Affiliation as printed
Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian, 60 Garden St, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
Elizabeth S. and Richard M. Cashin Fellow at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Studies at Harvard University, 10 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
Universität Heidelberg, Interdisziplinäres Zentrum für Wissenschaftliches Rechnen, Heidelberg, Germany
Universität Heidelberg, Zentrum für Astronomie, Institut für Theoretische Astrophysik, Heidelberg, Germany
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Arcetri Astrophysical Observatory
Affiliation as printed
INAF-Osservatorio Astrofisico di Arcetri, Largo E. Fermi 5, 50125 Firenze, Italy
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Affiliation as printed
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, 4800 Oak Grove Drive, Pasadena, CA 91109, USA
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Chinese Academy of Sciences · Shanghai Astronomical Observatory
Affiliation as printed
Shanghai Astronomical Observatory, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200030, PR China
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Affiliation as printed
European Southern Observatory, Karl-Schwarzschild Str. 2, 85748 Garching bei München, Germany
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Affiliation as printed
I. Physikalisches Institut, Universität zu Köln, Zülpicher Str. 77, 50937 Köln, Germany
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Arcetri Astrophysical Observatory
Affiliation as printed
INAF-Osservatorio Astrofisico di Arcetri, Largo E. Fermi 5, 50125 Firenze, Italy
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Institute for Space Astrophysics and Planetology · National Institute for Astrophysics
Affiliation as printed
INAF-Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziale, Via Fosso del Cavaliere 100, 00133 Roma, Italy
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Istituto di Radioastronomia di Bologna
Affiliation as printed
INAF-Istituto di Radioastronomia & Italian ALMA Regional Centre, Via P. Gobetti 101, 40129 Bologna, Italy
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National Institutes of Natural Sciences · National Astronomical Observatory of Japan · Institute of Science Tokyo
Affiliation as printed
Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Institute of Science Tokyo, Meguro, Tokyo 152-8551, Japan
National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, National Institutes of Natural Sciences, 2-21-1 Osawa, Mitaka, Tokyo 181-8588, Japan
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Institute for Space Astrophysics and Planetology · National Institute for Astrophysics
Affiliation as printed
INAF-Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziale, Via Fosso del Cavaliere 100, 00133 Roma, Italy
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Affiliation as printed
Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics, Oxford Road, The University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
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Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Academia Sinica · Academia Sinica
Affiliation as printed
Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Academia Sinica, 11F of ASMAB, AS/NTU No. 1, Sec. 4, Roosevelt Road, Taipei 10617, Taiwan
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University of Groningen · Space Research Organisation Netherlands
Affiliation as printed
Kapteyn Astronomical Institute, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
SRON Netherlands Institute for Space Research, Landleven 12, 9747 AD Groningen, The Netherlands
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Affiliation as printed
University of Connecticut, Department of Physics, 2152 Hillside Road, Unit 3046 Storrs, CT 06269, USA
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Affiliation as printed
Center for Data and Simulation Science, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
I. Physikalisches Institut, Universität zu Köln, Zülpicher Str. 77, 50937 Köln, Germany
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Max Planck Institute for Astronomy
Affiliation as printed
Max Planck Institute for Astronomy, Königstuhl 17, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany
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Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy
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Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie, Auf dem Hügel 69, 53121 Bonn, Germany
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University of Cologne · Zhejiang Lab
Affiliation as printed
I. Physikalisches Institut, Universität zu Köln, Zülpicher Str. 77, 50937 Köln, Germany
Zhejiang Laboratory, Hangzhou 311100, PR China
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Arcetri Astrophysical Observatory · University of Florence
Affiliation as printed
Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia, Università degli Studi di Firenze, Via G. Sansone 1, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Firenze, Italy
INAF-Osservatorio Astrofisico di Arcetri, Largo E. Fermi 5, 50125 Firenze, Italy
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Affiliation as printed
Departamento de Astronomía, Universidad de Chile, Casilla 36-D, Santiago, Chile
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University of Cologne · Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy
Affiliation as printed
I. Physikalisches Institut, Universität zu Köln, Zülpicher Str. 77, 50937 Köln, Germany
Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie, Auf dem Hügel 69, 53121 Bonn, Germany
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Institute for Space Astrophysics and Planetology · National Institute for Astrophysics
Affiliation as printed
INAF-Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziale, Via Fosso del Cavaliere 100, 00133 Roma, Italy
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Arcetri Astrophysical Observatory · Observatoire de Paris · Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics · Laboratoire d'Étude de l'Univers et des Phénomènes Extrêmes
Affiliation as printed
INAF-Osservatorio Astrofisico di Arcetri, Largo E. Fermi 5, 50125 Firenze, Italy
Laboratory for the study of the Universe and eXtreme phenomena (LUX), Observatoire de Paris, Meudon, France
Max-Planck-Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics (MPE), Garching bei München, Germany
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Max Planck Institute for Astronomy
Affiliation as printed
Max Planck Institute for Astronomy, Königstuhl 17, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany
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Affiliation as printed
I. Physikalisches Institut, Universität zu Köln, Zülpicher Str. 77, 50937 Köln, Germany
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Affiliation as printed
Faculty of Physics, University of Duisburg-Essen, Lotharstraße 1, 47057 Duisburg, Germany
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Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile · University of Chile
Affiliation as printed
Centro de Astro-Ingeniería (AIUC), Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Av. Vicuña Mackena 4860, Macul, Santiago, Chile
Departamento de Astronomía, Universidad de Chile, Casilla 36-D, Santiago, Chile
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National Institutes of Natural Sciences · The Graduate University for Advanced Studies, SOKENDAI · National Astronomical Observatory of Japan · The University of Tokyo
Affiliation as printed
Department of Astronomical Science, SOKENDAI (The Graduate University for Advanced Studies), 2-21-1 Osawa, Mitaka, Tokyo 181-8588, Japan
Department of Astronomy, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, National Institutes of Natural Sciences, 2-21-1 Osawa, Mitaka, Tokyo 181-8588, Japan
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Affiliation as printed
School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
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