Synergies between ALMA and VLT(I)

ESO Telescopes in 2010:ESO Telescopes in 2010:• ALMA• Paranal: VLT(I), Vista, VST• APEX• La Silla ?

Leading both optical and submm observatories!

No other observatory will have combined access to similar optical and submm facilities.

We should be ready to exploit this unique situation!

(STC and Visiting Committee are asking us to do this)

Synergy between ALMA and VLTI

• VLTI probes scale sizes of mas in near and mid-IR, ALMA probes scales down to 10 mas in far-IR.

1.Accretion disks around proto-stars: inner regions with MIDI/AMBER, outer regions with ALMA.

2.Dust envelopes of AGB stars (VLTI) combined with SiO masers with ALMA.

3.Sgr A*: VLTI probe nearby stars to constrain BH mass. Gravity will look at relativistic orbits of IR flares. ALMA/VLBI can see GR shadow (spinning BH or not?).

4.Obscuring tori in AGN (e.g. NGC 1068): locate the hot dust with VLTI and cold dust with ALMA.

Synergy between ALMA and VLT

•ALMA observes the cold Universe, seeing regions obscured by dust in the optical/near-IR.

•VLT sees the young stars and AGN acting as heating sources of the dust.

•VLT/VISIR probes hot dust components, ALMA cold dust.

Proto-planetary disks•Dust disk in β Pic seen in mid-IR with

VISIR: large scale distribution, inclinations •ALMA simulation of proto-

planetary disk at 140 pc with MJupJup planet at 5AU creating gap.

Gas kinematics around AGN• Extended AGN-ionized emission lines often show

velocity offsets due to out/inflows.

• CO traces more massive H2 gas ⇒ systemic velocity.

• HI absorption seen in Lyα profile.

•VLT + SINFONI, VIMOS, MUSE, KMOS and X-shooter will provide excellent 3D spectroscopy directly comparable with ALMA cubes of CO, HCN, ...

Buildup of M-σ relation• z=6.42 QSO detected in dust continuum and CO.

• Near-IR spectroscopy of broad MgII ⇒ MBH ~ 3x109 MSol (Willott et al 2003)

• CO spatially resolved with VLA dynamical mass 5x1010 MSol in 2.5 kpc, well below 1012 MSol predicted by M-σ relation ⇒ BH forms first?

(Walter et al. 2004)

•VISTA will discover many z>6 quasars to be followed up with ALMA.

Discussion points

1.Radio astronomers should learn about VLT instruments.

2.Optical astronomers should learn about ALMA (ALMA Community Day 3/4 Sep 2007, ESO2, APEX, ...).

3.Consider joint VLT+ALMA proposals?

4.Prioritize 2nd/3rd generation VLT instruments which are most complementary to ALMA?

5.Workshop on VLT + ALMA synergies?

6....