Complex Organic Molecules in Protostars with ALMA Spectral Surveys (COMPASS)
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Context . Studying the chemical composition of the warm gas surrounding embedded solar-type protostars is one of the areas for which the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) is particularly well suited. Recently, the ALMA Large Program Complex Organic Molecules in Protostars with ALMA Spectral Surveys (COMPASS) carried out an observing campaign of a sample of 11 protostellar regions to investigate the chemical impact of their environments and evolutionary stages. Aims . The aim of this paper is to provide the observational and procedural information necessary for the community to understand the analysis presented in forthcoming scientific papers by the COMPASS collaboration, and to enable archival research using the data products provided by our team and the ALMA Science Archive. Methods . This paper describes the technical setup of the observations, and it outlines the data-processing pipeline and primary data products from this initiative. The Common Astronomy Software Applications (CASA) was used for initial calibration following the standard ALMA Pipeline, and then IMAGER was used for self-calibration and imaging. We describe post-processing done with Python to achieve favorable continuum subtraction, correct for the primary beam response, and extract spectra. Results . We discuss our strategy for mitigating data challenges, including those related to data volume and continuum subtraction for spectral line analysis. The incorporation of IMAGER in our workflow was advantageous in terms of the computing efficiency which allowed us to benchmark several imaging parameters and techniques; we also demonstrate that the imaging outcomes using IMAGER or CASA are scientifically comparable. Numerous data products are generated for the program, including image cubes for the 36 spectral windows targeting each source, extracted spectra, and continuum images.
Source: Astronomy and Astrophysics
Authors: Adele L. Plunkett, Sébastien Maret, Daniel Harsono, Jes K. Jørgensen, Audrey Coutens, Maria N. Drozdovskaya, Jeong-Eun Lee, Arnaud Belloche, Fernando Cruz-Sáenz de Miera, Merel L. R. van ’t Hoff, Jae-Hong Jeong, Chul-Hwan Kim, Ágnes Kóspál, Martine Lützen, Brett A. McGuire, Pooneh Nazari, Silvia Spezzano, Zoie Telkamp, Yao-Lun Yang, Hyeong-Sik Yun, Audrey Andreu, Jennifer Bergner, Judit Ferrer Asensio, Niels F. W. Ligterink, Yuxin Lin, Sheng-Yuan Liu, Pierre Marchand, Mihika Rao, Shaoshan Zeng
Institutions: National Radio Astronomy Observatory, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Institut de Planétologie et d'Astrophysique de Grenoble, Université Grenoble Alpes, National Tsing Hua University, Tsinghua University, University of Copenhagen, Institut de Recherche en Astrophysique et Planétologie, Université de Toulouse, University of Bern, Physikalisch-Meteorologisches Observatorium Davos, Seoul National University, Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy, Purdue University West Lafayette, Eötvös Loránd University, Konkoly Observatory, Max Planck Institute for Astronomy, HUN-REN Research Centre for Astronomy and Earth Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, European Southern Observatory, European Southern Observatory, Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics, University of Virginia, RIKEN Pioneering Research Institute, Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Delft University of Technology, Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Academia Sinica, Academia Sinica
Language: English
Subfield: Astronomy and Astrophysics
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $1,865
Funders: National Science Foundation, Gruber Foundation, National Radio Astronomy Observatory, European Commission, Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales, Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute, National Research Foundation of Korea, Max-Planck-Gesellschaft, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, Nemzeti Kutatási Fejlesztési és Innovációs Hivatal, Ministry of Science and ICT, South Korea, National Science and Technology Council, RIKEN, National Institutes of Natural Sciences, Nemzeti Kutatási, Fejlesztési és Innovaciós Alap
OpenAlex ID: W7220844931