  Once completed, the Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA) will be the most
powerful (sub)millimeter interferometer in terms of sensitivity, spatial
resolution and imaging. This paper presents the capabilities of ALMA applied to
the observation of Centaurs and Trans-Neptunian Objects, and their possible
output in terms of physical properties. Realistic simulations were performed to
explore the performances of the different frequency bands and array
configurations, and several projects are detailed along with their feasibility,
their limitations and their possible targets. Determination of diameters and
albedos via the radiometric method appears to be possible on ~500 objects,
while sampling of the thermal lightcurve to derive the bodies' ellipticity
could be performed at least 30 bodies that display a significant optical
lightcurve. On a limited number of objects, the spatial resolution allows for
direct measurement of the size or even surface mapping with a resolution down
to 13 milliarcseconds. Finally, ALMA could separate members of multiple systems
with a separation power comparable to that of the HST. The overall performance
of ALMA will make it an invaluable instrument to explore the outer solar
system, complementary to space-based telescopes and spacecrafts.
