Meeting Information

• 1600 UT (1000 MDT)
• AOC 317; IP: 146.88.16.8; phone: +1 575-835-7370

Agenda/Minutes

News, Travel, Visitors (McMullin)

• Overall status: In A configuration (08 Jun); Correlator hardware (64 BlB - 1) available. Continued work on data rates.
• Key dates:
  • 08 Jun - 12 Sep: A configuration (move from 31 May - 08 Jun).
• Staff Travel:
  • MR: 02 Aug - 08 Aug
  • RP: 09 Aug - 21 Aug (URSI)
  • FO: 12 Aug - 12 Sep
  • RP: 10 Sep - 16 Sep (Brazil)
• Visitors:
  • Michiel Brentjens: 11 Jun - 11 Nov (Holography; characterizing polarized beams)

Hardware status and updates (Langley, Perley, Rupen)

• Array (Perley/Langley):
  • Antennas: EA23 in barn being overhauled.
  • Receivers: EA23 gets outfitted last week in August.
    • Perley: RF Switch testing status.
  • Calibration (Perley): Gain compression/expansion still being looked at.
• WIDAR (Rupen):
  • Notes (Rupen/Sowinski): Software testing predominates (see testing below); expect to get 64th BlB pair replaced this week (b108-b-5); population of StB rack 8 this week.
• Computing (Robnett):
  • Notes:

Software status and updates (Butler)

• Links:
  • Software versions/updates: https://safe.nrao.edu/wiki/bin/view/EVLA/EVLASoftwareVersioning?sortcol=table;up=#Current_Software_Versions_in_Use
• SSS: Meeting today;
• CASA Update (new functionality available/issues/enhancements):Notes: New stable version out.
• AIPS Update (new functionality available/issues/enhancements): Notes: Update to Appendix E (Calibration and Imaging guidelines).
• SDM Update: Notes:

Commissioning Group Reports and Test Planning

• Key link: https://safe.nrao.edu/wiki/bin/view/EVLA/EVLACommissioningOrganization

• NOTE: Please cc me on submitted tests so that it can be assigned the appropriate priority!

Commissioning priorities for the week (McMullin, Chandler)

• Mon
  • 0900-1700: Testing/software development time
  • 1800-0900: Science operations and testing
• Tue:
  • 0900-1700: Maintenance operations
  • 1800-0900: Science operations and testing
• Wed: Maintenance day
  • 0630-1700: Maintenance operations
  • 1800-0900: Science operations and testing
• Thu:
  • 0900-1700: Testing/software development time
  • 1800-0900: Science operations and testing
• Fri (not-yet-a-holiday):
  • 0900-1700: Testing/software development time
  • 1800-0900: Science operations and testing
• Sat-Sun
  • Science operations + planned testing

Issues Affecting Science Observing:

• Quick summary:
  • 07-11 July issue: set-and-remember attenuator settings for IF B and C were swapped; this shouldn't have caused grave issues but somewhere within this, some time variability of the gains was caused; it appears that application of the switched power solves these issues; we're in the process of contacting affected external users and preparing 'fixed' data sets to provide to them. In addition, we're continuing to see some issues with phase jumps on specific antennas (e.g., 07, 13, 22); recently 16 and 18 have been repaired (repair is by replacing 128 MHz clock cables in the affected antennas/IFs). Please continue to report. Please follow guidelines here: https://safe.nrao.edu/wiki/bin/view/EVLA/DataReviewGuide
    • Also note that we're continuing to monitor/intervene on scheduling; we've seen some issues with short blocks being passed over. We're beginning to tackle the algorithm this week. We also have been monitoring the overall unscheduled time - seeing issues at the boundary cases (= the cost of doing operations and development each day) but also near galactic center...). See: https://spreadsheets0.google.com/spreadsheet/pub?hl=en_US&hl=en_US&key=0Al6JLDuYrDsBdHBhYzRzSXVoZldMYlpWUHJaS0FXZmc&output=html

• Correlator: [Rupen/Carlson w/ Momjian/Sault] V stokes issues.Identified possible issues in the noise related to the 3-level phase rotator.
• Correlator: [Pokorny/Rupen/McMullin] time mislabeling in SDM data (non-synchronous operation between correlator dumps and CBE can require additional 1/2 integration time padding for online flags). .Needs close-out testing.
• Correlator: [Clark/Carlson] Delay rocking across bands. Ongoing discussion of implementation; pending Bryan's return
• Array: [All] Zoo of other effects (some data are very good, some still seeing antenna-based IF/Polarization issue).

Testing This week/soon

• [Vrcic et al]; CM Stability; issues over the weekend/looming vacation have raised priority here.
• [McMullin et al]; Expanded OSRO Testing for D configuration.
• [Pokorny et al]; CBE data rate testing: behind schedule; will continue to test 'special' projects to clear to begin.
• [Sowinski et al]; Executor update testing; some phased array testing (Thursday?).
• [Brentjens et al]; MCAF update testing (holography improvements).
• [Goss et al]; Sub-band edge effects testing.
• [Butler et al]; Executor update testing; planetary.
• [Carlson et al]; V Stokes follow-up.
• Subarrays: cleanup.
• 3-bit sampler testing; automatic gain setting.
• Stage 2 mixer testing to relax sub 128 MHz BW grids
• HPC large dataset (500 GB)
• Executor fshift algorithm (new; increments <100 Hz)
• Holography mode testing.
• Phased array/astrometry mode testing.
• Correlator: Rupen: S-band shadow testing
• Spectral line: Momjian: HI High resolution bandpass testing
• Baseband edge/filter rolloff.
• Sub-band dependent fshifts.
• Array: *; Individual issue sleuthing (focus on phase jumps).

Commissioning Groups

• Correlator(Rupen):
  • Notes: Testing as above.
• OSRO User Support (van Moorsel): Link: https://safe.nrao.edu/wiki/bin/view/EVLA/OSROTests
  • Notes: Workshop update

• Observing Modes
  • Spectral Line (Goss/Ott): Link: https://safe.nrao.edu/wiki/bin/view/EVLA/SpectralLineModes
    • Draft User Documentation: http://evlaguides.nrao.edu/index.php?title=Category:SpectraLine
    • Sub-band edge effects [Goss] - Follow-up this week.

• • Planetary (Butler):
    • Notes: Update to Executor needs testing. * Scheduling/Rapid Response (Claussen/McMullin): Link: https://safe.nrao.edu/wiki/bin/view/EVLA/RapidResponseObserving
    • Notes: Simulation tool nearly ready to be deployed.
  • Adv: Phased array/VLBA/VBLI (Deller, Lazio): Link: https://safe.nrao.edu/wiki/bin/view/EVLA/PhasedArray
    • Draft User Documentation: http://evlaguides.nrao.edu/index.php?title=Category:PhasedArray
    • Update to executor needs testing; watching clash of schedules for end of September follow-up with Pulsar group.
  • Adv: Solar (Perley):
    • Notes: Recent test results at: https://bugs.nrao.edu/browse/ECSV-167; first L-band deployed; Bastian et al arriving mid September for work.
  • Adv: Pulsar (Brisken): https://safe.nrao.edu/wiki/bin/view/EVLA/Pulsars
    • Draft User Documentation: http://evlaguides.nrao.edu/index.php?title=Category:Pulsar
    • Notes: As above.

• • Adv: Astrometry (Mioduszewski):
    • Notes: Begin testing of UVW precision issues (Brunthaler). Further updates.
• Calibrator Models
  • Notes: A configuration data being collected (3 SBs left).
• HPC (Bhatnagar/Owen/Golap):
  • Notes: ~500 GB data set obtained.
• Imaging (Ott/Golap):
  • Notes:
• Algorithm (Bhatnagar, Owen):
  • Notes: Calibration discussion this week (Moellenbrock)
    • Tracking for MS-MFS: https://bugs.nrao.edu/browse/CAS-2480
    • autoflag task: tfcrop ready for internal testing. Algorithm details, how to run/use it, parameter options and a fewsample plots are listed on:
      • http://www.aoc.nrao.edu/~rurvashi/TFCrop/TFCrop.html Updates to this; please review.
      • The relevant JIRA ticket is : https://bugs.nrao.edu/browse/CAS-2676

RSRO/ECSO Reports

RSRO A configuration status: https://safe.nrao.edu/wiki/bin/view/EVLA/2011BRSROStatus

Individual reports (updates)

• bl175.pdf: bl175.pdf

Misc:

• RSRO Calendar: https://safe.nrao.edu/wiki/bin/view/EVLA/RSROCalendar
• RSRO DnC, C config status: https://safe.nrao.edu/wiki/bin/view/EVLA/2010CRSROStatus
• Test Project Codes == *TRSR*
• Guidelines for RSRO observing: https://safe.nrao.edu/wiki/bin/view/EVLA/RSROObservingPreparationGuidelines
• Notes:
  • Current Residents
    • Peter Hofner (10B-124/AH1011)::RSRO-26; 200G(1); x7496 -- POC: Ott (CASA testing)
    • Sergio Dzib (BL175):: 200G/x7496 -- POC: Mioduszewski (Astrometry)
    • Jacqueline van Gorkom (10C-211/AV324); 200D/x7098 -- POC: Momjian (Low Frequency);
    • Andreas Brunthaler::200E/x7246 -- POC: Mioduszewski (Astrometry/VLBI)
    • Satoko Takahashi::200D/x7098 -- POC: Ott (Imaging)
    • Jane Greaves::(AC982)::RSRO-4; 300G;x7106 -- POC: Chandler (High Frequency Documentation for Workshop)

Demo Science Status

• https://safe.nrao.edu/wiki/bin/view/EVLA/EVLADemoScience

AOB

• Butler: VAO in a nutshell:
  

Misc Actions

• Old/Low priority
• [McMullin]: Review/recover metrics for Priority 0 items.
• [Perley/McMullin]: SPW/IF/BB lexicon and mapper
• [Rupen]: Development of WIDAR guidelines document