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 B configuration. Some antenna specific issues (EA22 pointing) which have been resolved over several days. No observing last night.
• Key dates:
  • 09-23 Feb: 4-band test installation
  • 14-18 Feb: Meerkat visitors (Operations)
  • 16 Feb: Correlator Fire Suppression tests
  • 07-10 Mar: New Worlds, New Horizons (Santa Fe)
  • 07 May - 15 Jun: 4-band science observing
• Staff Travel:
• Visitors:
  • 05 Jan - 06 Apr: John Cannon sabbatical at DSOC
  • 22 Feb - 08 Mar: Sonja Vrcic (Correlator)
  • 28 Feb - 28 Mar: Bob Sault

Commissioning priorities for the week (McMullin, Chandler)

• Mon
  • 1030-1700: Testing/software development time
  • 1800-0900: Science operations
• Tue
  • 0900-1700: Testing/software development time
  • 1800-0630: Science operations
• Wed: Maintenance day
  • 0630-1700: Maintenance operations
  • 1800-0900: Science operations
• Thu, Fri:
  • 0900-1700: Testing/software development time
  • 1800-0900: Science operations
• Sat-Sun
  • Science operations + planned testing

• Correlator: fshift sub-band anti-aliasing causing phantom spectral lines when using recirculation for narrow bands (only worry if Michael has to prep your file)
• Correlator: Missing/mislabeled scans in data sets (small percentage but recurring).
• Correlator: time mislabeling in SDM data (non-synchronous operation between correlator dumps and CBE can require additional 1/2 integration time padding for online flags);fix available pending testing verification.
• Construction: RFI sweep at Ku, K, Ka, Q pre-requisite for high pass filters for use with L301.
• Calibration: Switched power heuristics for reduction.
• Array/Construction: Dhawan/Rupen: RF switch issues; new set coming to be tested.
• Correlator: Delay rocking across bands.
• Correlator: Subset of BlBs misbehaving (only affects hardware stacking modes)
• Antenna/High Freq: Reference pointing accuracy (C, X, Ku).
• Array: Amplitude wobbles seen on subset of antennas; phase jumps at scan boundaries also seen on subset of antennas (Ka, Q bands only thus far).

Hardware status and updates (Langley, Perley, Rupen)

• Array (Perley/Langley):
  • EA13 to array (24Mar).
    • Antennas with 3-bit samplers: TBD
  • Links:
    • Current list of available receivers: http://www.aoc.nrao.edu/cgi-bin/evla/receivers-report
    • Upcoming receiver installs:
      • L: EA16 (16Feb), EA13 (15Mar)
      • S: EA16 (16Feb), EA13 (15Mar)
      • C EA16 EA13 (14Mar)
      • X EA13 (14Mar)
      • Ku EA13 (14Mar)
      • Ka EA16 (16Feb), EA13 (14Mar)
      • Q Done!
  • Issues: Issues with deformatters from over the weekend; still occurring intermittently on antennas (IFs in parentheses have at least some known problems): 2 (B), 4(D), 24(B), 26(A/C);
    • List at: https://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=0Al6JLDuYrDsBdFV0SEhDblFmT0l5Sm9vSlh6QlVyaFE&hl=en&output=html
      • Looking at a public web-based observing log (searchable).
• WIDAR (Rupen):
  • Notes: Issues with baseline boards; rebooted and appear to be working but problems from last night are not well understood (suspicion of some versioning issues with CMIB code changes). Plan to resume testing today following meeting, with focus on phased array and low band testing beyond the overall stability investigation.
• Computing (Robnett):
  • New link to Lustre guidelines: https://staff.nrao.edu/wiki/bin/view/Main/LustreUsersDoc (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
• OPT 1.08 pending (22 Feb now); Executor update pending (likely pushed to next week)
  • Release Notes: https://staff.nrao.edu/evla/sss/opt/sssOptReleases.shtml#1.08.00
• CASA Update (new functionality available/issues/enhancements):Notes (Miriam): For those using switched power, need asdm2MS (not task-based importxxx) with ignoretime option to get the CalDevice table filled. Missing scan issue still being investigated, tentatively associated with a lustre upgrade (not likely) - talk to Miriam if you see this (to modify the .casarc file); active version uses caching and should be pushed into test soon. Nick Elias has a multi-band delay script available; talk to him/Miriam to test this out; pending this it will be migrated to the public script area.
• AIPS Update (new functionality available/issues/enhancements): Notes:
• SDM Update: Notes:SDM FBT news; Bryan/Michael will be reps on this (along with Jeff); requested changes for EVLA involve the Ephemeris table (for planetary) and 3 tables for astrometry (Calc/interferometry tables).

Commissioning Reports

Group updates (User Support, High Frequency, Low Frequency, Spectral Line, Phased Array, Low-band, Algorithm (autoflag))

Commissioning Group updates 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!

• OSRO User Support (van Moorsel): Link: https://safe.nrao.edu/wiki/bin/view/EVLA/OSROTests
  • Notes: Baselines updated. Last moved antennas (2, 9, 16, 26) plus some dubious fits to at least one other (17) should be coming soon; pending some observations tonight.
• Observing Calibration/Flagging Strategies:
  • High Frequency (Claussen/Sjouwerman):Link: https://safe.nrao.edu/wiki/bin/view/EVLA/HighFrequencyObserving
    • Draft User Documentation: http://evlaguides.nrao.edu/index.php?title=Category:HighFrequency
    • Notes: Meeting minutes (11Feb) posted at: https://safe.nrao.edu/wiki/bin/view/EVLA/HighFreq_03Feb11 ; this week's meeting postponed to next week.
    • High Frequency: McMullin/Owen/Hunter: Tipping radiometer proposal
  • Mid Frequency (Dhawan):
    • Notes:
  • Low Frequency (Momjian): Link:
    • Draft User Documentation: http://evlaguides.nrao.edu/index.php?title=Category:LowFrequency
    • Notes: Meeting Thursday 3pm.
• Observing Modes
  • Spectral Line (Goss/Ott): Link:
    • Draft User Documentation: http://evlaguides.nrao.edu/index.php?title=Category:SpectraLine
    • Notes: Meeting Friday at 2pm
    • Spectral Line: Momjian/Sowinski: Work toward resolution of Stokes V problems.
    • Spectral Line: Dhawan: Follow-up on frequency offset phase jumps characterization.
      • https://bugs.nrao.edu/browse/ECSV-132
    • Spectral Line: Ott: Doppler tracking sampling follow-up
    • Spectral Line: Discussion of potential default spectral line setups at each band.
  • Polarization (Myers/Perley): Link: https://safe.nrao.edu/wiki/bin/view/EVLA/PolarizationModes
    • Draft User Documentation: http://evlaguides.nrao.edu/index.php?title=Category:Observing_Preparation
    • Notes:
    • Polarization: Antenna cross polarization (Perley; Need script.); LSCX on 3C147; Postponed until wideband X available on EA24.
  • Planetary (Butler):
    • Notes: Pluto/Charon detected at lowest frequency (Ka) with EVLA. Ongoing work with TNOs.
  • Scheduling/Rapid Response (Frail): Link: https://safe.nrao.edu/wiki/bin/view/EVLA/RapidResponseObserving
    • Notes: Minutes from last meeting posted at: https://safe.nrao.edu/wiki/bin/view/EVLA/23Nov2010
  • Adv: Solar (Perley):
    • Notes: Pending
  • 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
    • Notes: Adam - working end to end, OPT through Mark V with recorded data (specific versions of sundry software required so not production at this stage)
  • Adv: Pulsar (Brisken):
    • Notes: Paul visit status.
  • Adv: Astrometry (Mioduszewski):
    • Notes: Paul visit status.
  • Adv: Low band (Owen):
    • Notes: Dipoles mostly up; 8 antennas are working, others have problems. Little interference seen (narrow spikes at 70 and 78 MHz). Likely will update the viable frequency range following the test; hoping for more test time today through next week (may need an extension with the dipoles to close out major issues).
• Calibrator Models
  • Notes: Status
• HPC (Bhatnagar/Owen/Golap):
  • Notes:
• Imaging (Ott/Golap):
  • Notes: Meeting pending to discuss OTF mosaicing implementation.
• Algorithm (Bhatnagar, Owen):
  • Notes:
    • Tracking for MS-MFS: https://bugs.nrao.edu/browse/CAS-2480
    • Colloquium this week: Bhatnagar: Wide-band wide-field interferometric imaging: Challenges and progress
    • 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

Individual reports (updates)

• White: Found issue recurring on a specific channel (Chandler also saw); consistent with internal RFI. Otherwise good.
• Leroy: Fresh data from the weekend being looked at.
• Brogan/Hunter: Pending baseline determinations for reduction.

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
    • Laura Chomiuk (POC: Juergen Ott); area(s): spectral line observing (bandpass stability); AS1015 et al. 200C/7497
    • Adam Deller (POC: Ken Sowinski); area(s): phased array;
    • Sergio Dzib (POC: Amy Mioduszewski); area(s): astrometry; BL175; 200E/7246
    • Ken Kellerman (POC: -); area(s): data review; 10B-104; 300G/7333
    • Hendrik Linz (POC: Claire Chandler); area(s): high frequency observing (calibrators); AC982 (RSRO-4): 200G/x7496
    • Ashley Zauderer (POC: Dale Frail); area(s): Time-domain science; scheduling. 10C-145/AB1369; 200G/7334

Demo Science Status

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

AOB

• Shift log tool - a facility for recording issues with the array, allowing both operator/scientist entry of issues and retrieval based on date ranges, antenna/if/etc selection. Not clear how to merge with the existing databases (non-public) for engineering and the correlator. Requirements being reviewed and discussion underway but no quick fix here (though the existing 'spreadsheet' approach is clearly not working adequately). Michael noted that part of Sonja's visit next week will work on alerts within the correlator (better notification on problems in the data will certainly help this problem).
• Claire noted that there is a meeting at 10am Friday in AOC317 on data distribution for anyone interested.

Misc Actions

• [Frail/Butler]: Enable restrictions based on proximity to sun; review OST weather trending.
• [McMullin/Frail]: %REDWrite up disposition of RR items.
• [McMullin]: Review/recover metrics for Priority 0 items.
• [Perley/McMullin]: SPW/IF/BB lexicon and mapper
• Development of WIDAR guidelines document (Michael)
• List of known problems (can be used by OSRO commissioning team (van Moorsel)
  • • Med Priority [TBD]: Added. Phase change when frequency changes (needs to be tested).
    • Med Priority [TBD]: Anti-aliasing does not behave as advertised. - Sault visit * Low Priority [TBD]: Phase (and amp) wobbles; long history.fshift investigation.