Overall status: In BnA configuration; baselines established; 4-band dipoles in place; correlator good to 58 BlB pairs (some intermittent crate problems on rack 8 under investigation. Stable software system but inching toward next version. New OPT/OST (1.09) deployed; several issues (mostly on the operations side). Many people out this week for sundry travel.
May 18-20, 2011 - Radio Astronomy & the ISM, Durango (JM, VD, CC, MG)
May 22-26, 2011 - AAS, Boston
May 30, 2011 - NRAO Holiday
Staff Travel:
LS: 9 May - 20 Jun
RP: 16 May - 25 May
GM: 25 May - 24 Jun
FO: 26 May - 09 Jun
FO: 12 Aug - 12 Sep
Visitors:
Robert Harris (AC982): 24 Apr - 16 Jul
Alison Peck (ALMA): 15 May - 17 May
Rieks Jager (ALMA): 16 May - 17 May
Bob Sault: 16 May - 23 Jun
ALMA News (Peck)
Hardware status and updates (Langley, Perley, Rupen)
Array (Perley/Langley):
Antennas: EA18 out until 27 May.
Receivers: this week focus on EA18 (L, S, X Ku).
Calibration (Perley): Ongoing investigation into the switched power compression/expansion; testing this week as possible. Bob to support ferreting out the Zeeman testing.
WIDAR (Rupen):
Notes (Rupen/Sowinski): 3-bit focus; stability tests and long integration this week.
NOTE: Please cc me on submitted tests so that it can be assigned the appropriate priority!
Commissioning priorities for the week (McMullin, Chandler)
Single maintenance day week:
Mon
0900-1600 Testing
1600-0900(Tues) Science operations and testing
Tue:
0900-1700 Testing/software development time
1800-0630: 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:
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).
Correlator: [Clark/Carlson] Delay rocking across bands. Implementation pending factor-of-2 reconciliation.
Array: [Gustaaf] Amplitude wobbles seen on subset of antennas; phase jumps at scan boundaries also seen on subset of antennas (Ka, Q bands only thus far).
Array: [All] Zoo of other effects (some data are very good, some still seeing antenna-based IF/Polarization issue).
Notes: Meeting last week; work to get gaincurve in exposure calculator (Claussen/Butler). Refined near/long term targets; documentation work is ongoing.
Notes: Sub-group focus on low frequency imaging reduction issues; planning underway for in-house training/documentation work; disposition letters will offer RSRO-like visits for support in obtaining best science.
Notes: Shooting for end of the month for initial round of testing; hoping for May for Paul's time.
Adv: Astrometry (Mioduszewski):
Notes:
Adv: Low band (Owen):
Notes: Ongoing investigation of the RFI environment; review of last night's data.
Calibrator Models
Notes: Status report and Ka/S update: 32 and 37 GHz observations available for 3C138, 3C147, 3C48 (3C286 by the end of the week); currently the information is put on the web (rather than added directly to CASA/AIPS; after A configuration data is added, it will be added directly. S band is not yet available.