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 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.
• Key dates:
  • 07 May - 15 Jun: 4-band science observing
  • 13-31 May: BnA configuration
  • 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.
• 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/OST Release 1.09.01. New executor (map orientation okay?).
  • Screen_shot_2011-05-17_at_8.36.49_AM.png:
    
• CASA Update (new functionality available/issues/enhancements):Notes (Miriam): Release out; spectral frequency offset issue resolved.
• AIPS Update (new functionality available/issues/enhancements): Notes (Eric):
• SDM Update: Notes: No news.

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
  • 0900-1600 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.
• Correlator: [Rupen/Carlson w/ Momjian/Sault] V stokes issues; Zeeman observing mode blocked.
• 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).

Testing This week

• 3-bit samplers (Dhawan+): highest priorities
• CM/CBE update testing (subarrays+ deconfiguration problems).
• Spectral Line (Linz/Ott): Spectral dynamic range test (TSPE0010.3923557). Complete.
• Spectral Line (Goss/Chomiuk): BP stability/repeatability (TSPE0005.3699117). Complete..
• Correlator: Rupen: S-band shadow testing; This week as possible.
• Correlator: Durand/McMullin/Pokorny/Butler; review of CRC error events (may involve testing).
• Correlator: Momjian/Rupen: High frequency Zeeman test
• Spectral line: Momjian: HI High resolution bandpass testing
• Array: *; Individual issue sleuthing

Commissioning Groups

• Correlator(Rupen):
  • Notes: Testing as above.
• OSRO User Support (van Moorsel): Link: https://safe.nrao.edu/wiki/bin/view/EVLA/OSROTests
  • Notes: Gustaaf away at the end of the month.
• 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 last week; work to get gaincurve in exposure calculator (Claussen/Butler). Refined near/long term targets; documentation work is ongoing.
  • Mid Frequency (Dhawan):
    • Notes:
  • Low Frequency (Momjian): Link: https://safe.nrao.edu/wiki/bin/view/EVLA/LowFrequencyObserving
    • Draft User Documentation: http://evlaguides.nrao.edu/index.php?title=Category:LowFrequency
    • 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.
• 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
    • *Notes: Reports on spectral dynamic range; BP stride.
  • 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: Working way through bands; more observations coming.
  • Planetary (Butler):
    • Notes: Ongoing work on ephemeris object tracking.
  • Scheduling/Rapid Response (Claussen/McMullin): Link: https://safe.nrao.edu/wiki/bin/view/EVLA/RapidResponseObserving
    • Notes: Implemented; analysis/simulations coming to support review of the algorithm.

• • 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.

RSRO/ECSO Reports

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

Individual reports (updates)

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
    • D.J. Saikia (10C-119/AI145)::RSRO-75; 300G(2); x7106-POC: Momjian (Low Frequency)
    • J. Irwin (10C-119AI145)::RSRO-75; 300G(1); x7333 -- POC: Myers (Polarimetry)
    • Peter Hofner (10B-124/AH1011)::RSRO-26; 200G(1); x7496 -- POC: Ott (CASA testing)

Demo Science Status

• https://safe.nrao.edu/wiki/bin/view/EVLA/EVLADemoScience
  • Complete for B configuration

AOB

• Other talks pushed to next week.

Misc Actions

• [McMullin]: Contact to Paul regarding delay in phased array.
• [Wrobel-Claire]: Identify L-band continuum projects (first step in determining how to educate these users).
• [Harland]: OPT 4-band frequency settings; fixed date mode. Fixed in 1.09.
• [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).