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: Move to A configuration began this morning; 4-band dipoles in place through the 15th (ongoing issues as described last week); correlator good to 63/64 BlB pairs. Some ongoing issues with missing first scans (recoverable). Report from AAS. Summer students begin arriving. PEPs due for science staff.
• Key dates:
  • 07 May - 15 Jun: 4-band science observing
  • 10 Jun - 12 Sep: A configuration (move from 31 May - 09 Jun).
• Staff Travel:
  • LS: 9 May - 20 Jun
  • GM: 25 May - 24 Jun
  • FO: 26 May - 09 Jun
  • FO: 12 Aug - 12 Sep
• Visitors:
  • Robert Harris (AC982): 24 Apr - 16 Jul
  • Bob Sault: 16 May - 23 Jun

Hardware status and updates (Langley, Perley, Rupen)

• Array (Perley/Langley):
  • Antennas: EA18 pushed to 6 Jun (rolled into A configuration move). EA21 next in.
  • Receivers: EA05 Ku; EA12 X due this week
  • Calibration (Perley): Ongoing investigation into the switched power compression/expansion.
• WIDAR (Rupen):
  • Notes (Rupen/Sowinski): 3-bit testing review (Dhawan). V stokes data taken (high frequency data pushed). Bent-pin; BlB shuffle ready for this afternoon (2 hours for Kerry).
    • 3bit_summary_30May11
• 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).
• CASA Update (new functionality available/issues/enhancements):Notes
• AIPS Update (new functionality available/issues/enhancements): Notes
• SDM Update: Notes: V2 not imminent.

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
  • Holiday
• Tue: Maintenance day:
  • 0630-? Testing/software development time
• 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 but Monday is):
  • 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.
• 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

• CM/CBE update testing (subarrays+ deconfiguration problems).
• 4-band testing (Owen): further tests of modified subband/requantizer gains (Clark)
• phased array (Sowinski/McMullin): further tests from Amy/Ken (as above)
• Array: *; Individual issue sleuthing (focus on phase jumps).
• High Frequency (Perley): Fast switching duty cycle tests.
• Astrometry (Bruthaler): UVW precision tests.
• Correlator: Rupen: S-band shadow testing
• Correlator: Durand/McMullin/Pokorny/Butler; review of CRC error events (may involve testing).
• Spectral line: Momjian: HI High resolution bandpass testing
• 3-bit samplers (Dhawan+): lab testing this week.

• V stokes testing (Sault/Momjian) TSPE0008_sb1850345)Complete; high frequency test pushed.
• Spectral Line (Linz/Ott): Spectral dynamic range test (TSPE0010.3923557). Complete.
• Spectral Line (Goss/Chomiuk): BP stability/repeatability (TSPE0005.3699117). Complete..

Commissioning Groups

• Big deadline is end of this month for incorporation into links for Call for Proposals due 1 July.

• Correlator(Rupen):
  • Notes: Testing as above. 3-bit testing meeting at 2-4pm in the auditorium.
• OSRO User Support (van Moorsel): Link: https://safe.nrao.edu/wiki/bin/view/EVLA/OSROTests
  • Notes: Gustaaf/Heidi out this week; Emmanuel main POC.
• 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: documentation work is ongoing. Fast-switching tests; A config tests this week.
  • Mid Frequency (Dhawan):
    • Notes: Would like to update Ku SEFD plots.
  • 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:
  • 4-band (Owen):
    • Notes: Ongoing tests

• 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 - winded out this weekend.
  • 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: Long range forecasting should be enabled this week (simulation mode)
  • 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: 2 hours of testing (Friday/Monday). Summary at wiki.
      • Summary Status: summary_status_forwardplans.rtf: summary_status_forwardplans.rtf

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)
    • Sergio Dzib (10B-131); 200G;x7496 -- POC: Mioduszewski (Astrometry)
    • Jacqueline van Gorkom (10C-211/AV324); 200D/x7098 -- POC: Momjian (Low Frequency)
  • Upcoming
    • 06 Jun - 31 May (2012): Andreas Brunthaler::200E/x7246 -- POC: Mioduszewski (Astrometry/VLBI)
    • 12 Jun-10 Aug: Jane Greaves::(AC982)::RSRO-4; 300G;x7106 -- POC: Chandler (High Frequency)
    • 12 Jun - 25 Jun: Laura Chomiuk (*); 200B/x7497 -- POC: Goss (Spectral Line)

Demo Science Status

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

AOB

Misc Actions

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