National Radio
Astronomy Observatory

E.2 General Calibrater Mechanics

The calibrater tasks/tool are designed to solve and apply solutions for all of the solution types listed above (and more are in the works). This leads to a single basic sequence of execution for all solves, regardless of type:

1. Set the calibrator model visibilities
2. Select the visibility data which will be used to solve for a calibration type
3. Arrange to apply any already-known calibration types (the first time through, none may yet be available)
4. Arrange to solve for a specific calibration type, including specification of the solution timescale and other specifics
5. Execute the solve process
6. Repeat 1-4 for all required types, using each result, as it becomes available, in step 2, and perhaps repeating for some types to improve the solutions

By itself, this sequence doesn’t guarantee success; the data provided for the solve must have sufficient SNR on the appropriate timescale, and must provide sufficient leverage for the solution (e.g., D solutions require data taken over a sufficient range of parallactic angle in order to separate the source polarization contribution from the instrumental polarization).

More information about CASA may be found at the CASA web page

Copyright © 2010 Associated Universities Inc., Washington, D.C.

This code is available under the terms of the GNU General Public Lincense