Continuum Resources

Before creating or modifying anything it is a good idea to save what you have now; in the icon menu click the left-most icon (\includegraphics[height=3mm]{psimg/saveAll.png.ps} Save projects/catalogs in this tree), or use FILE - SAVE ALL.

Suppose your SB consists of EVLA default frequency full polarization continuum observations in C band and in L band, and that you want to populate your personal catalog in first instance with these default (polarization) continuum resources. For this particular example, this is what to do:

  • Make sure you have navigated to the RCT.
  • From the top menu strip, select FILE - CREATE NEW - CATALOG; you can skip this step (and the next step) if the catalog you want to use already exists and is writable (i.e., the catalog name is not in slanted red font).
  • A white dialog window shows up on the top left; name your catalog and press [ok].
  • Make sure your new catalog in the tree is highlighted (or select it). The tiny yellow dot on the open book icon indicates that there are unsaved changes in this catalog.
  • At this stage you can opt to group your resources. This is not necessary, but convenient if you are going to have many resources. If you want to group resources in this catalog, select FILE - CREATE NEW - GROUP, name your group and press [ok].
  • Select the NRAO defaults resource catalog.
  • In the resource table to the right (main editing window), check C band and the L band continuum options you want (L band, L band 16 cm, L band 22 cm, L band 23/16 cm). If you don't know which L band resource to select, study the details of each before selecting one, or simply select all.
  • From the top menu strip, select EDIT - COPY - COPY INSTRUMENT CFGS..
  • Select your newly named resource catalog (or group within it).
  • From the top menu strip, select EDIT - PASTE - PASTE INSTRUMENT CFGS.. The resources now show up on the right hand side
  • This can also be achieved by copy/paste of entire groups and/or entire catalogs using the top menu strip options or the menu icons at the top of the (left hand side) resource catalog column. Use the fly-over tool-tip help to identify the proper icon for each action.
  • Maybe you want to check the resource properties using the Show/Edit icon for each catalog entry, especially if you copied one of the L band resources as you would probably want to check the sky frequency for each. You can also reorganize your resources by adding groups (FILE - CREATE NEW - GROUP) and move your resources around using the column icon menu, or using EDIT in the top menu strip. Unwanted resources can be deleted using Cut.
  • If you are unhappy with the name of the catalog or group you can always rename it by highlighting it and then using the top menu strip: EDIT - CATALOG PROPERTIES or EDIT - GROUP PROPERTIES.
  • From the top menu strip, select FILE - SAVE ALL. This can also be done by clicking the left-most icon from the icon menu at the top of the resource catalog column. Notice that the interface feedback strip on the bottom shows Saved catalog ... in black font.
  • Check that the little yellow dot on the open book icon has gone (otherwise your catalog was not saved).

 

OPT figure 2.4

Figure 2.4: Web browser screen shot of an editable resource (top portion).

 

If you want to change some parameters, choose the relevant items in the next list. Refer to Figure 2.4. This list is the list of items in order to create your own resource from scratch:

  • Make sure you have navigated to the RCT.
  • From the top menu strip, select FILE - CREATE NEW - CATALOG or select an existing personal catalog.
  • A white dialog window shows up on the top left; name your catalog and press [ok].
  • Make sure your new catalog in the tree is highlighted (or select it). The tiny yellow dot on the open book icon indicates that there are unsaved changes in this catalog.
  • At this stage you can opt to also group your resources. This is not necessary, but convenient if you are going to have many resources. If you want to group your resources in this catalog, select FILE - CREATE NEW - GROUP, name your group and press [ok]. Next, select your group.
  • From the top menu strip, select FILE - CREATE NEW - INSTRUMENT CONFIGURATION. You will be presented with a blank-slate resource page. A filled in example is shown in Figure 2.4.
  • In the first table on top, name your resource, select an observing band and enter some descriptive information in the comments field at the bottom of the page. The latter will be useful at some stage, really.
  • For this full polarization continuum observation you typically would want to keep the correlator mode set to ".. two subbands ..". Low frequency observers who want to observe so called pseudo-continuum and do not need all polarization products may want to set up a narrow spectral line observation at a fixed sky frequency as described in the next subsection.
  • For output pairs AC and BD, enter the frequency (and unit) you require at the center of the band you wish to observe at. Frequencies without units are assumed to be in Hz. Check your frequencies! Use Sky as the frequency type (currently a must).
  • Choose a correlator integration time, in integer seconds with a minimum of 1 second, or use 5 seconds if you don't really care.
  • For this continuum observation example you typically would want to keep the subband (observing) bandwidth set to 128 MHz, i.e., the maximum of 128 MHz bandwidth per output pair. Observations close to RFI, or observations that scientifically require narrower bandwidths would have the user set a different bandwidth for each of the output pair AC and BD. To select a bandwidth different from 128 MHz, simply click the blue circle of the desired option in the selected column. During OSRO, the AC and BD subband bandwidth must be the same.
  • For this continuum observation example you typically would want to keep the frequency as a central sky frequency (tick mark in front of central sky frequency, not in front of rest frequency). The frequency range of this setting will be reported next to the field you just entered. There may be scientific arguments that would require to observe in a very narrow continuum band on a line. This line then needs to be Doppler tracked and therefore one would select rest frequency; a frequency range is dependent on the actual calculated sky frequency and thus not reported here. This option is currently disabled, see section A.3.
  • Check your resource, from top to bottom. If you create more than one resource, check each of the resource properties using the Show/Edit icon for each catalog entry. You can also reorganize your resources by adding groups (FILE - CREATE NEW - GROUP) and by moving your resources around using the column icon menu, or using EDIT in the top menu strip. Unwanted resources can be deleted using "Cut".
  • If you are unhappy with the name of the catalog or group you can always rename it using the top menu strip: EDIT - CATALOG PROPERTIES or EDIT - GROUP PROPERTIES.
  • From the top menu strip, select FILE - SAVE ALL. This can also be done by clicking the left-most icon from the icon menu at the top of the resource catalog column. Notice that the interface feedback strip on the bottom shows Saved catalog ... in black font.
  • Check that the little yellow dot on the open book icon has gone (otherwise your catalog was not saved).

Incorrect or unfinished template resources - the ones which generate red errors in the interface feedback strip - may be saved for future use. They will however not be usable when assigned to a scan in the OPT. The resource first must be fixed in the RCT after which it can be assigned to a scan in the OPT. Resources with warnings can be assigned to a scan, but the warning should be understood before continuing with OPT scheduling. This behavior also applies to sources in the SCT.

Regardless of how you create (or how NRAO fills) your (re)source catalog entries, make sure they are correct before you continue with using them in the OPT. Unlike Jobserve, the OPT does not have the "User Defaults" capability; when you have modified a resource you have to use the OPT to reassign the new resource separately to every source that needs it. Also, global edit has not yet been fully implemented. Check your catalogs before making scans!

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