AIPS
AIPS, NRAO's Astronomical Image Processing System, is a set of programs for the analysis of continuum and line observations, and is widely used with VLBA and VLBI data. These programs are available for a wide range of computer operating systems, including various flavors of Linux and the Mac-OS/X operating system. Extensive online internal documentation can be accessed within AIPS. An entire chapter in the AIPS Cookbook (NRAO staff, 2007) provides useful "how-to" guidance those reducing VLBI data, including discussion of VLBA calibration transfer, space VLBI, polarimetry, and phase referencing. Appendix C of the AIPS Cookbook provides a step-by-step guide to calibrating many types of VLBA data sets in AIPS, employing simple VLBA utilities, including calibration modifications for VLBA+VLA datasets.
A new ''frozen" version of AIPS is produced each year, and a newer version is updated and made available throughout the calendar year. Observers are encouraged to use a very recent version of AIPS, in order to keep up with ongoing developments in VLBA instrumentation.
AIPS home page: http://aips.nrao.edu.
