EVLA Memo #142

Surveying Calibrators for the EVLA

Brigette Hesman (NRAO)

18/02/2010

Keywords: calibrators, survey, CALSUR, Ka-band

The current calibrator survey, CALSUR, ended in January 2010 upon the shutdown of the old VLA correlator.  This survey was performed at C-, X-, and K-bands during unscheduled time on the array.  It was identified from this survey the need to continue an observing program with the EVLA to regularly observe calibrators as a service to our astronomical community.  Therefore, the calibrator survey will continue at Ka-band with observations likely being performed in C- and A-array.  Alternately, another method was identified in which only calibrators around sources of accepted proposals would be surveyed at the beginning of the array configuration.  This is an excellent option provided that changes are made to the Observation Planning Tool (OPT) software to ensure quick schedule creation.