VLBA Testing and Support – March 17, 2004
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VLBA Antenna and Site Electronics Performance |
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Test |
People |
Priority |
Status |
Comments |
Dates |
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Pointing Improvements |
Brisken, Walker |
Medium |
Inactive |
Pointing model, other improvements |
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S/X dichroic performance |
? |
Low |
Inactive |
Determine cause of excess spillover at medium elevations- not fixable |
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Spurious signals |
Various |
Medium |
Inactive
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Look for spurious signals, develop monitoring/testing techniques |
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90/50 performance |
? |
Low |
Inactive |
Try to improve 90/50cm performance |
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Codes in dates: R= report, C= completion, T= target for testing, etc.
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Calibration |
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Test |
People |
Priority |
Status |
Comments |
Dates |
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Flux/Polarization Calibrators |
Myers, Taylor |
High |
Ongoing |
Handoff to Operations |
C 2003 Apr. |
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Alternate EVPA calibration methods |
Zavala, Taylor |
Low |
Inactive |
Compare methods and pursue most promising |
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Compile and Post VLBA Leakage Terms |
Myers, Taylor |
Low |
Inactive
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taking contributions |
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Improve phase referencing |
Fomalont, Mioduszewski |
High |
Ongoing
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Develop algorithms, implement in AIPS |
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Service Calibration |
Sjouwerman |
Must |
Ongoing |
Pass off to operations |
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Ionoshperic Astrometric Calibration |
Brisken |
Medium |
Inactive |
Develop software in aips++ |
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Codes in dates: R= report, C= completion, T= target for testing, etc.
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SCHED/AIPS/AIPS++ |
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Test |
People |
Priority |
Status |
Comments |
Dates |
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Sched |
Walker |
High |
Ongoing |
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VLBI reduction capability |
AIPS++ |
Low |
Ongoing |
aips++ group is concentrating on EVLA reduction first |
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Multi-Freq. Synthesis |
? |
Medium |
Inactive |
Needs software effort |
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Codes in dates: R= report, C= completion, T= target for testing, etc.
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High Frequency |
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Test |
People |
Priority |
Status |
Comments |
Dates |
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3mm Pointing, calibration, |
Walker,Ruff Brisken |
High |
Ongoing |
check pointing terms calibration, etc. |
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Rotation variation parms
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Dhawan |
High |
Ongoing |
Determine rotation variation of FRM
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Holography and Subreflector improvements |
Dhawan, Revnell, Thunborg |
Must |
Ongoing |
Resurfacing Completed at PT |
C Feb. |
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Reset Panels at PT Redo Holography |
Thunborg, Dhawan et al. |
Must |
Ongoing |
Planned |
T 2004 Apr. |
Codes in dates: R= report, C= completion, T= target for testing, etc.
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Operations and System Parameters |
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Test |
People |
Priority |
Status |
Comments |
Dates |
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7mm and 3mm performance issues |
Wurnig, Dhawan |
High |
Routine |
Measure/check pointing, gain curves, FRM, etc. |
as needed |
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Real Time fringe checks |
Clark |
Low |
Inactive
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Fix problems with real time test |
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Codes in dates: R= report, C= completion, T= target for testing, etc.
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Recording System |
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Test |
People |
Priority |
Status |
Comments |
Dates |
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Mark 5 |
Haystack Durand, Romney, Brisken |
Must |
Ongoing |
Test Mark5A, Develop VLBA interface
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C 2003 Oct. |
Codes in dates: R= report, C= completion, T= target for testing, etc.
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Correlator Performance |
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Test |
People |
Priority |
Status |
Comments |
Dates |
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Pulsar Gating |
Benson |
Medium |
Inactive |
Write analyst handbook, other documentation |
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Spectral dynamic |
Romney |
Medium |
Inactive |
Test VLBA correlator in the presence of strong lines |
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Fast sync |
Romney |
Low |
Inactive |
Test/improve sync time |
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Mapping functions |
Benson |
Medium |
Inactive |
Bar. pressure |
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Mk IV |
Romney |
Low |
Inactive |
MkIV header blanking waiting on programmer |
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Codes in dates: R= report, C= completion, T= target for testing, etc
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Non-VLBA Stations |
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Test |
People |
Priority |
Status |
Comments |
Dates |
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GBT |
Romney, van Buskirk |
High |
Ongoing |
workable system but not yet smooth |
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Arecibo |
Romney |
Medium |
Ongoing |
workable system but not yet smooth |
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Globals |
? |
Low |
Inactive |
Streamline interface from EVN to VLBA, calibration transfer |
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Codes in dates: R= report, C= completion, T= target for testing, etc.
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Miscellaneous Projects |
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Test |
People |
Priority |
Status |
Comments |
Dates |
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Spacecraft localization for navigation |
Romney, Dhawan |
High |
Ongoing |
Preliminary test complete, others planned |
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Move LA |
Ulvestad |
High |
Negotiating |
Probably have to move LA by 2006 |
JU date |
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Student Grant Program |
Ulvestad, Taylor, Wrobel |
Must |
Find $$$ |
Plan and announce |
JU date |
Codes
in dates: R= report, C= completion, T= target
for testing, etc.
Items completed June 2000 onwards:
Phase referencing documentation (Wrobel) – 2000 June
Polarization labeling (Flatters) – 2000 July
CMVA Gains/calibration (Dhawan/Bower) – 2000 August
Rail Heights applied (Walker) – 2000 September
Report on Flux/Polarization Cals. – 2000 September (ongoing )
PT link project observing begins – 2000 October
Performance test of Kepler(Benson) – 2000 December
3mm Hot/Cold Load tests complete (Dhawan) – 2001 February
Phase reference positions (Fomalont) – 2001 July
AIPS simplified front end (Ulvestad) – 2001 July
Using GPS for calibration (Walker) – 2001 July
512 Mbps (Romney/Durand) - 2001 July
Rebuild of OMS (Moeser) – 2001 December
FRING/KRING testing (Mioduszewski) – 2002 April
Astrometry on new calibrators (Fomalont) – 2002 July
VLBI redution scripts (Mioduszewski) – 2002 August
Encoder Improvements (Brisken et al) – 2002 November
3mm receiver checkout (Dhawan) – 2002 November
Recorder/Formatter test procedures (Durand/Rowen) – 2002 November
Autorelease (Sjouwerman) – 2003 July
VLBA Data rate increased to 1 Mbps (Romney) – 2003 August?
Calibration Transfer for VLA (Sjouwerman) – 2003 October
Calibration Transfer for GBT (Sjouwerman) – 2003 November