Basic Information on gpscal

Task: gpscal
Purpose: Self-calibration for arrays with linear feeds
Categories: calibration, map making

        GPSCAL is a MIRIAD task to perform self-calibration of visibility data,
        where the visibility data is produced by linear feeds, and the source
        is moderately or strongly polarised. Either phase only or amplitude
        and phase calibration can be performed. The inputs to GPSCAL include a
        visibility data file, and model images. The models should be of
        differing polarisations of the same pointing and frequencies.
        GPSCAL then calculates the visibilities corresponding to the model,
        accumulates the statistics needed to determine the antennae solutions,
        and then calculates the self-cal solutions.
 
        Note that while GPSCAL can be used for self-calibrating with a point
        source model, task GPCAL is more flexible (and efficient) at doing
        this. For a point source model, GPSCAL is preferable only if the
        data-set is not in time order (GPCAL insists that it is) or the point
        source is not at the observing center.

Key: vis
        Name of input visibility data file. No default.

Key: select
        Standard uv data selection criteria. The default is all data.

Key: model
        Name of the input models. Several models can be given, which differ
        in polarisation type. Polarisation types can be I,Q,U or V. Any
        polarisation types that are not given are assumed to be zero.
        The different models should correspond to the same pointing
        and range of channels. Generally the model should be derived (by
        mapping and deconvolution) from the input visibility file, so that
        the channels in the model correspond to channels in the visibility
        file. Though the maps can be made using any linetype, generally
        "channel" linetype will give best results (??). The units of the
        model MUST be JY/PIXEL, rather than JY/BEAM. It should be weighted
        by the primary beam. The task DEMOS can be used to extract primary
        beam weighted models from a mosaiced image. If no models are given,
        a point source model is assumed (see FLUX keyword).

Key: clip
        Clip level. For models of intensity, any pixels below the clip level
        are set to zero. For models of Stokes Q,U,V, or MFS I*alpha models,
        any pixels whose absolute value is below the clip level are set
        to zero. Default is 0.

Key: flux
        If no model is given, then a point source model is assumed. This
        keyword gives the flux of the point source model. Four values can be
        given, corresponding to I,Q,U and V respectively. NOTE: The flux
        of the model is not adjusted to match the flux of the data, so if
        amplitude selfcalibration is being performed, the fluxes given should
        accurately portray the fluxes of the source. The default is 1,0,0,0.

Key: spec
        The reference frequency (GHz), spectral index and up to two
        higher order terms. The spectral index terms default to zero.

Key: offset
        This gives the offset in arcseconds of a point source model (the
        offset is positive to the north and to the east). This parameter is
        used if the MODEL parameter is blank. The default is 0,0. The
        amplitude of the point source is chosen so that flux in the model
        is the same as the visibility flux.

Key: interval
        The length of time, in minutes, of a gain solution. Default is 5,
        but use a larger value in cases of poor signal to noise, or
        if the atmosphere and instrument is fairly stable.

Key: options
        This gives several processing options. Possible values are:
          amplitude  Perform amplitude and phase self-cal.
          phase      Perform phase only self-cal.
          noxy       Do not attempt to solve for the XY phase difference.
                     Normally GPSCAL attempts to solve for the XY phase
                     on all antennae except for the reference antenna.
                     The XY phase difference is assumed to be constant
                     throughout the observation.
          xyvary     Allow the XY phase difference to vary from integration
                     to integration. If not specified, the XY phase is
                     constrained to be constant throughout the data-set.
          xyref      Solve for the XY phase of the reference antenna. To
                     do this, the source should be strongly polarized (at
                     least 5%) and Q or U models should be provided. This
                     option cannot be used with ``noxy''.
          mfs        This is used if there is a single plane in the input
                     model, which is assumed to represent the image at all
                     frequencies. This should also be used if the model has
                     been derived from MFCLEAN. You should specify the
                     LINE keyword if you use the mfs option.
          noscale    Do not scale the gains. By default the gains are scaled
                     so that the rms gain amplitude is 1. Generally this
                     should be used if the model is believed to have the
                     correct flux density scale.
        Note that "amplitude" and "phase" are mutually exclusive.
        The default is options=phase.

Key: minants
        Data at a given solution interval is deleted  if there are fewer than
        MinAnts antennae operative during the solution interval. The default
        is 3 for options=phase and 4 for options=amplitude.

Key: refant
        This sets the reference antenna, which is given a phase angle of zero.
        The default is antenna 3.

Key: line
        The visibility linetype to use, in the standard form, viz:
          type,nchan,start,width,step
        Generally if there is an input model, this parameter defaults to the
        linetype parameters used to construct the map. If you wish to override
        this, or if the info is not in the header, or if you are using
        a point source model, this parameter can be useful.