ATNF VLBI Wiki

VLBI/eVLBI operations and technical meeting, Sydney, 12-13 Feb 2013

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ACTIONS list

The ordering of this action list roughly follows the agenda of the meeting. Some actions were carried forward and modified from the previous meeting(s). A consolidated and integrated list is given here.

1. ACTION: Proposals and scheduling
   • Monitor available LBA time and over-subscription (Phil) - CONTinuing
   • Increase LBA time? (Phil) - CONT
   • Encourage more ToOs (ATNF) - CONT
   • More sessions of fewer days (e.g methanol cadence)? Produce early schedules and information. (Phil) - CONT
   • Offer Mk5 subnet recording alternative with higher-BW in call for proposals (ATNF) - CONT
     • Mk5b at Ho for higher BW (LBA)
   • Tanami Conference papers for 2012 Annual Report (Phil)
   • RadioAstron observations into LBA system (Phil)
   • Offer GRB transient monitoring on LBA subnet i.e. Ho, Ww, Ak, Mp ? (LBA)
   • VLBA time utilisation via CenA proposal?

1. ACTION: SCHED issues
   • Keep PIs informed on SCHED developments (Cormac,Phil) - CONT
   • Cal flags in SCHED? Update sources.dat file with calibrator flags (Cormac,Chris) - CONT
     • fringe-finders; phase reference sources; calibrators on long baselines; new calibrators via eVLBI
     • ATCA developments for flag support (Jamie, Chris)
     • VEX2 implementation for flags (Cormac, Chris)
     • Flags in correlators and eVLBI (Chris, Cormac)
   • Support in SCHED for new DAS - CONT
     • FS issues for dBBC via Ed Himwich (NZ)
   • Xcube in SCHED? (Chris)
   • Consult with JER re FS issues

1. ACTION: Wiki/Web
   • Continuing Wiki reorganisation/maintenance for accessibility (Chris,Cormac) - CONT
   • Automate creation of Tsys and flagging files on Wiki (Cormac,Chris)
   • Link Ho, Cd and Ww cal files to wiki (Cormac)
   • Development of Ww noise cal systems and logs (NZ, LBA)
   • Check correct ATCA DAS modes on Wiki (Chris, Cormac)
   • Calibration data instructions on Wiki (Hayden, Hayley) - CONT
   • Wiki “web-service”?
     • LBA monitor interface (Chris, Jamie, Cormac)
     • “chat” channel for important messages during observing?
     • “Google calendar” alarms?

1. ACTION: Observing and monitoring
   • L-band feed at Ww (NZ)
   • Ww Tsys monitoring (NZ)
   • Tropospheric data for Katherine (AuScope)
   • Better LBA monitoring
     • Include LBA-live pages in recmon-like page? (Chris)
     • Use cdisko catalogs and extract file lists (Jamie)
     • Get Tid monitoring? Push to Monica? (Shinji, Chris)
     • Ww monitoring via scripts. Implement via Monica? (Stewart, Cormac)
     • Test monitoring error thresholds (Chris)
     • Recorder monitoring links in Wiki
     • Monica alarm functionality coordination.
   • Streamline fringe-checks for Mk5 (Chris)
   • Use Mk5a at Ho and Tid for higher BW
   • Investigate IVS special observations. Develop proposals. (Oleg)
   • When 2 antennas used at Tid, record in different directories (Shinji)
   • Utilise all available time at Tid (Shinji, ATNF) - CONT
   • Get Parkes calibration data (Tasso, JER, Ettore)
   • Get Tsys data on ATCA (Chris, Tasso)
   • ATCA Array phasing issues (Chris, Jamie, Tasso)
   • C-disko v2 to Tid for band flipping
   • Monitor H-maser rate at ASKAP (ATNF)

1. ACTION: eVLBI pointing for Ww (Chris, Cormac, Jamie M, NZ)

1. ACTION: Data storage and transfers
   • Review data transfer options - CONT
   • Spare Mk5 to Geraldton for Ye data transfers? (AuScope, ATNF)
   • Data deletion policy review (LBA) - CONT

1. ACTION: Correlators
   • Advance warning (in proposal) to correlator of technical requirements of observations (PIs)
   • Feedback from PIs. Add to Pi letter? (Phil, PIs)
   • Pipeline imaging (Cormac, Chris)
     • Reduction pipeline on Cave for e-VLBI (Chris, Cormac)
     • make pipeline available to PIs?
     • Pipeline reduction for cals only
       • Cal flux-vs-time and compare with ATCA.
       • 1921-293 flux vs ATCA.
   • Copy LBA data archive to ATNF (Curtin, ATNF) -CONT
     • Integrate with S2 archive (ATNF)
     • investigate RPFITS issues with Adam.
   • LBA archive online via ATOA? (Tasso) - CONT
     • Investigate RPFITS and IDIFITS issues in ATOA (ATNF)

• CAL notes on Wiki and inform PIs (LBA)
• Aim for Tsys extraction at correlator (Curtin, ATNF)

• DiFX on Pawsey computers (Cormac)
  • explore other supercomputer options

1. ACTION: Networks and e-VLBI Demos - CONT
   • Invite IVEC to networking meetings (ATNF)
   • Overseas telescopes in eVLBI? (Tasso)
     • Indian connectivity? Letter to GMRT re VLBI timing issues (Tasso)
     • Regular Asia eVLBI tests?
     • Malaysia connectivity? (ATNF)
   • Demos
     • NEXPReS BoD by June 2013 (Tasso, AARNet)
     • MWA demo in July? ASKAP demo?
     • ASKAP-KAT7 in eVLBI?
     • 10 GBps correlation (Chris, Cormac)
   • Network costs from AARNet.

1. ACTION: e-VLBI developments - CONT
   • Promote eVLBI better (All)
   • eVLBI scheduling (cf EVN of ~10sessions/year) (ATNF)
   • Advertise better e-VLBI capabilities with DiFX 2.0 (Tasso)
   • Utilise more e-VLBI test-time (ATNF)
   • Finalise VTP standard (Chris)
   • Investigate Tid e-VLBI connectivity (Tasso)

1. ACTION: VLBI/eVLBI technical developments
   • Monitor developments of DBBCs, DBEs etc (All)
     • new DAS?
     • Xcube commissioning
     • Progress in CABB wide-band system (ATNF)
   • Monitor recorder/Disk developments (all)
     • Replacement of LBA recorders/Disks?
   • Investigate Tsys logging in DBBC
   • Cal scheme for linear-circular polarisation conversion (Chris, Cormac)

1. ACTION: VLBI Science meeting in Darwin/Katherine. Mid-2013? (Tasso, Jim)

1. ACTION: Next Ops meeting venue at Perth/Pawsey (Tasso, Cormac)