CSIRO Australia Telescope National Facility
ATCA Users Guide
Preface
About this Guide
Conventions
(1) The Australia Telescope Compact Array
/1./The Australia Telescope Compact Array
/1.1/The Australia Telescope National Facility
/1.2/Overview of the ATCA
/1.3/Planning a proposal
/1.4/Centimetre Observations (20–3 cm bands)
/1.5/Millimetre-wave observations (12mm–3mm)
/1.6/Choosing an Observing Frequency
/1.7/Choosing Angular and Frequency Resolution
/1.8/Additional Observing Notes and Techniques
/1.9/High Time Resolution, Pulsars, Planets and VLBI
/1.10/Other Things to Consider
/1.11/Submitting a proposal
/1.12/Successful Proposals
(2) Preparing for Observations
/2./Preparing for Observations
/2.1/How to Prepare a Schedule File
/2.2/How to Prepare a Mosaic File
/2.3/Scheduling Strategy
/2.4/Observation Requirements
/2.5/Pre-observation Checklist
(3) Observing
/3./Observing
/3.1/Continuum Observations
/3.2/Zoom Modes
/3.3/Monitoring and Trouble Shooting
/3.4/cm Observing Startup Checklist
/3.5/mm Observing Startup Checklist
(4) After your Observations
/4./After your Observations
/4.1/Archiving Your Data
/4.2/Report Your Experiences
/4.3/Data Analysis
/4.4/Publishing Results
 A. Technical Reference
B. caobs
C. cacor
D. spd
E. vis
F. People to Contact
Index
[Printable Guide] [Printable Chapter]

1.3 Planning a proposal

In general, at least one member of the observing team should be present at Narrabri. Overseas observers, or others who find it difficult to travel to Narrabri may need to find a local collaborator. The ‘friend’ implied by the ‘Help required?’ question on the application form is usually at Epping and will assist in setting up the schedule file and in the initial analysis of the data. A duty astronomer http://www.narrabri.atnf.csiro.au/observing/support/da_support.html is provided at Narrabri who, in addition to helping with schedules and initial analysis, will help in the initial setting up of the telescope and with any problems which arise in the course of the observations. The duty astronomer has no obligation to participate in the observing.

Remote observing is available for experienced Compact Array observers. To apply to make an observation remotely, use the form at http://www.narrabri.atnf.csiro.au/observing/remote_form.html or email rem_obs@atnf.csiro.au at least two weeks before the observations, providing dates and times. Remote observers must have their own UNIX account at Epping and Narrabri. See http://www.narrabri.atnf.csiro.au/observing/remote_conditions.html for remote observing conditions and http://www.narrabri.atnf.csiro.au/observing/rem_obs.html for details on how to conduct observations remotely.

Target of Opportunity (ToO) requests for observations of extremely important transient or non-predicted events can be made at any time, see http://www.atnf.csiro.au/observers/apply/too_apply.html for details.

Observations are controlled automatically with an observing schedule. This observing schedule should be prepared beforehand using the command-line or web-based version of ATCASCHED http://www.narrabri.atnf.csiro.au/observing/sched During observations the observer can intervene and repeat or skip parts of the schedule. You can ask the control computer to cycle repeatedly through a schedule.

Continuous on-line monitoring of the visibility data is provided during observations; you have the choice of viewing the instantaneous correlation function or its transform, or of viewing time plots of a number of quantities including phase, amplitude, and delay.