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Australia Telescope Compact Array
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Data Quality Observations
The Australia Telescope Compact Array used to perform a test observation
after each re-configuration.
These observations were discontinued after a few years, when analysis showed that very few new problems were picked up by these observations.
Three fields were observed:
a strong calibrator at the field centre (generally 1934-638 or 0823-500),
a field offset from the calibrator and a nominally blank field.
Observations were done at the four ATCA observing bands. The
total observing time is about 12 hours.
The observations were intended to check that there
are no gross problems with the array and to monitor the long-term
quality of the data produced by the array. A 12 hour observation of simple
sources also allows a better understanding of the array performance
to be developed. A final
goal is form a deep image of the blank fields from the accumulated observations.
Statistics are gathered on closure phase of the calibrators, dynamic
range of the images, and fraction of data flagged. The reduction of these
data quality observations is automated.
Summaries of observations
Summaries of the data quality observations on the following dates
are available:
- 22 August, 1995 (6D)
- 21 September, 1995 (750D)
- 5 October, 1995 (750C)
- 17 October, 1995 (1.5D)
- 1 November, 1995 (6A)
- 4 December, 1995 (6C)
- 3 January, 1996 (750C)
- 22 January, 1996 (no observation - 750B)
- 12th February, 1996 (1.5C)
- 29th February, 1996 (1.5B)
- 4th March, 1996 (122)
- 12th March, 1996 (6A)
- 12th April, 1996 (no observation - 375)
- 29th April, 1996 (1.5D)
- 14th May, 1996 (750D)
- 6th June, 1996 (6D)
- 13th June, 1996 (6C)
- 19th August, 1996 (not yet reduced - 122B)
- 30th August, 1996 (not yet reduced - 6B)
- 18th September, 1996 (not yet reduced - 375)
- 3rd October, 1996 (not yet reduced - 6A)
- 15th October, 1996 (1.5A)
- 30th October, 1996 (750A)
- 28th November, 1996 (.375)
- 10th December, 1996 (no observation - 6D)
- 19th December, 1996 (.210)
- 2nd January, 1997 (750D)
Additional information
Original: Bob Sault (27-Oct-1995)
Modified: Mark Wieringa (01-Apr-1998)