ESO, 17 April 2007ESAC meeting1 ALMA offline User Test 5 Silvia Leurini, ESO

ESO, 17 April 2007ESAC meeting2 Test definition March 2007 at NRAO. Evaluation of Common Astronomy Software Application on 1) single dish calibration and imaging; and 2) synthesis. 9 testers selected by their ARCs and Integrated Product Team to represent the ALMA project (Japan (Masathoshi Ohishi, Shige Takakuwa), Europe (Robert Lucas, Silvia Leurini, Alessandra Rossetti), Chile (Paulo Cortes), North America (Chris Carilli, Tony Remijan, Lewis Knee). CASA was pre-installed on the pcs. One hour at least was given every day for group discussion/suggestions.

ESO, 17 April 2007ESAC meeting3 Single dish First scientific test of single dish data reduction within CASA. Most of the functionalities already exist. The tool-based interface was considered difficult to use. Several visualization/analysis functionalities are missing (fit of multiple Gaussian components..) The testers agreed that the SD data reduction and analysis package should be given second priority, and not be included in the beta release.

ESO, 17 April 2007ESAC meeting4 Synthesis regression testing The CASA software was tested in April 2006 for single baseline reduction and analysis. Since then, most capabilities of AIPS++ have been imported into CASA. Aim of the test was verifying that all the functionality had been preserved in the conversion AIPS++  CASA. Testers were supposed to: work on VLA, BIMA, PdBI data provided by the CASA team (single field, mosaic, line, continuum, zero spacing SD data); run regression scripts to verify that CASA works and produces scientifically valid results; work outside the regression scripts; try different data reduction procedures, and verify whether the software provides adequate analysing tools or not. Some testers reduced/imaged their own data (VLA,BIMA, DRAO).

ESO, 17 April 2007ESAC meeting5 Test Results (Synthesis) PROs: Regression scripts worked well, and produced results comparable with the published ones. CASA is relatively easy to use. Most tools of AIPS++ have been replaced by tasks (similar to MIRIAD), which make easy to learn and use it. In this test, CASA was found to be of comparable speed to other packages (faster or as fast as AIPS++ and GILDAS, but still slower than MIRIAD).

ESO, 17 April 2007ESAC meeting6 Test Results (Synthesis) CONs: The functionality for data reduction is still not complete, especially for data visualization and analysis (especially for line data). The viewer is nice, but limiting in several aspects.

ESO, 17 April 2007ESAC meeting7 Example of the viewer: CH 3 OH in IRAS

ESO, 17 April 2007ESAC meeting8 Test Results (Synthesis) CONs: CASA is easy to navigate, but error messages are sometimes obscure. Not all tools have been converted into tasks yet. Some tasks did not work properly in all their functionalities. Global parameters versus local parameters. The general level and organization of the cookbook is generally ok, but more introductory material should be included

ESO, 17 April 2007ESAC meeting9 Recommendation for beta release The CASA team should focus on making the software more stable. CASA should be easy to install. Not all data format can be processed with CASA yet. For the beta release, CASA should read at least all standard uvfits format; it should process AT LEAST VLA and PdBI data. MIRIAD and GILDAS do not produce standard uvfits and header information is missing. Robert Lucas is working on a ASDM (ALMA science data model) writer in GILDAS More solid documentation; better error messages.

ESO, 17 April 2007ESAC meeting10 Impression on the test CASA has been tested on relatively small datasets (limited number of baselines, limited number of channels). How would CASA react to, e.g., SMA spectral data? Is it really useful to test several datasets which one does not know? CASA should be tested by more testers, with different experience.

ESO, 17 April 2007ESAC meeting11 The next months The testers will go on working with CASA with their own data (VLA and PdBI(?)) at their home institutes (CASA release to the testers expected this week). July 9(?): ESO testing. Sep 15: final decision on what functionality details will be in the beta release. Sept 30: tentative CASA beta release date

ESO, 17 April 2007ESAC meeting12 Tentative plan on what will go into the CASA beta release Data that will be supported:  VLA >1.3 GHz (except L band A-config)  UVFITS (other telescopes if little additional tinkering required)  ASDM (Mainly PdBI?) Modes that will be supported:  Basic single field interferometry  Basic mosaics