COVER LETTER: BW067A SUMMARY: This project needs about 100 hours times 45 baselines to meet the sensitivity requirements. This time can be accumulated in many separated sessions. One session should be a full track with all antennas to set the calibration and ensure full uv coverage. The other sessions can involve as little as 2 hours and as few as 6 antennas. The sessions can be run as filler in gaps between other projects. The observing frequency is 327 MHz. Tropospheric weather is not an issue - any conditions are ok. The ionosphere is a potential serious problem. For the next several months, 3C120 is a daytime object. We wish to start with a short test to see if this is a sufficiently serious problem to warrent postponing the start of the main observational sequence. The first session of 2 hours (BW067A) revealed that neither 3C120 nor 3C84 are strongly detected to MK, and to some extent, HN and SC. It was tricky getting delays etc for those sources. -------------------------------------------------------------------- For the second session, please observe for 2 to 4 hours with 6 or more antennas INCLUDING MK. That can be any 2-4 hours schedule. Then allow us to reduce the data to check to check the calibration sources. This is much like session A, except that we are trying different calibrators. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Here is the official dynamic scheduling sheet: ================================================================ Preferred Dynamic Contraints. Alter [defaults] as desired. ================================================================ Equipment constraints: Stations. Below each station code, the "o" indicates an [optional] station that is to be used if it is available. Change "o" to "r" if the station is required or change "o" to "n" if the station is not to be used. SC HN NL FD LA PT KP OV BR MK o o o o o o o o o r Minimum number of stations [6]: May we swap PT for a single VLA antenna? [yes] Consult http://www.aoc.nrao.edu/~gtaylor/y1gotcha.html to decide. If you adopt the default, then both PT and VLA1 must be in the stations list in the keyin file. Bands and polarizations. Below each band code, insert "R" if the righthand polarization is to be used, "L" if the lefthand polarization is to be used, "d" if dual polarizations are to be used, or "o" if the band is in your setups but scheduling should not be constrained by its availability. 90cm 50cm 20cm 13cm 6cm 4cm 2cm 1cm 7mm 3mm d Weather constraints: [appropriate for bands marked "L", "R", or "d" above and for at least the minimum number of stations] Date constraints: Preferred date(s), usually a series start [none]: Excluded dates plus reason [none]: Preferred interval between segments in days [none]: Special conditions (e.g., a series with different spacings in time) [See the comments at the top.]: BEGIN = PROJECT_INFO PROJECT_CODE = bw067b TITLE = Image 3C120 at 90cm - calibrator test PI_NAME = Craig Walker PI_ADDRESS = National Radio Astronomy Observatory PI_ADDRESS = P. O. Box O PI_ADDRESS = Socorro, New Mexico, 87801 PI_ADDRESS = U.S.A. PI_PHONE = 505 835 7247 PI_OBS_PHONE = 505 835 7247 PI_EMAIL = cwalker@nrao.edu PI_FAX = 505 835 7027 START = 2003-214/12:59:37 STOP = 2003-214/16:51:14 CORRELATOR = SOCORRO END = PROJECT_INFO BEGIN = STATION_SETUP STATION = VLBA RECORD_SCANS = 22 RECORD_HOURS = 3.32 FE = omit 90cm omit 90cm NUM_CHANNELS = 4 FORMAT = VLBA1:4 SPEEDUP = 2.00 IF = B D B D BBC_SB = U U U U END = STATION_SETUP BEGIN = STATION_SETUP STATION = Y RECORD_SCANS = 22 RECORD_HOURS = 3.32 FE = NUM_CHANNELS = 4 FORMAT = VLBA1:4 SPEEDUP = 2.00 IF = A C A C BBC_SB = U U U U END = STATION_SETUP BEGIN = STATION_INFO STATION_ID = SC STATION_NAME = VLBA_SC AUTO_ALLOCATE = ON AUTO_REVERSE = ON TAPES = 1 PASSES = 5 START = 2003-214/12:59:37 STOP = 2003-214/16:51:14 END = STATION_INFO BEGIN = STATION_INFO STATION_ID = HN STATION_NAME = VLBA_HN AUTO_ALLOCATE = ON AUTO_REVERSE = ON TAPES = 1 PASSES = 5 START = 2003-214/12:59:37 STOP = 2003-214/16:51:14 END = STATION_INFO BEGIN = STATION_INFO STATION_ID = NL STATION_NAME = VLBA_NL AUTO_ALLOCATE = ON AUTO_REVERSE = ON TAPES = 1 PASSES = 5 START = 2003-214/12:59:37 STOP = 2003-214/16:51:14 END = STATION_INFO BEGIN = STATION_INFO STATION_ID = FD STATION_NAME = VLBA_FD AUTO_ALLOCATE = ON AUTO_REVERSE = ON TAPES = 1 PASSES = 5 START = 2003-214/12:59:37 STOP = 2003-214/16:51:14 END = STATION_INFO BEGIN = STATION_INFO STATION_ID = LA STATION_NAME = VLBA_LA AUTO_ALLOCATE = ON AUTO_REVERSE = ON TAPES = 1 PASSES = 5 START = 2003-214/12:59:37 STOP = 2003-214/16:51:14 END = STATION_INFO BEGIN = STATION_INFO STATION_ID = PT STATION_NAME = VLBA_PT AUTO_ALLOCATE = ON AUTO_REVERSE = ON TAPES = 1 PASSES = 5 START = 2003-214/12:59:37 STOP = 2003-214/16:51:14 END = STATION_INFO BEGIN = STATION_INFO STATION_ID = KP STATION_NAME = VLBA_KP AUTO_ALLOCATE = ON AUTO_REVERSE = ON TAPES = 1 PASSES = 5 START = 2003-214/12:59:37 STOP = 2003-214/16:51:14 END = STATION_INFO BEGIN = STATION_INFO STATION_ID = OV STATION_NAME = VLBA_OV AUTO_ALLOCATE = ON AUTO_REVERSE = ON TAPES = 1 PASSES = 5 START = 2003-214/12:59:37 STOP = 2003-214/16:51:14 END = STATION_INFO BEGIN = STATION_INFO STATION_ID = BR STATION_NAME = VLBA_BR AUTO_ALLOCATE = ON AUTO_REVERSE = ON TAPES = 1 PASSES = 5 START = 2003-214/12:59:37 STOP = 2003-214/16:51:14 END = STATION_INFO BEGIN = STATION_INFO STATION_ID = MK STATION_NAME = VLBA_MK AUTO_ALLOCATE = ON AUTO_REVERSE = ON TAPES = 1 PASSES = 5 START = 2003-214/13:07:14 STOP = 2003-214/16:51:14 END = STATION_INFO BEGIN = STATION_INFO STATION_ID = Y STATION_NAME = VLA1 AUTO_ALLOCATE = ON AUTO_REVERSE = ON TAPES = 1 PASSES = 5 START = 2003-214/12:59:37 STOP = 2003-214/16:51:14 END = STATION_INFO BEGIN = SOURCE_INFO SOURCE_NAME = J0423-0120 SOURCE_RA = 04h23m15.800727s SOURCE_DEC = -01d20'33.06531" END = SOURCE_INFO BEGIN = SOURCE_INFO SOURCE_NAME = J0431+2037 SOURCE_RA = 04h31m03.755600s SOURCE_DEC = 20d37'34.25300" END = SOURCE_INFO BEGIN = SOURCE_INFO SOURCE_NAME = 3C120 SOURCE_RA = 04h33m11.095535s SOURCE_DEC = 05d21'15.61942" END = SOURCE_INFO BEGIN = SOURCE_INFO SOURCE_NAME = J0459+0229 SOURCE_RA = 04h59m52.050663s SOURCE_DEC = 02d29'31.17631" END = SOURCE_INFO BEGIN = SOURCE_INFO SOURCE_NAME = J0503+0203 SOURCE_RA = 05h03m21.197178s SOURCE_DEC = 02d03'04.67638" END = SOURCE_INFO BEGIN = SOURCE_INFO SOURCE_NAME = 3C147 SOURCE_RA = 05h42m36.137917s SOURCE_DEC = 49d51'07.23356" END = SOURCE_INFO BEGIN = CORRELATOR_PARAMETERS POLARIZATION = YES TIME_AVERAGE = 1.050 FFT_SIZE = 256 SPECTRAL_AVERAGE = 2 WINDOW = UNIFORM OUTPUT_TAPE = DAT SHIPPING = Craig Walker SHIPPING = P. O. Box O SHIPPING = Socorro NM 87801 DATA_OUTPUT_RATE = 514.93 DATA_SET_SIZE = 3055.4 SOURCE_POS_ORIGIN = STANDARD END = CORRELATOR_PARAMETERS