COVER INFORMATION Station: VLBA_MK (Code Mk ) Experiment: Image 3C120 at 90cm - calibrator test Exp. Code: bw067b Schedule Version: 1.00 Processed by SCHED version: Release of 02 July 2002 PI: Craig Walker Address: National Radio Astronomy Observatory P. O. Box O Socorro, New Mexico, 87801 U.S.A. Phone: 505 835 7247 EMAIL: cwalker@nrao.edu Fax: 505 835 7027 Phone during observation: 505 835 7247 Observing mode: 6cm 128-4-2 Notes: 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.]: Schedule for VLBA_MK (Code Mk ) Page 2 Image 3C120 at 90cm - calibrator test UP: D => Below limits; H => Below horizon mask. blank => Up. Early: Seconds between end of slew and start. Dwell: On source seconds. Tapes: Drive, Index, Start footage / Direction, Head Group, End footage. TPStart: Tape motion start time. Frequencies are LO sum (band edge). Automatic tape allocation specified. Tape positions are just estimates. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Start UT Source Start / Stop Early Tapes TPStart Stop UT LST EL AZ HA UP ParA Dwell (see above) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- --- Sat 2 Aug 2003 Day 214 --- Next scan frequencies: 324.49 324.49 332.49 332.49 Next BBC frequencies: 824.49 824.49 832.49 832.49 Next scan bandwidths: 8.00 8.00 8.00 8.00 13 07 14 3C120 23 28 17 14.7 89.5 -5.1 -70.9 0 1 1 0 13 06 54 13 27 10 --- 23 48 17 19.4 91.2 -4.8 -70.9 1197 F 1 8111 13 33 03 J0459+0229 23 54 11 13.6 92.3 -5.1 -70.2 335 1 1 8111 13 32 43 13 38 03 =0457+024 23 59 11 14.8 92.7 -5.0 -70.2 299 F 1 10239 13 38 41 J0423-0120 23 59 49 22.1 100.0 -4.4 -68.0 18 1 1 10239 13 38 03 13 43 40 =0420-014 00 04 49 23.3 100.5 -4.3 -67.7 299 F 1 12490 13 44 48 J0431+2037 00 05 57 28.2 76.6 -4.4 -78.0 46 1 1 12490 13 44 28 13 49 47 =0428+205 00 10 57 29.4 76.9 -4.3 -78.3 299 F 1 14618 13 50 40 3C120 00 11 51 25.0 93.3 -4.4 -70.6 36 1 2 14618 13 50 20 14 10 37 --- 00 31 51 29.6 95.2 -4.0 -70.2 1197 R 1 12471 14 13 38 3C147 00 34 52 23.3 43.2 -5.1 -86.5 140 1 2 12471 14 13 18 14 18 37 --- 00 39 52 24.1 43.2 -5.0 -87.4 299 R 1 10343 14 21 47 3C120 00 43 02 32.3 96.3 -3.8 -69.9 148 1 2 10343 14 21 27 14 41 43 --- 01 03 02 36.9 98.4 -3.5 -69.2 1197 R 1 2232 14 42 17 J0503+0203 01 03 36 28.9 98.9 -4.0 -68.5 11 1 2 2232 14 41 43 14 47 16 =0500+019 01 08 36 30.0 99.4 -3.9 -68.2 299 R 1 14 14 47 33 J0459+0229 01 08 53 31.1 99.4 -3.9 -68.3 9 1 3 14 14 47 16 14 52 32 =0457+024 01 13 53 32.2 99.9 -3.8 -68.1 299 F 1 2123 14 53 13 J0423-0120 01 14 34 39.1 109.0 -3.1 -62.9 21 1 3 2123 14 52 53 14 58 13 =0420-014 01 19 34 40.2 109.7 -3.1 -62.4 299 F 1 4250 14 59 34 J0431+2037 01 20 55 45.5 80.3 -3.2 -82.3 55 1 3 4250 14 59 14 15 04 33 =0428+205 01 25 55 46.7 80.6 -3.1 -82.6 299 F 1 6378 15 05 33 3C120 01 26 56 42.5 101.2 -3.1 -68.0 41 1 3 6378 15 05 13 15 25 30 --- 01 46 56 47.1 104.0 -2.8 -66.5 1197 F 1 14490 15 30 01 3C147 01 51 28 35.6 42.2 -3.9 -101.7 224 1 3 14490 15 29 41 15 35 00 --- 01 56 28 36.4 41.9 -3.8 -102.7 299 F 1 16618 Schedule for VLBA_MK (Code Mk ) Page 3 Image 3C120 at 90cm - calibrator test UP: D => Below limits; H => Below horizon mask. blank => Up. Early: Seconds between end of slew and start. Dwell: On source seconds. Tapes: Drive, Index, Start footage / Direction, Head Group, End footage. TPStart: Tape motion start time. Frequencies are LO sum (band edge). Automatic tape allocation specified. Tape positions are just estimates. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Start UT Source Start / Stop Early Tapes TPStart Stop UT LST EL AZ HA UP ParA Dwell (see above) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- --- Sat 2 Aug 2003 Day 214 --- 15 39 46 3C120 02 01 14 50.3 106.2 -2.5 -65.2 236 1 4 16618 15 39 26 15 59 42 --- 02 21 14 54.8 109.7 -2.2 -62.8 1197 R 1 10471 16 00 20 J0503+0203 02 21 52 46.7 109.1 -2.7 -62.8 15 1 4 10471 15 59 42 16 05 19 =0500+019 02 26 52 47.8 109.9 -2.6 -62.3 299 R 1 8226 16 05 37 J0459+0229 02 27 10 48.9 110.0 -2.5 -62.3 10 1 4 8226 16 05 19 16 10 36 =0457+024 02 32 10 50.0 110.9 -2.5 -61.6 299 R 1 6113 16 11 12 J0423-0120 02 32 46 55.6 124.7 -1.8 -50.7 19 1 4 6113 16 10 36 16 16 11 =0420-014 02 37 46 56.6 126.2 -1.8 -49.4 299 R 1 3878 16 17 22 J0431+2037 02 38 57 63.7 83.3 -1.9 -86.8 36 1 4 3878 16 17 02 16 22 22 =0428+205 02 43 57 64.8 83.4 -1.8 -87.1 299 R 1 1750 16 23 11 3C120 02 44 47 59.9 115.0 -1.8 -58.9 23 1 5 1750 16 22 51 16 43 08 --- 03 04 47 64.1 120.9 -1.5 -54.2 1197 F 1 6361 16 46 15 3C147 03 07 54 47.1 36.3 -2.6 -120.2 124 1 5 6361 16 45 55 16 51 14 --- 03 12 54 47.8 35.7 -2.5 -121.6 299 F 1 8489 SETUP FILE INFORMATION: NOTE: If DOPPLER, FREQ, or BW were used, see the individual scans for the final BBC settings. Setup file: bw051.set Matches group v5090n in /home/filehost/cwalker/sched/catalogs/freq.dat Setup group: 1 Station: VLBA Total bit rate: 128 Format: VLBA1:4 Bits per sample: 2 Sample rate: 16.000 Number of channels: 4 Passes/head pos: 1 Speedup factor: 2.00 Tape speeds: Low density - 133.330 ips, High density - 80.00 ips Time per pass for 17600 ft, High density tapes is: 00:44:00 1st LO= -500.00 -500.00 -500.00 -500.00 Net SB= U U U U Pol. = RCP LCP RCP LCP BBC = 1 2 3 4 BBC SB= U U U U IF = B D B D VLBA FE= omit 90cm omit 90cm VLBA Synth= 15.4 15.4 15.4 The following frequency sets based on this setup were used. Frequency Set: 1 Setup file default. Used pcal sets: 1 LO sum= 324.49 324.49 332.49 332.49 BBC fr= 824.49 824.49 832.49 832.49 Bandwd= 8.000 8.000 8.000 8.000 The following pulse cal sets were used with this setup: Pulse cal detection set: 1 PCAL = 1MHZ PCALXB1= S1 S3 S1 S3 S1 S2 S3 S4 PCALXB2= S2 S4 S2 S4 M1 M2 M3 M4 PCALFR1= 510 510 6510 6510 0 0 0 0 PCALFR2= 510 510 6510 6510 0 0 0 0 Track assignments are: track1= 2, 18, 3, 19 barrel=roll_auto SOURCE LIST -- Image 3C120 at 90cm - calibrator test Catalog positions marked with *. Precession of date coordinates is based on stop time of first scan. Names used in schedule marked with *. Short names used in VLA and SNAP files marked with +. Observation date used in B1950/J2000 coordinate conversion (PRECDATE): 1979.900 No adjustments are made for rates (DRA, DDEC). Source Source position (RA/Dec) (B1950) (J2000) (Date) * J0423-0120 04 20 43.539850 * 04 23 15.800727 04 23 25.332364 0420-014 -01 27 28.70002 *-01 20 33.06531 -01 19 55.38684 J0423-01 /home/filehost/cwalker/sched/catalogs/sources.vlba ICRF - Ext.1 Source - 1998 IERS Annual Report * J0431+2037 04 28 06.860997 * 04 31 03.755600 04 31 14.796086 0428+205 20 31 09.13027 * 20 37 34.25300 20 38 03.21541 J0431+20 /home/filehost/cwalker/sched/catalogs/sources.vlba VLA Calibrator Source List J0433+0521 04 30 31.602066 * 04 33 11.095535 04 33 21.042247 0430+052 05 14 59.61664 * 05 21 15.61942 05 21 48.72940 * 3C120 /home/filehost/cwalker/sched/catalogs/sources.vlba J0433+05 ICRF - Ext.1 Source - 1998 IERS Annual Report * J0459+0229 04 57 15.543484 * 04 59 52.050663 05 00 01.681291 0457+024 02 25 05.71848 * 02 29 31.17631 02 29 58.02112 J0459+02 /home/filehost/cwalker/sched/catalogs/sources.vlba ICRF - Ext.1 Source - 1998 IERS Annual Report * J0503+0203 05 00 45.174887 * 05 03 21.197178 05 03 30.780723 0500+019 01 58 53.96205 * 02 03 04.67638 02 03 30.68689 J0503+02 /home/filehost/cwalker/sched/catalogs/sources.vlba ICRF - Ext.1 Source - 1998 IERS Annual Report J0542+4951 05 38 43.517539 * 05 42 36.137917 05 42 50.102437 0538+498 49 49 42.83693 * 49 51 07.23356 49 51 10.80482 * 3C147 /home/filehost/cwalker/sched/catalogs/sources.vlba J0542+49 ICRF - Ext.1 Source - 1998 IERS Annual Report The solar corona can cause unstable phases for sources too close to the Sun. SCHED provides warnings at individual scans for distances less than 10 degrees. The distance from the Sun to each source in this schedule is: Source Sun distance (deg) J0423-0120 68.1 J0431+2037 60.6 3C120 63.7 J0459+0229 58.2 J0503+0203 57.6 3C147 49.1 Barry Clark estimates from predictions by Ketan Desai of IPM scattering sizes that the Sun will cause amplitude reductions on the longest VLBA baselines at a solar distance of 60deg F^(-0.6) where F is in GHz. For common VLBI bands, this is: 327 MHz 117. deg 610 MHz 81. deg 1.6 GHz 45. deg 2.3 GHz 36. deg 5.0 GHz 23. deg 8.4 GHz 17. deg 15.0 GHz 12. deg 22.0 GHz 9. deg 43.0 GHz 6. deg