National Radio Astronomy Observatory Memo -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Updated: 21 May 1992 To : VLBA users From : J.M. Wrobel Subject: Your recent VLBA project 1. WHERE ARE YOUR VLBA OBSERVING LOGS, CALIBRATION FILES, AND TAPE LOGS? Machine readable copies of VLBA observing logs, calibration files, and tape logs are (or soon will be) on UVAX1 at the Array Operations Center (AOC) in Socorro. These files will be in directory [nug.mmmyy] for Network projects and in directory [nug.vlba.mmmyy] for non-Network projects. 'mmmyy' is a code for the month and year of your observations (e.g., jan92). VLBA observing logs contain operator entered comments, and are called 'bbblog.vlba', where 'bbb' is your Network or VLBA project code (e.g., bw1a). Calibration files contain system temperatures, weather station data, and flagging data for all available VLBA antennas, and are called 'bbbcal.vlba', where 'bbb' is as above. VLBA tape logs contain lists of the VLBI tapes used for projects, and are called 'bbbtap.vlba', where 'bbb' is as above. VLBA operations will e-mail your observing logs, calibration files, and tape logs to the processor indicated on your project cover sheet. VLBA observing logs will be e-mailed to PIs whose addresses are known to VLBA operations. If you want your observing log but do not receive it via e-mail and are not able to gather it from UVAX1 (see item 3), then contact VLBA operations with either an e-mail address (Internet is preferred) or a request that a paper copy be sent. Communicate with VLBA operations by telephone at 505-835-7250 or 7251; or by e-mail to NRAO user VLBAOPS. The following list gives the appropriate e-mail addresses for user VLBAOPS in various mail systems: Internet vlbaops@nrao.edu Bitnet use Internet address SPAN east::"vlbaops@nrao.edu" SPAN (alternate) 6913::"vlbaops@nrao.edu" Calibration files are often very large, and in the past some PIs have complained when these were automatically e-mailed to them. Thus if you want your calibration file and are not able to gather it from UVAX1 (see item 3), then contact VLBA operations with a request that an e-mailed or a paper-mailed version be sent to you. The contents of the [nug.mmmyy] and [nug.vlba.mmmyy] areas will be backed up and removed from disk after one year has elapsed. 2. IF THE VLA WAS ALSO INVOLVED IN YOUR VLBI PROJECT... A VLA observing log, including VLBI tape information, will be sent to you by VLA operations. This will be done by e-mail if possible, and by paper mail otherwise. If e-mailing is possible, machine-readable copies will also be sent to the NUG account for archive purposes and to the processor indicated on your project cover sheet. A VLA calibration file called 'bbbcal.y' will appear in the same UVAX1 subdirectory you find your VLBA calibration files. An explanatory memo will be appended to the end of your VLA calibration file. I will assume that PIs will gather their VLA calibration files from UVAX1 (see item 3). However, a PI can specifically request that I send either an e-mailed or a paper-mailed version of the calibration files. Such requests can be made by e-mail to NRAO user JWROBEL or by phoning me at 505-835-7392. 3. ACCESSING YOUR LOGS AND CALIBRATION INFORMATION ON UVAX1 3.1 Get the NUG Password To access the log and calibration files described above, you must log in to UVAX1 as user NUG. This NUG account is password protected. For the password, contact an active NUG user or one of the following people: NRAO/NM: Peggy Perley 1-505-835-7239, AOC office (e-mail to NRAO user ANALYSTS or NUG) Dave Wunker 1-505-835-7359, AOC office (e-mail to NRAO user ANALYSTS or NUG) Phil Diamond 1-505-835-7365, AOC office (e-mail to NRAO user PDIAMOND) Craig Walker 1-505-835-7247, AOC office (e-mail to NRAO user CWALKER) Joan Wrobel 1-505-835-7392, AOC office (e-mail to NRAO user JWROBEL) Anton Zensus 1-505-835-7348, AOC office (e-mail to NRAO user AZENSUS) NRAO/CV: John Benson 1-804-296-0276, CV office Bonn: Walter Alef 49-228-525220, Bonn processor. The password should *NOT* be transmitted in an e-mail message. E-mail user names are given for NRAO/NM people so you can contact them by either phone or e-mail if you experience trouble accessing UVAX1. E-mail addresses for NRAO were given in item 1 for user VLBAOPS. 3.2 Dial In Call 505-835-7010. To the 'SOCORRO DDS:' prompt, respond 'MAX' ( is a carriage return). More than one may be required. To the 'Xt_command:' prompt, respond 'C UVAX1'. To the 'username:' prompt, respond 'NUG'. Give the password when requested. 3.3 Span Type 'SET HOST EAST' (or 'SET HOST 6913'). To the 'username:' prompt, respond with '146.88.1.6!'. To the next 'username:' prompt, respond with 'NUG'. Give the password when requested. 3.4 Internet You can use ftp to examine and transfer files in the NUG area over the Internet. The Internet address of UVAX1 is UVAX1.AOC.NRAO.EDU or 146.88.1.6. Use the standard ftp procedure, which requires the login name and password, to access the NUG area. You can also use UVAX1's Internet address to telnet in to the NUG account; a password will be required. 4. VLBA ZENITH SENSITIVITIES The following tables are taken from sensitivity information compiled by Craig Walker for various VLBA antennas. Consult these tables to determine the appropriate sensitivity to use for your project. Note that the listed sensitivity is based on the assumed Tcal. In some cases, that Tcal is clearly wrong. However, as long as the measured Tsys is based on the same Tcal, your VLBI data can be calibrated correctly with the listed sensitivity. (A special note concerning the 1.3cm data: The gains are derived from a combination of continuum observations with the Network MkII standard setups and water line observations with wider bandwidths and at various frequencies. Since the reported Tcal corresponds to the first observation from a pointing run, which might be of a water maser, it can appear to differ slightly from the Tcal given in your calibration data; ignore such slight Tcal differences. A big Tcal change should not be ignored, however, as it means that a totally different receiver was mounted on the antenna.) In all cases the gains are independent of elevation. However, atmospheric absorption can be significant at low elevations. ======================================================================== VLBA_PT VLBA_KP VLBA_LA VLBA_FD VLBA_NL ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- Freq. Pol Tcal Sens. Tcal Sens. Tcal Sens. Tcal Sens. Tcal Sens. (MHz) (K) (K/Jy) (K) (K/Jy) (K) (K/Jy) (K) (K/Jy) (K) (K/Jy) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 327 RCP 8.70 0.053 9.00 0.062 8.90 0.063 9.50 0.048 8.50 0.066 LCP 8.65 0.058 9.00 0.062 9.30 0.067 8.30 0.057 8.50 0.066 611 RCP 10.00 0.048 10.20 0.099 5.70 0.064 5.60 0.055 5.20 0.042 LCP 10.30 0.053 10.20 0.103 5.70 0.070 6.00 0.062 5.50 0.055 1655 RCP 2.70 0.102 3.07 0.090 3.60 0.078 3.34 0.092 1.74 0.079 LCP 2.59 0.097 3.06 0.095 3.69 0.107 3.43 0.095 1.84 0.084 2262 RCP 2.42 0.090 1.42 0.075 0.92 0.079 2.82 0.086 1.02 0.079 LCP 2.62 0.108 1.52 0.075 1.28 0.098 2.00 0.092 1.12 0.086 *2262 RCP 2.42 0.075 1.42 0.060 0.92 0.067 2.82 0.070 1.02 0.066 LCP 2.62 0.090 1.52 0.062 1.28 0.080 2.00 0.074 1.12 0.074 4998 RCP 2.89 0.112 2.63 0.129 3.43 0.139 3.34 0.111 3.47 0.115 LCP 3.07 0.122 2.37 0.123 3.40 0.130 3.26 0.118 3.79 0.093 8418 RCP 3.52 0.115 3.71 0.115 3.72 0.108 3.89 0.115 4.03 0.100 LCP 3.96 0.113 3.48 0.118 3.82 0.113 3.81 0.109 4.08 0.103 *8418 RCP 3.52 ... 3.71 ... 3.72 0.088 3.89 0.103 4.03 0.098 LCP 3.96 ... 3.48 ... 3.82 0.092 3.81 0.100 4.08 0.101 15068 RCP 1.90 0.093 2.95 0.116 3.73 0.152 ... ... ... ... LCP 1.66 0.102 2.70 0.108 3.96 0.133 ... ... ... ... 22228 RCP 7.82 0.129 23.38 0.100 7.26 0.090 8.02 0.063 10.38 0.098 LCP 10.03 0.132 23.97 0.102 7.41 0.087 7.71 0.064 9.52 0.099 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ * => with dichroic ======================================================================== VLBA_OV VLBA_BR VLBA_HN VLBA_SC VLBA_MK ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- Freq. Pol Tcal Sens. Tcal Sens. Tcal Sens. Tcal Sens. Tcal Sens. (MHz) (K) (K/Jy) (K) (K/Jy) (K) (K/Jy) (K) (K/Jy) (K) (K/Jy) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 327 RCP ... ... 7.20 0.058 5.77 0.059 ... ... ... ... LCP ... ... 7.10 0.058 6.04 0.059 ... ... ... ... 611 RCP ... ... 4.00 0.039 ... ... ... ... ... ... LCP ... ... 4.00 0.045 ... ... ... ... ... ... 1655 RCP 2.81 0.080 2.87 0.092 1.83 0.086 ... ... ... ... LCP 2.81 0.099 2.64 0.092 1.75 0.084 ... ... ... ... 2262 RCP ... ... ... ... 1.20 0.083 ... ... ... ... LCP ... ... ... ... 1.48 0.096 ... ... ... ... *2262 RCP ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... LCP ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 4998 RCP 1.09 0.105 1.86 0.118 1.40 0.110 ... ... ... ... LCP 1.20 0.110 1.79 0.113 1.30 0.111 ... ... ... ... 8418 RCP 3.42 0.112 3.78 0.103 2.59 0.083 ... ... ... ... LCP 3.69 0.100 3.80 0.112 2.77 0.087 ... ... ... ... *8418 RCP ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... LCP ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 15068 RCP ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... LCP ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 22228 RCP 11.90 0.076 3.53 0.084 11.42 0.076 ... ... ... ... LCP 17.20 0.098 3.72 0.081 11.44 0.076 ... ... ... ... ------------------------------------------------------------------------ * => with dichroic (document ends)