Mapping with the Arecibo Telescope

Data Reduction Codes:

• AO_Map_setup
: sets all necessary paths for data reduction and compiles codes to be used. Make sure to edit lines that sets appropriate paths for your particular set up. Point to Phil's generic IDL routines, to the IDL Astronomy User's Library, and to the directory where aogridzilla.pro is.


• file_reducer.pro
: opens a given file and searches for all maps that were observed; asks what to reduce; calibrates and subtracts baseline; makes reduced output file and a file containing weights to be given to individual spectra. You do not need to edit this file.


• file_combiner.pro
: combines all reduced individual maps for an object into a big `structure' that is used for making a spectral-line data cube; it also creates the final big array of weights for each observed spectrum. You do not need to edit this file.


• file_gridder.idl
: this is an interface code for the main gridding routine, called aogridzilla. It points to files and parameters aogridzilla will use for making a spectral-line data cube. You need to edit this file to pass information to the gridzilla.


• Note that aogridzilla uses the IDL Astronomy User's Library (info is on http://idlastro.gsfc.nasa.gov/contents.html).
  Download aogridzilla.pro



• Data Reduction Pipe-line:
  
  • Obtain generic IDL routines for handling Arecibo data from Phil Perillat's web page
  • Start idl
  • @AO_Map_setup; this sets all paths and compiles necessary codes. Make sure to edit this file first in order to set your working directory, name of your maps etc.
  • Run file_reducer; you will be asked for date of your correlator file and which maps you want to reduce.
  • Run file_combiner; this will combine all small maps into one big array.
  • Run file_gridder; this will create a spectral-line data cube.
  
  
  
• Once the spectral-line cubes are ready we usually look at them with KARMA visualization package written by Richard Gooch.

Observing Info:

Additional Data Reduction Tools: