importfitsidi

importfitsidi(fitsidifile, vis='', constobsid=False, scanreindexgap_s=0.0, specframe='GEO')[source]

Convert a FITS-IDI file to a CASA visibility data set

[Description] [Examples] [Development] [Details]

Parameters
  • fitsidifile (pathVec) - Name(s) of input FITS-IDI file(s)

  • vis (string=’’) - Name of output visibility file

  • constobsid (bool=False) - If True, give constant obs ID==0 to the data from all input fitsidi files (False = separate obs id for each file)

  • scanreindexgap_s (double=0.) - Min time gap (seconds) between integrations to start a new scan

  • specframe (string=’GEO’) - Spectral reference frame for all spectral windows in the output MS

Description

The importfitsidi task converts FITS files in Interferometry Data Interchange (IDI) format to CASA MeasurementSets.

It permits CASA users to process visibility data provided in the FITS-IDI standard 1. If several files are given, they will be concatenated into one MS.

For data correlated with the DiFX correlator (such as the VLBA correlator), importfitsidi will apply the necessary digital corrections for antennas using 1-bit or 2-bit sampling. Corrections are not applied for other correlators.

Warning

WARNING: because digital corrections are applied for data correlated with the the DiFX correlator, this means that processing archival data correlated with the VLBA hardware correlator should be done with care and may not yield the appropriate results.

Visibility weights in the SIGMA and WEIGHT columns of the MS are initialized taking into account the correlator weights, effectively by scaling the integration time by the correlator weight.

The importfitsidi task will import meta-data from the SYSTEM_TEMPERATURE and WEATHER tables of the FITS-IDI files, if present. For correlators that do not attach these tables, the meta-data should be attached to the FITS-IDI files before using importfitsidi if amplitude calibraton using T sys information or opacity corrections using weather information is desired. Meta-data from GAIN_CURVE, PHASE-CAL, FLAG, BASELINE, BANDPASS, CALIBRATION and MODEL_COMPS tables is currently ignored.

Parameter descriptions

fitsidifile

Name(s) of input FITS-IDI file(s). No default. If more than one input file is specified, they will be filled into a single MS.

vis

Name of output visibility file (MS). No default.

constobsid

Controls the conversion with respect to the observation IDs. If True, a constant obs id == 0 is given to the data from all input FITS-IDI files. If False, separate observations IDs are given for each input file. Default = False.

scanreindexgap_s

Controls the conversion with respect to the division into scans. If scanreindexgap_s > 0., a new scan is started (on a per-antenna basis) whenever the gap between two integrations is larger than the given value (in seconds), whenever a new field starts, or whenever the ARRAY_ID changes. The default = 0, which results in no reindexing.

specframe

Set the spectral reference frame for all spectral windows in the MS. Default = ‘GEO’. Other options: ‘TOPO’, ‘LSRK’, ‘BARY’. NOTE: If *specframe=’TOPO’, * the reference location will be taken from the Observatories table in the CASA data repository for the given name of the observatory.

Bibliography

1
  1. Greisen, AIPS memo 114, revised version

Examples

To convert a single observation spread across two FITS-IDI files into a single CASA MeasurementSet while treating gaps of 15 seconds or more as scan boundaries:

importfitsidi(fitsidifile=['N18C1_1.IDI', 'N18C1_2.IDI'],
              vis='n18c1.ms', constobsid=True, scanreindexgap_s=15)
Development

No additional development details

Parameter Details

Detailed descriptions of each function parameter

fitsidifile (pathVec) - Name(s) of input FITS-IDI file(s)
Default: none (must be supplied)
Examples:
fitsidifile=’3C273XC1.IDI’
fitsidifile=[‘3C273XC1.IDI1’,’3C273XC1.IDI2’]
vis (string='') - Name of output visibility file
Default: none
Example: outputvis=’3C273XC1.ms’
constobsid (bool=False) - If True, give constant obs ID==0 to the data from all
input fitsidi files (False = separate obs id for each file)
Default: False (new obs id for each input file)
Options: False|True
scanreindexgap_s (double=0.) - Min time gap (seconds) between integrations to start a
new scan
Default: 0. (no reindexing)
If > 0., a new scan is started whenever the gap
between two integrations is > the given value
(seconds) or when a new field starts or when the
ARRAY_ID changes.
specframe (string='GEO') - This frame will be used to set the spectral reference
frame for all spectral windows in the output MS
Default: GEO (geocentric)
Options: GEO|TOPO|LSRK|BARY
NOTE: if specframe is set to TOPO, the reference
location will be taken from the Observatories
table in the CASA data repository for the given
name of the observatory. You can edit that table
and add new rows.