VLA 2025 Priorities (priority being examined (03/12))

Highest Priority:

• Pipeline will crash if one calibration source gets fully flagged by flagtemplate or other mechanism 
• Zoom-in plots on non-128 MHz windows for inspection of bandpass in plotsummary for targets and cals ()
• Different bandpass calibrators in different bands - ()
• VLA QA Tickets 
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• 
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• Detect mosaicked fields and perform joint deconvolution with mosaic gridder ()
• - needs heuristic development

High Priority:

• Option to disable bad deformatter flagging completely or partially, ()
• flux calibrator RFI flagging should use residuals - ()
• TestBPdcals uses wrong integration time multipliers in multi-band data ()
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• Only flag offending polarization for DTS issues
• limit_short_solint='int' uses 0.0s ()
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Major:

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• 
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• Don't show setup Intent scans as calibrators ()
• when spws are in reverse frequency order, print them in proper frequency order (
• parallactic angle vs time plot ()
• Add API plot to VLA pipeline runs ()
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• 
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• 

Minor:

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• plot labels in semifinalbpdcals ()

Infrastructure:

• remove hifv_targetflag and add its heuristic to hifv_checkflag ()

Needs more heuristic definition

• Enhanced DTS issue identification and flagging ()
• 

VLA 2024 Priorities

Highest Priority:

• Pipeline will crash if one calibration source gets fully flagged by flagtemplate or other mechanism
• Use near-field RMS to adjust auto-masking noise threshold ()
• Spectral line stuff:
  • Task to create VLA _line.ms ()

  • Ability to use _line.ms and cont.ms in different pipeline tasks. ()

  • Detection Spectral windows for spectral line processing ()

  • Spectral line calibration recipe definition ()

  • Zoom-in plots on non-128 MHz windows for inspection of bandpass in finalcals, semifinalBPdcals,testBPdcals, plotsummary for targets and cals () Less critical than other items, but still desired.
  • Enable basic cube imaging ()
  • Use MS tool hanning smoothing to enable per spw hanning smoothing (CASR-523; )
  • include additional flag versions in exported *.ms.flagversions.tgz ()
  • Add task to casa_piperestore script to support spectral line restores ()
  • Agg cont adjustments to exclude spectral line windows (unless only spectral line) ()
• Different bandpass calibrators in different bands - ()
• Option to disable bad deformatter flagging completely or partially, ()
• Detect mosaicked fields and perform joint deconvolution with mosaic gridder ()
• Manual and automatic refant ignore do not work together ()
• Enable time limits for antenna position updates

High Priority:

• Image scaling and zooming ( and )
• adjust theoretical sensitivity for Hanning smoothing and report theoretical sensitivity for VLA ()
• access to nmajor parameter and setting a default ()
• list number of major cycles in VLA imaging pipeline weblog ()
• flux calibrator RFI flagging should use residuals - ()

• hifv_restoredata should use flagversion backed up before statwt ()

• TestBPdcals uses wrong integration time multipliers in multi-band data ()

• Checkflag should properly execute when sources have mixed intents

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• 
• Aqua report

• Enhanced DTS issue identification and flagging ()

• Fluxboot QA metric adjustments ()
• fitorder=0 heuristic for fluxboot ()
• Abbreviate all image header strings in CASA images otherwise they will not load in CARTA ()
• Add options to turn off application of gaintables in hifv_priorcals ()
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Medium priority:

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• 
• 
• 
• Only flag offending polarization for DTS issues
• limit_short_solint='int' uses 0.0s ()
• remove hifv_targetflag and add its heuristic to hifv_checkflag ()
• 
• 

Low Priority:

• Don't show setup Intent scans as calibrators ()
• when spws are in reverse frequency order, print them in proper frequency order (
• plot labels in semifinalbpdcals (PIPE-984)
• parallactic angle vs time plot (PIPE-836)
• Add API plot to VLA pipeline runs (PIPE-580)
• hifv_circfeedpolcal should not add the KCROSS talbe to cal library after second call (
• hifv_circfeedpolcal should include CALIBRATE_POL_ANGLE intent for KCROSS solutions (
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VLA 2023 Priorities

Blocker:

• Per-band manipulation of apply, antexclude, and usemedian for hifv_syspower ()
• Detect mosaicked fields and perform joint deconvolution with mosaic gridder ()
• Use wproject gridder for single-field L and S-band imaging 
• Option to disable bad deformatter flagging completely or partially, ()
• Antenna position corrections missed if Bx,By=0 and Bz !=0 (

Critical:

• Different bandpass calibrators in different bands - ()
• flux calibrator RFI flagging should use residuals - ()

• include additional flag versions in exported *.ms.flagversions.tgz ()

• hifv_restoredata should use flagversion backed up before statwt ()

• Checkflag should properly execute when sources have mixed intents

• 
• 

• Enhanced DTS issue identification and flagging ()

• Fluxboot QA metric adjustments ()
• fitorder=0 heuristic for fluxboot ()
• Allow hifv_syspower tot run on K, Ka, and Q-band data ()
• TestBPdcals uses wrong integration time multipliers in multi-band data ()
• Abbreviate all image header strings in CASA images otherwise they will not load in CARTA ()
• Add options to turn off application of gaintables in hifv_priorcals ()
• Pipeline will crash if one calibration source gets fully flagged by flagtemplate or other mechanism

• Flux.csv uvmax is ignored if uvmin is 0 ()

Major:

• 
• Aqua report
• 
• Spectral line stuff:
  • Task to create VLA _line.ms ()

  • Ability to use _line.ms and cont.ms in different pipeline tasks. ()

  • Detection Spectral windows for spectral line processing ()

  • Spectral line calibration recipe definition ()

  • Zoom-in plots on non-128 MHz windows for inspection of bandpass in finalcals, semifinalBPdcals,testBPdcals, plotsummary for targets and cals () Less critical than other items, but still desired.
  • Enable basic cube imaging ()
  • Use MS tool hanning smoothing to enable per spw hanning smoothing (CASR-523; )
• Only flag offending polarization for DTS issues
• limit_short_solint='int' uses 0.0s ()
• remove hifv_targetflag and add its heuristic to hifv_checkflag ()
• 
• 

Minor:

• Don't show setup Intent scans as calibrators ()
• when spws are in reverse frequency order, print them in proper frequency order (
• plot labels in semifinalbpdcals (PIPE-984)
• parallactic angle vs time plot (PIPE-836)
• Add API plot to VLA pipeline runs (PIPE-580)
• hifv_circfeedpolcal should not add the KCROSS talbe to cal library after second call (
• hifv_circfeedpolcal should include CALIBRATE_POL_ANGLE intent for KCROSS solutions (
• 
• 

VLASS 2022 Priorities

• Cube Imaging pipeline PIPEREQ-142
• Resolved calibrator handling PIPEREQ-132 Deferred
• Imaging fails in some cases in 2021.2 ()

• Change VLASS parameter compressionusemedian default from False to True ()

• Change hifv_targetflag to flag target data using a .flagtargetstemplate.txt - (PIPE-37, )
• Add reimaging_resources.tgz to manifest.xml ()

VLA 2022 Priorities

Prioritized list:

Blocker:

• Add plots to statwt weblog in PI pipeline()
• Flagging Heuristics on outlier weights (ticket to be created)
• Generalized Compression correction for S-band and L-band (/)
• TEC maps fixes and behavior changes (, )

Critical:

• Backup flags in hifv_applycal prior to calibration ()
• Enable self-calibration heuristics for continuum data only in new task (hif_selfcal) and operate on only the _cont.ms ()
• Spectral line stuff:
  • Task to create VLA _line.ms ()

  • Ability to use _line.ms and cont.ms in different pipeline tasks. ()

  • Detection Spectral windows for spectral line processing ()

  • Spectral line calibration recipe definition ()

  • Zoom-in plots on non-128 MHz windows for inspection of bandpass in finalcals, semifinalBPdcals,testBPdcals, plotsummary for targets and cals () Less critical than other items, but still desired.
  • Enable basic cube imaging ()
• combine targetflag heuristics into checkflag - ()
• Change hifv_targetflag to flag target data using a .flagtargetstemplate.txt - (PIPE-37, )
• flux calibrator RFI flagging should use residuals - ()
• Different bandpass calibrators in different bands - ()

Major:

• Spectral Line syspower ()
• Detect mosaicked fields and perform joint deconvolution with mosaic gridder (PIPE-684)
• wproject and n- w-planes heuristics for VLA imaging pipeline (J. Marvil input)
• PIPE-1287 - fluxboot failing with target intent using pointing and a CG intent with the pointing setup ()
• PIPE-1350 - fluxboot shared intents ()
• PIPE-1335 - selection heuristics when delay calibrator mixed with CG intent
• Long solution interval calculation improvement (PIPE-1002/PIPEREQ-64)
• Short Solution interval calculation improvments (PIPE-1340)
• Spws not specified in cont.dat should be handled as standard continuum (PIPE-1043)
• Use MS tool hanning smoothing to enable per spw hanning smoothing (CASR-523; PIPE-672)
• per-baseline RFI flagging - (PIPE-1286)
• Fluxboot QA metric adjustments (PIPEREQ-8/PIPE-989)

Minor:

• long solints: ()
• solint calc: ()
• Zoom feature for all hif_makeimages plots (PIPE-1083)
• plot labels in semifinalbpdcals (PIPE-984)
• parallactic angle vs time plot (PIPE-836)
• Add API plot to VLA pipeline runs (PIPE-580)
• Report total MS sizes at end of calibration on main weblog page (PIPE-1166)

• multi-band weblog plots should not use shared time axis for plots (PIPE-1044)
• Zeros flagged not reported properly )
• Make an untarred MS when making a basic MS PIPE-749
• PIPE-1098 - cont.dat failures for targets with some characters

Backburner:

• Per-baseband delay solutions (PIPE-670)

• Spectral window mapping for gain calibration (PIPE-671)

• Antenna position corrections in a post-observation time window (CASR-556)

• Gain table flagging extensions

  • Ripple detection (bad switch problem) (PIPEREQ-11)

  • Gain outlier detection (PIPEREQ-10)

• Enhanced DTS issue identification and flagging (CASR-563/PIPE-986)

  • Option to disable bad deformatter flagging completely or partially, (PIPE-1183)
• Generalize hifv_circfeedpolcal for all bands

• Enable experimental P-band calibration

• Define requirements for the continuum imaging pipeline to use outlier fields to remove effects of bright sources rather than using large images
• RFI flagging on uv-grid (CASR-496)
  • avoids flagging of bright spectral lines
• Enable data weights to be determined from switched power (CASR-476)
• Seasonal model selection to override weather station in priorcals to compensate for bad weather station data (PIPE-1367)
• Add Operator log to weblog (PIPE-1365)

VLA 2022 Categorized:

Bugs

• PIPE-1287 - fluxboot failing with target intent using pointing and a CG intent with the pointing setup ()
• PIPE-1335 - selection heuristics when delay calibrator mixed with CG intent
• PIPE-1098 - cont.dat failures for targets with some characters

Calibration and Flagging

• Enhanced DTS issue identification and flagging (CASR-563/PIPE-986)

  • Option to disable bad deformatter flagging completely or partially, (PIPE-1183)

• Possible RFI flagging refinements

  • per baseline flagging - (PIPE-1286)
  • combine targetflag heuristics into checkflag - (PIPE-1342)
  • flux calibrator RFI flagging should use residuals - (PIPE-1274)
• Backup flags in hifv_applycal prior to calibration (PIPE-854)
• Change hifv_targetflag to flag target data using a .flagtargetstemplate.txt - (PIPE-37, )
• Add plots to statwt weblog in PI pipeline (PIPE-1341)
• Long solution interval calculation improvement (/)
• Short Solution interval calculation improvments (PIPE-1340)

• Per-baseband delay solutions (PIPE-670)

• Spectral window mapping for gain calibration (PIPE-671)

  • enables phase calibration if not enough S/N due to faint calibrator

• Antenna position corrections in a post-observation time window (CASR-556)

• Gain table flagging extensions

  • Ripple detection (bad switch problem) (PIPEREQ-11)

  • Gain outlier detection (PIPEREQ-10)

• Fluxboot gain solution flagging (PIPEREQ-9)

• Fluxboot QA metric adjustments (PIPEREQ-8)

Self-calibration

• Enable self-calibration heuristics for continuum data only in new task (hif_selfcal) and operate on only the _cont.ms (PIPE-)
  • Joint ALMA and VLA development and should work on both types of data
  • SRDP heuristics team input

Spectral lines

• Ability to use _line and cont.ms in different pipeline tasks.

• Spectral line calibration recipe definition (PIPE-1344)

  • Save pre-target RFI flagging and split non-RFI flagged data after hifv_statwt using a new task (PIPE-1343)
• For VLA data, enable steps to run findcont to only run on line spws
  • hif_makeimlist(specmode='mfs')
  • hif_findcont()
  • hif_uvcontfit()
  • hif_uvcontsub()

• Spectral window mapping for gain calibration (PIPE-671)

  • enables phase calibration if not enough S/N on narrow spws

• Use MS tool hanning smoothing to enable per spw hanning smoothing (CASR-523; PIPE-672)
• Zoom-in plots on non-128 MHz windows for inspection of bandpass in finalcals, semifinalBPdcals,testBPdcals
• Cont.dat interpretation to treat non-specified spws as continuum-only (PIPE-1043)

Weblog

• Zoom feature for all hif_makeimages plots (PIPE-1083)
• plot labels in semifinalbpdcals (PIPE-984)
• parallactic angle vs time plot (PIPE-836)
• Add API plot to VLA pipeline runs (PIPE-580)

Minor things

• Report total MS sizes at end of calibration on main weblog page (PIPE-1166)
• multi-band weblog plots should not use shared time axis for plots (PIPE-1044)
• Zeros flagged not reported properly (PIPE-1033)
• Make an untarred MS when making a basic MS PIPE-749

Imaging

• Detect mosaicked fields and perform joint deconvolution with mosaic gridder (PIPE-684)

• Enable basic cube imaging (PIPE-1346)

• wproject and n- w-planes heuristics for VLA imaging pipeline (J. Marvil input)

Backburner (CASA development or low priority):

• Generalize hifv_circfeedpolcal for all bands

• Enable experimental P-band calibration

• Define requirements for the continuum imaging pipeline to use outlier fields to remove effects of bright sources rather than using large images
• RFI flagging on uv-grid (CASR-496)
  • avoids flagging of bright spectral lines
• Enable data weights to be determined from switched power (CASR-476)

2021 Priorities

Primary Development Priorities

Calibration and Flagging

• Enhanced DTS issue identification and flagging (CASR-563)

• Improved calibrator RFI flagging heuristics (PIPEREQ-12; PIPE-939)

• Gaintable flagging heuristics to ID bad data

• Per-baseband delay solutions (PIPE-670)

• Spectral window mapping for gain calibration (PIPE-671)

  • enables phase calibration if not enough S/N due to faint calibrator

• Antenna position corrections in a post-observation time window (CASR-556)

• Gain table flagging extensions

  • Ripple detection (bad switch problem) (PIPEREQ-11)

  • Gain outlier detection (PIPEREQ-10)

• Fluxboot gain solution flagging (PIPEREQ-9)

• Fluxboot QA metric adjustments (PIPEREQ-8)

• Target RFI Flagging (CASR-540)

• Enable data weights to be determined from switched power (CASR-476)

• Use MS tool hanning smoothing to enable per spw hanning smoothing (CASR-523; PIPE-672)

• Spectral window mapping for gain calibration (PIPE-671)

  • enables phase calibration if not enough S/N on narrow spws

• RFI flagging on uv-grid (CASR-496)

  • avoids flagging of bright spectral lines

• Cont.dat interpretation to treat non-specified spws as continuum-only

• Design and set up independent spectral line calibration recipe that could be used by end users or triggered using recalibration workflow

Imaging

• Detect mosaicked fields and perform joint deconvolution with mosaic gridder

• Enable basic cube imaging

• Enable automasking for VLA continuum imaging pipeline

Stretch Priorities

• Generalize hifv_circfeedpolcal for all bands

• Enable experimental P-band calibration

• Enable pipeline to use two MS files to perform continuum on one and spectral line optimized calibration on the other when spectral lines are a science goal set in PST

• Define requirements for the continuum imaging pipeline to use outlier fields to remove effects of bright sources rather than using large images