Using CASA

Basics

NRAO provide instructions for downloading and installing the most recent version of CASA. http://casa.nrao.edu/ also provides links to the manual, example scripts and so on.

As of Autumn 2009, CASA will run on Mac Intel OS X 10.4.7 or later as a self-contained Macintosh application, and on most linux distributions including RedHat Enterprise Linux: 4 & 5, Scientific Linux 5, Fedora Core Linux: 6, 7, 8, Ubuntu 8.0.4, openSUSE 10.0, 11.0, Debian 4.0 (all 32 bit and 64 bit).
Root install is not required (non-root installation recommended for Linux). See CASA Downloads and Cookbook links

We will provide support for astronomers visiting the Manchester ARC node, or you can email alma@jb.man.ac.uk . We will hold a major workshop in Manchester 31 Mar to 1 Apr 2010 and we are also available to visit your institute to demonstrate or run tutorials on CASA to small groups.

The CASA Guides provide detailed data reduction examples. 

Other example scripts and data

Testing CASA installation

• Data and commands to test CASA
  

Continuum

• MERLIN
• Data and scripts for 3C277.1 (full polarization).
  

• VLA

• VLA export format 3C129 data and CASA script

• Continuum data for Jupiter in full polarization:
• Simplified script and data. Jupiter_simple.txt is covers all stages of data reduction but with break points. Jupiter_withflags.tgz and Jupiter_split.tgz are partially reduced data, to allow you to skip flagging and to skip straight to target self-calibration, respectively.  If you want to practice everything including flagging you will need the next data file instead, planets_6cm.fits
  
• Original material planets_6cm.fits and jupiter6cm_demo.py (also bundled in CASA installation)
• Script to practice editing the Jupiter data
  
• Scripting and advanced imaging
• NGC 4258 data   and casapy script updated 30 Mar 2010
  
• ngc4258-continuum-orig.py Excercise script with 'missing' parameter values
  
•  ngc4258_tutorial.py  
• Script with break option added to interrupt at wait points
  

Spectral Line

• VLA
• NGC5921.fits and ngc5921_demo.py NGC 5921 HI data and CASA script. (also bundled in CASA installation)
• ATCA
• ATCA  CASA scripts and data for J2342-44 (HI)

Mosaicing

• BIMA
•  NGC 4826 CO data and CASA scripts (also bundled in CASA installation)
• ngc4826.fitsfiles.tgz  and simplified script
• ngc4826_tutorial.py original script 

More imaging techniques

• Example scripts

Simulations

• Data for simulation CO_CLUSTER.FITS.gz
• Simulation script simulation.txt

Simulations

Support is available through the UK-ARC for users who wish to simulate ALMA observations. The CASA software package includes the simdata task which has been designed specifically for ALMA, and to a lesser extent the EVLA. For more low-level, generic simulation work the CASA simulator tool can also be invoked. Simulation work is one of the topics we cover at the CASA workshops, and more details and examples are available on the CASA Guides Wiki

 

The UK ARC is also developing user-friendly ALMA simulation software which can be controlled via a web interface and does not require any prior knowledge of CASA, nor an in-depth understanding of interferometry. This has been designed to aid the 'technical feasibility'

considerations at the proposal writing stage, and we aim to have this tool available for public use ahead of the first call for Early Science proposals.