ALMA Tutorials

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Introduction

This page contains tutorials to guide ALMA users through some common types of data imaging and analysis using CASA with example ALMA datasets.

Imaging

First Look

ALMA data are delivered to users with calibrations applied and they are ready for imaging. The following "First Look" tutorials provide short examples of common next steps a user may take with their calibrated data. These guides use an example ALMA observation of TW Hya.

Older versions of these guides are archived here: ALMA_First_Look

Manual Calibration and Imaging

These guides are useful tools for those who would like to learn the process of calibration and imaging in detail. They use publicly-available ALMA Science Verification data that illustrate several different ALMA capabilities. The links below lead to overview pages for each observation. The guides themselves are linked from the overview pages.

Mosaic (Band 7)

  • AntennaeBand7: Mosaic of the galaxy merger NGC 4038/4039 (Antennae) at Band 7 (0.87 mm). Validated for CASA 6.5.4.

Mosaic (Band 9)

  • IRAS16293Band9: Mosaic of the protostellar cluster IRAS16293-2422 at Band 9 (0.45 mm). Validated for CASA 6.5.4.

Total Power (Single Dish) and Array Combination

  • M100_Band3: Demonstration of combining 12m-array, 7m-array, and Total Power data for M100. Validated for CASA 6.5.4.

Full Polarization

  • 3C286_Polarization: Demonstration of the reduction of ALMA continuum polarization toward the quasar 3C286. Validated for CASA 6.5.4.

Solar Observing

  • Sunspot_Band6: Demonstration of the reduction and imaging of solar data at Band 6 (1.25mm). Validated for CASA 6.5.4.

Resources

Simulation

Guide To Simulating ALMA Data: An overview of simulation as it pertains to ALMA.

Simulating Observations in CASA: Several guides.

Pipeline

Tools

Legacy Guides

Archived_ALMA_CASAguides

The following ALMA science verification guides and scripts have been validated for older versions of CASA, and will not continue to be updated for new CASA releases.

  • TWHydraBand7: The protoplanetary disk source TW Hya at Band 7 (0.87 mm). Last validated for CASA 4.3.
  • NGC3256Band3: The galaxy merger NGC 3256 at Band 3 (3 mm). Last validated for CASA 4.3.
  • ALMA2014_LBC_SVDATA: Imaging scripts and details for the 2014 ALMA Long Baseline Campaign science verification data for Juno, Mira, HL Tau, and SDP.81. Last validated for CASA 4.2.2.
  • File:BR1202 SV Band7 Calibration notes.pdf: Supplemental notes on the calibration of Science Verification target BR1202-0725 in CASA 3.3.


Cycle 0

A Guide to Processing ALMA Data for Cycle 0 (last checked in CASA 4.2) takes you through the steps of processing Cycle 0 data from the ALMA data archive. The guide describes some helpful hints for downloading the data, and describes the process all the way through imaging and self-calibration, and image analysis.

You can also get a look at example data calibration scripts used for Cycle 0 data at the following links. These were written for CASA version 3.4.

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