CASA Tips
From CASA Guides
Getting Started
CASA
- CASA tasks: Index and details of CASA tasks.
- CASA tools: The tools are typically used inside tasks, but they can also be used directly by advanced users to perform operations that are not available through the tasks.
- casa_feedback<at>nrao.edu: CASA specific feedback should be sent here.
Background Knowledge
- Python 3 tutorial: The official Python documentation. This CASA guide assumes that you are familiar with basic Python.
- Synthesis Imaging Summer School: Recorded lectures and slides from the NRAO summer school.
- ALMA Primer Videos: The brief (5-15 minutes) videos presented here are designed to provide a basic introduction to radio interferometry, calibration, imaging, and other topics.
- I-TRAIN: "Interactive Training in Reduction and Analysis of INterferometric data" provided by the EU ARC Network.
Proposal Help
- Splatalogue - Astronomical Line Database
- VLA LST Calculator
- VLA Observing
- ALMA Sensitivity Calculator
- ALMA Observing
Getting Help
- NRAO Helpdesk (for all inquiries except ALMA)
- my.nrao.edu - Your Portal to NRAO Services
- ALMA Helpdesk: Questions on proposing, observing, and data reduction can be submitted here.
- ALMA Knowledgebase: Many frequently asked questions can be found here.
Data Reduction
How CASA Works
- Lattice Expression Language (LEL) as used, e.g. in immath
- Definition of a Measurement Set
- Definition of a Calibration Table
- CASA Parallel Processing
General
- What Version of CASA am I Running?
- Starting CASA Without the Logger
- Accessing the Newest Version of CASA at NRAO
- Setting Up the Available Memory
- Capturing Return Values
- Interpreting CASA output
- Renaming Antennas
- Selecting Spectral Windows and Channels
- CASA Region Format
Loading Data
- Measurement Set Contents
- Importing Data into CASA
- Running User Scripts
- Deep dive into plotms functionality
Flagging
- Flag using flagdata
- Data flagging with plotms
- Applying EVLA on-line flags What do to if you need to re-apply (or apply) your online flags, without re-downloading the entire MS
Calibration
- Combining Bandpasses
- Create a Component List for Selfcal
- Creating a Model for a Resolved Bandpass Calibrator
- Some Notes on VLA / EVLA gain curves and fluxscale
- Pipeline: Frequent VLA_problems
Imaging
- Description of Imaging Algorithms in CASA
- Diverging deconvolution results in 'csclean' and 'mosaic' modes
- Simulating Observations in CASA
- Masks for Deconvolution
Analysis
- pV diagram generator in CARTA
- Masking images for analysis
- Stacking Multiple Spectral Lines at Same Position
- Fit an arbitrary sky (image) model to an existing MS - including how to simulate visibilities that will have the same uv-coverage and weights as a given MS
- Fit a Gaussian to Visibility data and plot it over the data
Miscellaneous
CASA Basics
- CASA mailing lists Please subscribe to receive information on releases, critical bugs, etc.
- Installing CASA Where to obtain CASA, and how to install it in different operating systems
- Installing Modular CASA on Mac (M1/M2/M3) using Miniconda and Python 3.8
If CASA Doesn't Work
Writing a CASA User Script
Simulations
All CASA Tutorials
