Offline User Test - Single Dish Reduction & Synthesis Regression

March 5-9, 2007

Questionnaire on testing experience

1.  Please list briefly your background in the following areas: 

    * Radio Interferometry ((sub)millimeter or centimeter)

    * Experience with VLA and/or PdBI data 

    * Astronomical Data Reduction packages:
      - AIPS: 
      - MIRIAD: have 
      - MMA:
      - Gildas/Clic: 
      - AIPS++/CASA: 

2.  Please identify which datasets you worked with during this test:

    Single dish data: 
    * Orion-S (GBT - Position Switched data)
    * IRC+10216 (GBT - Nod data)
    * FLS3 (HI) (GBT OTF Frequency Switched data) 

    Single field synthesis data:
    * G192 (VLA - NH3 line emission)
    * GGTAU (PdBI 1 & 3 mm HCO+,13CO, continuum emission)
    * H121 (PdBI 1 & 3 mm spectral line; strong continuum emission)
    * L02D (U Cam; PdBI 1 & 3 mm CO emission)
    * NGC 5921 (VLA)
    * NGC 7538 (VLA NH3 line emission)

    Mosaic synthesis data:
    * NGC 1333
    * NGC 4826

    Single dish + synthesis imaging combination:
    * NGC 4826
    * Orion 

    Single baseline data:
    * B0319+415 (3C84)



For single dish processing:
---------------------------
The single dish package, ASAP, was imported into the CASA framework to
reduce and analyze single dish spectra.  The ASAP package itself is
under development so new capabilities will be added in the future.
However, all the functionality needed for basic processing should be
available now.   In this test, we would like to determine if it has
adequate functionality to process single dish data and evaluate the
user interface.    

3.  Were you able to fill, edit, and calibrate of the data?  If not,
    why?   Please comment on specific steps if desired (comments can
    be positive or negative):  

    * Filling the data into CASA format
    * Editing and visualizing your data
    * Baseline subtraction
    * Tsys calibration.

4.  For the single dish spectra:

    * Sere you able to obtain figures of the spectra?  
    * Were you able to analyze the spectra adequately to determine if
      the results were scientifically reasonable?   

5.  For the single dish OTF map: 

    * Were you able to evaluate individual spectra in the map?  
    * Were you able to obtain an image of the spectra by gridding the
      data into an image and displaying it? 
    * Were you able to analyze the image adequately to determine if the
      results were scientifically reasonable?  

6.  Did you like the command line interface?  If not, do you have any
    recommendations about how to improve it?   

7.  Was there any critical functionality that you needed to reduce,
    image and perform basic analysis on your data?   

8.  Please evaluate the documentation: 

    * Was the Single Dish Reduction Cookbook adequate for you to
      complete your test?  
    * Do you have any comments on the organization, content and
      presentation of the cookbook?  If not, do you have any
      suggestions for how to improve the cookbook?   
    * Did you find the in-line help useful?  
    * Do you have any comments on how to improve the in-line help? 


For Interferometric regression testing:
---------------------------------------
9.  All interferometric data sets have been processed with AIPS++
    during previous user tests and testers found the results to be
    scientifically accurate.   Regression scripts for all datasets
    were developed in CASA to ensure that each step in the data
    reduction and imaging process was still valid using the CASA
    package.   

    * Were you able to run the regression scripts in CASA using the
      'execfile’ function?  Did you encounter any problems with the
      scripts (either running the scripts themselves or the results of
      the scripts)?

10. Did you work outside of the CASA scripts to, e.g., visualize &
    flag data interactively, calibrate the data with different inputs,
    or image the calibrated data with a different deconvolution
    algorithm or different imaging parameters?   

    * Please explain briefly what you did outside of the pure regression
      testing.  
    * Were you able to complete what you wanted to do?  

11. Were you able to analyze the images adequately to determine if the
    results you obtained were scientifically reasonable (e.g. display
    the image, calculate RMS and peak, or make a moment map)?  If not,
    why?  

12.  Please evaluate the documentation: 

     * Was the Synthesis Reduction Cookbook adequate for you to complete
       your test?  
     * Do you have any comments on the organization, content and
       presentation of the cookbook?  If not, do you have any
       suggestions for how to improve the cookbook?   
     * Did you find the in-line help useful?  
     * Do you have any comments on how to improve the in-line help? 


For both single dish and interferometric testing:
-------------------------------------------------
13. Did you have adequate support during your test?  If you contacted
    the CASA group for questions or to fix a bug, please comment on
    the interaction and whether it was helpful.  

14. Please rate your overall testing experience: 

  * Excellent
  * Good
  * Fair
  * Poor
  * Downright unpleasant and a waste of time.  

15. Was the test well designed and executed by those in the ALMA
    offline subsystem (e.g. the subsystem scientist and the Offline
    subsystem group)? 

16. Do you have any additional comments that may help improve test of
    the offline software in the future?