Observer's Quick Reference Guide

Data Reduction

  • The data frames are automatically transferred to astro@wg5off on /data/raw/2000-12-31 (night dir.).
    These files are just copies. Feel free to rename, modify, destroy them, as long as you stay in the night directory.
    This will NOT affect the CDs you receive.

    If you process data and want to take them with you, you have to save them yourself (cf Data Saving section).

Data Reduction Packages  

 MIDAS:                  

  • Type   inmidas 00  to enter
  • MIDAS can work directly on the FITS files. However, note that for arithmetic operations,
    you have to put the filename between "quotes" (to avoind that the - in the name be interpretted as
    a minus).
  • NTT specific commands:
    • load/last : loads the last frame arrived
    • kload  <image> : loads the image with nice cuts (inspired from the good old IHAP command)
    • seeing : measures the seeing of current image
    • qextra : quick spectrum extraction and sky subtraction; follow the instructions
    • @@ inemmi ONTT...fits : reads in an EMMI-red frame and assemble the subimages into one frame.
    • @@ sofi_flat <file> : in file, list the file names of the 4 frames corresponding to a SofI flat field template; it will produce the resulting flatfield.
    • @@ sofi_specialflat <file> : in file, list the file names of the 8frames corresponding to a SofI "special" flat field template; it will produce the resulting flatfield.

IRAF:                   

  • Start xImTool  in the right-hand screen with NTT Menu> Astro > IRAF > ds9
  • Start IRAF with NTT menu > Astro > IRAF > IRAF in xgterm

IDL :                  

  • start by typing IDL

  • astrolibs are available              

Eclipse:           

  • It is installed; just type the command
  • NTT Specific:
    • sofiJitter <file> : will execute the jitter command on the frames listed in file.

SkyCat/Gaia:

  • type skycat or Mouse > AstroApplications > Skycat              

Data Saving

  • We provide you with a copy on CD of all data taken during the night.
  • We do NOT save whatever is on wg5off: if you want to save processed data, you can use the DAT drive attached to the machine.
  • To check which tape length to use:
    cd /data/raw/2000-12-31
    tapeSpace
    take the corresponding tape in the bookshelf
  • TAR: to save all your files into a unique tar file:
    cd /data/raw
    tar cv 2000-12-31 
    (the tape default is set-up properly
    or
    cd /data/raw/2000-12-31
    tar cv *fits         
  • dd: to save directly individual files on tape.
    We provide a series of tool to use this complex command:
    • disk2tape : will write the files with standard blocksize of 28800 
    • disk2tape ONTT*fits
      or
      disk2tape -list listfile
      where listfile contains the list of the files to be saved
      To read easilly this tape,  get the following scripts.
    • tape2disk
      usage:  tape2disk drive number_of_file rename
      drive: name of the drive containing the tape (e.g. /dev/rmt/0mn )
      number_of_file: how many file to read. To read the whole tape: 99999
      rename: to restore the original filename (y/n); this option requires RestoreID
    • RestoreID
      usage: RestoreId file.fits
      will rename file.fits to the original ONTT... filename.

Log File

  • on astro@wg5off
  • The log files are located in   /data/raw/dataLogs         
  • Do NOT edit them, do NOT delete them. You may copy the files your are interested in to your
    directory, but don't touch the  original.         
  • These logs are plain ASCII files; feel free to email your logs to yourself:         
    mail inewton@apple.grav.org < flLog.2000-12-31.wemmi_ttyp2         
    To create custom log files:         

    fitslist ONTT*fits or

    fitslist ONTT*fits > myLog