ASKAP Commissioning Update
The ASKAP Commissioning Update is a regular, informal newsletter reporting on activities of interest to the astronomical community including the progress of ASKAP commissioning, new results and challenges, bugs in the system, releases of new software and availability of test data files.
It does not replace any of the formal communications about ASKAP or SKA, but aims to be a more âÀÜearthyâÀÝ dissemination of information about ASKAP's progress from the astronomer's perspective.
To receive notification of online publication of each new edition, please e-mail ASKAP Project Scientist Lisa Harvey-Smith to subscribe.
Issue 8, November 2015 [1.1MB PDF]
Issue 8 resumes the series after a 15-month gap; its purpose is to inform the community about the recent advances in technical understanding of ASKAP's operation and performance, and includes a summary of all the Technical Memoranda that have been prepared since commissioning began.
Issue 7, July 2014 [3.0MB PDF]
Issue 7 features all the latest results from commissioning of the six-antenna ASKAP test array, BETA (Boolardy Engineering Test Array), including simultaneous pulsar monitoring and galaxy mapping, HI velocity fields of nearby galaxies, and investigation of the polarisation response of the array.
Issue 6, April 2014 [2.0MB PDF]
Issue 6 includes milestones achieved during ASKAP BETA commissioning, such as the first spectral line image and data cube produced following the successful reconfiguration of the BETA hardware correlator at the Murchison Radio-astronomy Observatory (MRO).
Issue 5, November 2013 [165kB PDF]
Issue 5 includes the first updates on ASKAP BETA commissioning, the ASKAP Design Enhancements (ADE) program, ASKAP Early Science planning, RFI mitigation with Phased Array Feeds and the ASKAP Working Group.
Issue 4, September 2013 [350kB PDF]
Issue 4 includes the first nine-beam image demostrated by three ASKAP PAFs and hardware correlator at the MRO, the installation of all six 'BETA' (MkI) PAFs, the construction of the first full-size prototype MkII PAF, the ASKAP Early Science workshop and ASKAP Outreach activities.
Issue 3, July 2013 [1.0MB PDF]
Issue 3 includes a survey of the Galactic Centre using an ASKAP phased array feed, phase Closure with the ASKAP Correlator, on-dish Tsys/efficiency measurement for Mk I Phased Array Feed, progress on ASKAP (Mk II) Phased Array Feeds, and a summary of workshop on âÀØRFI and its impact on the new generation of HI spectral-line surveysâÀÙ.
Issue 2, June 2013 [0.5MB PDF]
Issue 2 includes the first ASKAP multi-beam continuum image, and investigation of beam shapes, progress on the hardware correlator testing, and summaries of upcoming commissioning activities and an ASKAP survey science team co-ordination and management meeting.
Issue 1, April 2013 [0.7MB PDF]
Issue 1 includes an update on BETA commissioning, a summary of Phased Array Feed testing and an announcement of the next ASKAP survey science team meeting.