Sample astronomer input for an observing mode: Single-field Interferometric mapping

Section: Field_info
   Name:      IRAS 15194-5115
   System:    EQUATORIAL J2000
   Longitude:  15h 19m 21.90s
   Latitude:  -51d 15' 19.0''
   Beam_size: 0.2''
   Field:     60''
   Map_Cell:  0.03 x 0.03''   
   Map_Size:  2048 x 2048 
   Weighting: Natural
   Taper:     None

Section: Spectral_info 
   N_Bands: 4 
   Names:        HCNv0     HCNv1     HCNv2      Continuum
   Frequencies:  xxx GHz   yyy GHz   zzz GHz    350.000 GHz 
   Velocities:   -15       -15       -15        0 
   Velocity_ref: LSR       LSR       LSR        OBS 
   Widths:       100 km/s  100 km/s  100 km/s   1 GHz 
   Resolutions:  0.1 km/s  0.1 km/s  0.1 km/s   5 MHz

Section: Calibration
   Phase_calibrator:              closest  &&  flux > 0.1Jy
   Phase_calibrator_frequency:    90 GHz
   Phase_calibrator_rms:          10 degrees
   Phase_correction:              yes
   Bandpass_calibrator:           best
   Bandpass_phase_rms:            2 degrees

Comments:

On these inputs the observing tool should react, e.g. :

• Estimate the size of the array configuration, giving some beam information (ellipticity, sidelobe level)

• Compute first LO and second LO frequencies, converting bandwidths and resolutions, if provided in velocity units, into available correlator modes,

• Estimate output data rate

• Give all sorts of warnings, like the following:

  OK, with the available setups, you will get resolutions of 0.06, 0.06,
  0.06 km/s, 8 MHz, rejection of objects in the skirts of the beam by
  about 28 db, an integration time smearing in the outer parts of your
  map corresponding to a6% loss of peak flux for a point source, and a
  data output rate of 37 Gbytes per hour.
  
  128MHz bandwidths will be used, but the upper 5MHz and lower 8MHz will
  not be available all year round to allow for Doppler tracking, ...