UV_SHORT Step_1
Step (1) Creation of a "well behaved" map from the spectra. This map
is made available to the user as the SHORT datacube, and can be saved by
WRITE SHORT.
Step (1) only can be performed independently by command XY_SHORT, to use
the SHORT image in command FEATHER for example, or for specific spectral re-
sampling using command MAP_RESAMPLE SHORT.
Step (1) only occurs if the input single-dish data set (read by READ SINGLE)
is a table of spectra. The table format is described in the CLASS\GRID
command of CLASS.
The identification of the input single-dish data set as a table of spectra
is based on the Header.
It is recommended that this input table is a collection of single-dish,
Nyquist sampled spectra covering the interferometric field of view of
interest plus at least two primary beams as a guard band on the periphery.
However, UV_SHORT does *NOT* make any assumption about the provided cover-
age. It thus tries to compute a "well behaved" map by linear operations
(convolutions) from the original spectra, in an optimum way from signal
to noise point of view. The map is extrapolated smoothly towards zero at
the map edge in order to avoid further aliasing in the Fourier trans-
form operations required in Step (2). This extrapolation has a scale
length of twice the single-dish beam, in order to avoid spurious Fourier
components.
In detail, UV_SHORT (or XY_SHORT) performs the following operations:
- Resampling (in space) of the original spectra on a regular grid by
convolution with a small (typically 1/4 of the single-dish beam)
gaussian convolving kernel. In this process, the weights of individual
spectra is carried on a weight map.
- Extrapolation to zero outside the convex hull of the mapped region.
- Convolution of the result by a gaussian twice as wide as the
single-dish beam. Within the convex hull of the mapped region, the
smoothed map is replaced by the original map.