Documentation

The Plateau de Bure interferometer is a complex instrument. Previous knowledge of interferometry is necessary to use it correctly, and reading a standard textbook for this field is highly recommended (e.g. Thompson, A.R., Moran, J.M., and Swenson, G.W., 1986 Interferometry and Synthesis in Radio Astronomy, John Wiley & Sons, Eds.) Information specific to the IRAM Plateau de Bure Interferometer (PdBI) is available in the following documents:

• PdBI: OBS Users Guide
  In principle, only the operator (and occasionally the on-duty astronomer) directly use the OBS program to perform observations. However, a minimum knowledge of OBS is required to provide non-standard observing procedures.

• PdBI: CLIC Users Manual
  Detailed documentation of the calibration program. Although relatively complete, it assumes the user has previous knowledge of interferometry.

• GILDAS Users Manual:
  Documentation of the mapping and display software. GILDAS is an image processing system with many capabilities, and the documentation assumes the user has a basic knowledge of image processing.

• PdBI: Frequency Setup:
  A special purpose documentation describing some nasty details about the frequency setup of the Plateau de Bure interferometer. To be read by any observer who wants to observe more than one spectral line simultaneously.

• PdBI: Flux Measurements:
  This documentation describes how fluxes of the strongest quasars are monitored at Plateau de Bure. Intermediate reports on the results are available on-line on the computers.

• PdBI: Atmospheric Calibration:
  A general description of atmospheric transmission calibration, valid for both the 30-m and the 15-m antennas.

• PdBI: ASTRO Users Guide:
  ASTRO is a graphic program to help planning observations. It is quite useful for complex observing programs such as series of snapshots on many sources.

• PdBI: Calibration Cookbook:
  A hitch-hiker's guide to calibrating Plateau de Bure interferometer data with CLIC .

• PdBI: Mapping Cookbook:
  A hitch-hiker's guide to produce and analyze images from the Plateau de Bure interferometer with the GILDAS software.

• PdBI: Trouble Shooting Guide:
  A list of receipes and guidelines to find out why the interferometer is no longer working. In practice, reserved for operators or on-duty astronomers.

Although these manuals are updated relatively frequently, only the on-line help within the programs has the latest revisions.