AA0.5 real-time calibration pipeline for Low

Introduction

For AA0.5, the SDP needs to be able to produce real-time calibration solutions to enable the CBF to form a single tied-array beam along the boresight (in the direction of the centre of the primary beam). This purpose of this spike is to get a working prototype of a real-time calibration pipeline, and answer some fundamental questions about how to operate it.

We want a pipeline that can read simulated AA0.5 observations and produce calibration solutions in quasi-real-time. The pipeline does not need to be integrated into the prototype SDP. Once we have a working pipeline, we can start to answer questions like:

• How much data (in time and frequency) is needed to get a good calibration solution?
• What data are useful for assessing the quality of the calibration solutions? (Thinking of QA displays.)
• What are the computational requirements of the pipeline?

As part of this work you should generate simulations for SKA-Low corresponding to the commissioning scenarios and test the pipeline on them.

As a stretch, you could also look at how the pipeline can be scaled up for later array assemblies (AA1, etc.).

Who?

• SDP real-time pipeline developers
• Commissioning scientists

What?

See acceptance criteria.

Why?

See benefit hypothesis.