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Where to Look for VLA data

As the VLA observes, the data get written to nine track tape. After 8 hours or so (depending on the data rate) this tape will be full. A copy of the nine track tape is made to exabyte format and sent down to the AOC in Socorro. Within a few days this exabyte tape (with label DN) is combined with about 1 week's worth of data to nearly fill an archive tape (label XH) which is stored in the tape vault at the AOC. For about 2 months the exabyte transfer (DN) tape is also available in the tape vault. Either of these tapes may be checked out by visitors or local observers seeking to load their data. If you (or your advisor, for graduate students) were not listed on the original proposal, you must first obtain permission from Barry Clark (bclark@nrao.edu) or Jim Ulvestad (julvesta@nrao.edu) before requesting the data. Please see the NRAO Data Archive Policy for more details.

Outside users can request that their VLA data be loaded for them by the analysts using this VLA Data Request form. Note that unlike the current policy for the VLBA, VLA data is not automatically shipped to observers, but must be requested.

We are in the process of loading the entire VLA archive onto disk and making it accessible on-line. Currently the past two years have been loaded and we are in the process of testing and debugging the software to access the on-line archive data.

Last Modified on 2002 October 29
Greg Taylor (gtaylor@aoc.nrao.edu) Phone: (505) 835-7237; FAX: (505) 835-7027

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