VISIR: Data Management Basics
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File ownership

All raw files carry the FITS keyword 'HIERARCH ESO OBS PROG ID'. Depending on the content of this keyword, several cases are distinguished concerning the distribution of files in the Service Mode package:

• SCIENCE files: here a strict check on the PROG_ID is made. You will receive all files which carry your PROG_ID, and only these. Included are also all acquisition files (DPR CATG = ACQUISITION)
• CALIB files: you receive all the files which carry your PROG_ID, but in most cases your set is dominated by shared files, i.e. those ones which were produced by the Observatory as part of the daily calibration plan. So in general the selection of calibration files is not driven by the PROG_ID, but by the instrument settings.

File naming schemes

The following naming schemes are relevant for files in the Service Mode package:

• archive file name (FITS keyword: ARCFILE): this is the unique name of a rawfile which consists of the parent instrument name and the timestamp of its generation. Raw files always have extension '.fits'.
• original file name (FITS keyword: ORIGFILE): this is the name of a raw file generated by the instrument workstation. In case of VISIR, it consists of the name of the parent instrument, a tag for the INS MODE and the sequence number of the frame within the stack. Original file names are not necessarily unique.
• data product file name (FITS keyword: PIPEFILE): this is the name of any pipeline product following the VISIR product naming scheme. It is composed by the prefix 'VR_,', a four letter code for the instrumnetal mode (e.g. SICP (ScienceImageCombinedProduct) for science imaging) and a number of parameters. Product files may have the extension '.fits' if they are frames, or '.tfits' if they are tables, or 'paf' if they are VLT parameter files. Since there are usually more than one raw file used to generate the product, the ARCFILE of the first one is used.

File association

The association of raw files of different types (CALIB and SCIENCE), as well as of raw files and data products, is a non-trivial task given the amount and complexity of data types in many SM packages. To support in this task, we have created the list files which you find in each data directory.

FAQs

General policy of data distribution.

Do I have to submit a request to receive my Service Mode data package?

NO. The Service Mode programs are declared completed by the Users Support Group. This signal is sent to the Data Flow Operations Group which then prepares the VISIR package. The data are copied onto CDs/DVDs and sent to the PI as soon as possible.

When can I expect to receive my VISIR data package?

• VISIR data are shipped from Paranal on DVDs twice a week.
• They are processed by QC Garching as quickly as possible. Processed means: calibration products are created and quality-checked, science data are reduced.
• As soon as QC Garching receives a notification that a specific program is completed, we built a Service Mode package and send a notitication to the archive group to copy these data to CDs/DVDs.
• The complete set of CDs/DVDs is mailed to the PI.

In total this chain of events is finished on average four-six weeks after the last frames have been measured.

General information about ServiceMode Observing is available.

Under which conditions will my data be reduced?

Since the beginning of operation (P75, April 2005), VISIR data are pipeline-processed, and usually SM packages receive both processed calibration data and reduced science data. If you do not receive pipeline-reduced data, this may be due to the following reasons:

• Some or all of the setups you have used are not yet pipeline-supported.
• The pipeline may have failed for other reasons. These are reported to you in a separate file.

Send comments to <Danuta.Dobrzycka@eso.org>  Last update: March 23, 2007