NExScI KI Support Page

The NExScI provides observation planning, data infrastructure, and data calibration applications for KI. This web page contains links to help you write and submit a KI proposal and access, reduce and calibrate KI data. For assistance, contact your assigned contact scientist or visit the the help desk page.

• The Nulling exo-zodiacal dust survey Key Science teams have been selected.
  • Press release
  • Target list
• KI data now publicly available
  • More info
  • Search for data in the Level 1 database
  • List of science sources with publicly available data
• getCal planning tool: manual and web interface.
• wbCalib and nbCalib calibration programs: manual (wbCalib and nbCalib) and web interface.
• Software download page
• Software information (current and future releases)
• Published science papers using KI.
• Requested acknowledgement of KI data or NExScI services.

Interferometry Basics

• What is a visibility and what can KI measure?
• Some useful references and links to complete tutorials
• JPL's PlanetQuest website

Proposal Planning

• How to propose (UC, Caltech, UH, NASA and NOAO TACs all accept KI proposals)
  Update for 2009B call for proposals:
  • Two new modes of visibility observing are available for shared-risk science in 2009B - self-phase referencing (V2-SPR) and L-band. See V2 mode link for sensitivity details.
  • The nulling mode is available for proposals and the sensitivities have been updated.
• V2 mode: Instrument sensitivity and observing parameters
• Nulling mode: Instrument sensitivity and observing parameters

Observation Planning

Once your proposal has been accepted, you will need to prepare a schedule file. All observations with the Keck Interferometer are executed as service observing.

• How KI observations work
• How to prepare a schedule file
• manual and web interface
• Visibility Modeling Tool

Data Access and Archive Users

The raw data are reduced to averaged visibilities (Level 1) by the NExScI and these data are available through a web interface, subject to data proprietary constraints.

• General description of data and access mechanisms
• Level 1 database
• List of science sources with publicly available data
• Level 1 and 2 data product descriptions
  • V² data
  • Nulling data

Data Analysis

The data analysis is covered in 2 stages: from raw data to visibilities is called data reduction and correcting those visibilities for the system visibility is called data calibration.

Data Reduction

The data reduction step is run automatically by the NExScI. If you would like the reduction run with different settings, please contact your contact scientist.

• V² data
  • Data reduction guide
  • Default Kvis settings
• Nulling

Data Calibration

• Date specific data notes
• V² data
  • How to calibrate your data
  • wbCalib and nbCalib manuals and web interface.
  • wb/nbCalib recommended settings
• Nulling
• Data memos page
  • A series of memos describing the results of various data characterization and calibration tests.

Visiting the NExScI

The NExScI welcomes visits by KI observers who wish to receive in-person tutorials on how to make use of our observing planning and data analysis software tools. To initiate a request to come visit the NExScI, please send email to your contact scientist or visit the the help desk page.