                                                   June 1998 (S.Josephine Chan)

CIRSI Data Redcution and Analysis Facility (CIRSI-DRAF) news

***** Warning * Warning * Waring * Warning * Warning * Warning * Warning *****

   CIRS-DRAF is released as an Experimental Version which means that it is not
quite stable. The tasks may still contain some undiscovered bugs. The bugs
will be fixed anytime as soon as they are discovered. Therefore, it is STRONGLY
DISCOURAGED to make a "private" copy in one's account. It is one's own risk.
For external site (Carnegie site only), an OFFICAL copy must be 
obtained by the author of CIRSI-DRAF (see next section).

***** Warning * Warning * Waring * Warning * Warning * Warning * Warning *****

(A) Registration

    If one would like to use CIRSI-DRAF, one MUST "register" to the author
of CIRSI-DRAF. One's email address will be put in the mail list of CIRSI-DRAF.
Regular support, correct instruction, and new information about CIRSI-DRAF
or related to CIRSI-DERAF will be provided. If one would like to become
a "registration user", please send an email to S.Josephine Chan
(sjchan@ast.cam.ac.uk) for request.


(B) General

  The CIRSI Data Reduction and Analysis Facility (CIRSI-DRAF), finally, is 
released as a test version 0.0.1.  There are at least three main packages
in CIRSI-DRAF, which are CQLOOK, CPLINE and CIRUTIL. The package structure of 
CIRSI_DRAF is similar to IRAF, STSDAS or any of large external packages which 
run under IRAF environment. Any scientific data analysis packages related to 
CIRSI data will be subpackages in CIRSI-DRAF in the future. 
  
  The CIRSI Quick Look Data Reduction Package (CQLOOK) becomes a subpackage of
the CIRSI Data Reduction and Analysis Facility. A new version (version 1.0.3)
is also released. Several backborn tasks have been modified in order to 
overcome several disadvantages (bug-like phenomena) in IRAF tasks or STSDAS 
tasks. The chance of crash of CIRSI-DRAF have been reduced.  A few new tasks
are also introduced (see next section).

  The CIRSI Pipeline Data Reduction Package (CPLINE) is a new subpackage of 
CIRSI-DRAF. It is a backborn pipeline data reduction package in CIRSI-DRAF. 
It is the package to produce the final version of sky-subtracted images before
any scientfic data analysis are performed. Currently, it only have a 
subpackage called CC2RED which contains two tasks (see next section). The 
tasks in CPLINE will be the main target of the package development in the 
coming months.

  The CIRSI General Toolkit Package (CIRUTIL) is a new subpackage of 
CIRSI-DRAF, orginally from a subpackage of CQLOOK. CQLOOK, CPLINE and any 
future packages will shared to use this toolkit package. A new main task 
is also introduced (see next section).

  
(C) What's new! 


In CIRUTIL:

     cirinfo      - make a logfile of one night observation in which the
                      essential information of the observation are contained
                      (information has to be stored in the headers)
     cirdither    - mosaic a list of images in a given dithering pattern 
                      based on the information from headers or a given file.
     cmkllistrrrc - make a list of lists imags in a particular loop number from
                     a list of images with same run number (RRR case only).
     chip4disp    - load 4 chip images into 4 different buffers and then using
                     Tile option in Ximtool Control Panel.   
     cir4ddisp    - take a quick look at a field thru difference of 2 lists of 
                    images; the different images are loaded into 4 different
                    frame buffers based on chip numbers of the chip numbers
                    or quadrant number of the quadrant images.

In CQLOOK:
 
  In CQLOOK.CPREPROC:

    cndrproc  - perform the basic preprocessing and sky-subtraction processing
                 if the readout mode is NDR.
    crrrproc  - perform the basic preprocessing and sky-subtraction processing
                 if the readout mode is RRR. (Non-reset-RRR case not available)
    cmkrrrcimg - make "real" images from a set of RRR-images which are either
                    reset corrected or non-reset-corrected.
                      (Non-reset-RRR case not available)


  In CQLOOK.CCREDUCT:

   cmkdnflat   - make a normalized flat frame from a list of domeflat frames
                  and domedark frames
   cmkmsnflat  - make a normalized flat frame using from a list of skyframes
                  obtaining from moving-sky flat method
   cmkqdnflat - make a list of "normalized-flat" quadrant-images
                  (or chip-images) from a list of lists of domeflat 
                  quadrant-images (or chip-images) and a list of lists of
                  dome dark frames
   cmkqmsnflat- makemake a list of "normalized-flat" quadrant-images
                  (or chip-images) from a list of lists of sky frames
                  quadrant-images (or chip-images) obtaining from
                   moving-sky flat method
   cdossky    - make sky images (quadrants or chips) and then these sky images
                   are subtracted from a list of lists of object images
                   (quadrants or chips)

In CPLINE:

   In CPLINE.CC2RED:

     ccleanskye - clean sky providing an empty field or normal field 
                      (i.e.: non-crowded field).
     cc2mksky   - make 2nd-pass (final version) sky images.



(D) Basic requirement to use CIRSI-DRAF

CIRSI-DRAF is written under IRAF environment. Therefore. it is strongly
recommended to know the basic of IRAF in order to use the package effectively.
The following is the information:

       A Beginner' Guide to Using IRAF Version 2.10 (Jeannette Barnes) : A 
good IRAF manual for IRAF users, not just only for beginners. 


(E) Other information about CIRSI-DRAF
    There is a Web site for CISI-DRAF. The address of the master web page is

  http://www.ast.cam.ac.uk/~cirsi/cirsi/local/data_reduction/cirsi/cirsi.html
  
    It can be accessed by local site users (Cambridge) and "registered" 
external site users.



