wsclean: an implementation of a fast, generic wide-field imager for radio astronomy

Astronomical wide-field imaging of interferometric radio data is computationally expensive, especially for the large data volumes created by modern non-coplanar many-element arrays. We present a new wide-field interferometric imager that uses the w-stacking algorithm and can make use of the w-snapshot algorithm. The performance dependences of CASA's w-projection and our new imager are analysed and analytical functions are derived that describe the required computing cost for both imagers. On data from the Murchison Widefield Array, we find our new method to be an order of magnitude faster than w-projection, as well as being capable of full-sky imaging at full resolution and with correct polarization…

• NS
  National Science Foundation

  Awards: 0835713, 0908884, CAREER-0847753, 0457585, AST-0908884, PHY-0835713, CAREER, 0847753, AST-0457585
• SI
  Smithsonian Institution
• N
  Nvidia
• HU
  Harvard University
• AA
  Astronomy Australia Limited
• AG
  Australian Government
• CS
  Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation

  Award: CE110001020
• VU
  Victoria University of Wellington

  Award: MED-E1799
• VU
  Victoria University
• CU
  Curtin University of Technology
• MD
  Ministero dello Sviluppo Economico
• UA
  U.S. Air Force

  Award: FA9550
• SA
  Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory
• AF
  Air Force Office of Scientific Research

  Awards: FA9550-, FA9550-0510247, FA9550
• AR
  Army Research Office