PyBDSF Documentation

PyBDSF (the Python Blob Detector and Source Finder) is a tool designed to decompose radio interferometry images into sources and make available their properties for further use. PyBDSF can decompose an image into a set of Gaussians, shapelets, or wavelets as well as calculate spectral indices and polarization properties of sources and measure the psf variation across an image. PyBDSF uses an interactive environment based on CASA [1] that will be familiar to most radio astronomers. Additionally, PyBDSF may also be used in Python scripts.

Introduction

• Why PyBDSF?
• Capabilities of PyBDSF

Obtaining PyBDSF

• Downloading and installing
• What’s New

User's Guide

• PyBDSF Basics
  • Starting PyBDSF
  • Quitting PyBDSF
  • Getting help
  • Logging
  • Commands
  • Tasks
  • Hierarchy of an astronomical image
  • Quick-start example
• process_image: processing an image
  • General reduction parameters
    • Adaptive box options
    • Advanced options
    • Flagging options
    • Output options
    • Multichannel options
  • À trous wavelet decomposition module
  • PSF variation module
  • Spectral index module
  • Polarization module
  • Shapelet decomposition module
• show_fit: visualizing the fit results
• export_image: exporting internally derived images
• write_catalog: writing source catalogs
  • Definition of output columns
• Scripting PyBDSF
• Alphabetical listing of all parameters

Analysis Examples

• Simple image with point sources
• Image with artifacts
• Image with extended emission
• Scripting example
• Using SAMP interoperability

Details of the Algorithms

• Determining whether an image is confused
• Calculation of mean and rms maps
• Gaussian fitting
• Errors on the Gaussian parameters
• Grouping of Gaussians into sources
• Effect of neglecting color corrections

Footnotes

[1]

https://casa.nrao.edu