BoA: a versatile software for bolometer data reduction

TL;DR

BoA is a comprehensive, versatile software package designed for real-time and offline reduction, analysis, and visualization of bolometer data, seamlessly integrating with telescope systems and supporting various bolometer arrays.

Contribution

This paper introduces BoA, a new software tool that offers integrated online and offline data processing for bolometer observations at APEX, enhancing observational feedback and data analysis capabilities.

Findings

Enables real-time processing of bolometer data at APEX

Supports multiple bolometer arrays including LABOCA

Provides comprehensive online and offline data reduction and visualization

Abstract

Together with the development of the Large APEX Bolometer Camera (LABOCA) for the Atacama Pathfinder Experiment (APEX), a new data reduction package has been written. This software naturally interfaces with the telescope control system, and provides all functionalities for the reduction, analysis and visualization of bolometer data. It is used at APEX for real time processing of observations performed with LABOCA and other bolometer arrays, providing feedback to the observer. Written in an easy-to-script language, BoA is also used offline to reduce APEX continuum data. In this paper, the general structure of this software is presented, and its online and offline capabilities are described.