Data processing pipeline for Herschel HIFI^⋆

¹ SRON Netherlands Institute for Space Research, 3584 CA Utrecht, The Netherlands
e-mail: russ@sron.nl
² Kapteyn Astronomical Institute, University of Groningen, 9747 AD Groningen, The Netherlands
³ University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada
⁴ Herschel Science Center, ESAC, Villefranca, 28080 Madrid, Spain
⁵ Telespazio Vega UK Ltd for ESA, European Space Astronomy Centre (ESA/ESAC), Operations Department, Villanueva de la Cañada, 28692 Madrid, Spain
⁶ IPAC, Mail Code 100-22, Caltech, 1200 E. California Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
⁷ Max Planck Institute für Sonnensystemforschung, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
⁸ Osservatorio Astrofisico di Arcetri, 50125 Florence, Italy
⁹ IRAP, Institut de Recherche en Astrophysique et Planétologie CNRS/UPS, 31028 Toulouse, France
¹⁰ FachHochschule Nordwest, 4600 Olten, Switzerland
¹¹ Laboratoire d’Astrophysique de Bordeaux, Univ. Bordeaux, CNRS, B18N, Allée Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 33615 Pessac, France
¹² Onsala Space Observatory, 43992 Onsala, Sweden
¹³ University of Cologne, 50674 Cologne, Germany
¹⁴ ESTEC, 2201 AZ Noordwijk, The Netherlands
¹⁵ ESA, The Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
¹⁶ Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute (KASI), 776 Daedeokdae-ro, Yuseong-gu, 34055 Daejeon, Republic of Korea

Received: 16 June 2017
Accepted: 12 July 2017

Abstract

Context. The HIFI instrument on the Herschel Space Observatory performed over 9100 astronomical observations, almost 900 of which were calibration observations in the course of the nearly four-year Herschel mission. The data from each observation had to be converted from raw telemetry into calibrated products and were included in the Herschel Science Archive.

Aims. The HIFI pipeline was designed to provide robust conversion from raw telemetry into calibrated data throughout all phases of the HIFI missions. Pre-launch laboratory testing was supported as were routine mission operations.

Methods. A modular software design allowed components to be easily added, removed, amended and/or extended as the understanding of the HIFI data developed during and after mission operations.

Results. The HIFI pipeline processed data from all HIFI observing modes within the Herschel automated processing environment as well as within an interactive environment. The same software can be used by the general astronomical community to reprocess any standard HIFI observation. The pipeline also recorded the consistency of processing results and provided automated quality reports. Many pipeline modules were in use since the HIFI pre-launch instrument level testing.

Conclusions. Processing in steps facilitated data analysis to discover and address instrument artefacts and uncertainties. The availability of the same pipeline components from pre-launch throughout the mission made for well-understood, tested, and stable processing. A smooth transition from one phase to the next significantly enhanced processing reliability and robustness.