The Fundamental Reference Image Data Archive (FRIDA)

The Fundamental Reference Image Data Archive (FRIDA), the replacement for the Radio Reference Frame Image Database, is the primary service of the United States Naval Observatory (USNO) Analysis Center for Source Structure. It is a Web-accessible archive of images of sources that comprise the International Celestial Reference Frame (ICRF). These images are a critical resource for determining the suitability of a source for inclusion in the ICRF and aid in the study of the contribution of source structure and variability to the accuracy of the ICRF.

Currently, FRIDA is made up of over 15,000 images of over 3,700 sources at frequencies from 2.4 GHz to 24 GHz. The sessions include antennas from the National Radio Astronomical Observatory's (NRAO) Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) and international antennas. We also include the data and tools that went into making those images. We will make the calibrated data, the log file outlining how the calibration was carried out, and the code used to carry out the calibration steps available to the community.

For more information on how the calibration pipeline works, see AJ 162 121H

We are also making our CASA (v5.7) calibration and imaging scripts available for download here and here.

The Fundamental Reference Image Data Archive can be accessed using the link below, which will open up a new page in your browser.

FRIDA