VLBIFiles.jl

Reads and writes file formats used in Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI): images, visibilities, and source models. Automatic format detection.

using VLBIFiles

# Automatic format detection
data = VLBI.load("your_data_file")

# Specify output type explicitly
image = VLBI.load(KeyedArray, "image.fits")
uvdata = VLBI.load(VLBI.UVData, "visibilities.uvf")
model = VLBI.load(MultiComponentModel, "source.mod")
clean_model = VLBI.load(MultiComponentModel, "clean_image.fits")

# Convert visibilities to table format for analysis
uv_table = VLBI.load("visibilities.uvfits") |> uvtable

Part of the VLBIData ecosystem — loaded visibility data is directly compatible with VLBIData.jl operations (averaging, closures, error rescaling, polarization, and more).

Supported Data Types

Images

Astronomical images as KeyedArrays from AxisKeys.jl:

• FITS files: ✅ Read, ✅ Write

Visibilities

Complex interferometric visibility data, read-only:

• UVFITS files: ✅ Read
• FITS-IDI files: 🟡 Read (partial)
• HOPS alist files: ✅ Read

Source Models

Parametric source models via InterferometricModels.jl:

• Difmap model files: ✅ Read, ✅ Write
• CLEAN components (from FITS images): ✅ Read, ❌ Write

Documentation

More examples in the Pluto notebook. See the VLBIData.jl README for documentation on working with loaded data: visibility tables, averaging, closures, polarization, and more.