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rtpipe (as in 'real-time pipeline') is a Python library for searching radio interferometry data for fast (subsecond) transients. This differs from traditional time-domain techniques used on large single-dish telescopes in that visibilities also measure spatial information (i.e., make images).

To view a demonstration of rtpipe, see this Jupyter notebook with FRB 121102 data. To execute that notebook, you will need to install the code and download about 1 GB of data. Alternatively, you can also explore some simpler features in a Jupyter notebook using Binder.

rtpipe supersedes tpipe by using a paradigm that defines how to break long (large) data into smaller, independent pieces with a single treatment (flagging, image gridding, calibration, etc.).

• Python 2.7
• Scientific Python (e.g., supported by NumFOCUS): numpy, scipy, matplotlib, multiprocessing, bokeh
• Cython 0.19.1+
• pyFFTW 0.92+
• pwkit (for access to CASA libraries)
• sdmpy (for reading SDM format data)

If you have anaconda, you can install rtpipe like this:

conda install -c conda-forge numpy scipy jupyter bokeh cython matplotlib pwkit casa-tools casa-python casa-data
pip install rtpipe

I've had one report that installing from the conda-forge channel does not pick up some packages. If so, you may also try installing like this:

conda config --add channels conda-forge # required for proper dependency resolution with pkgw-forge
conda install -c conda-forge numpy scipy jupyter bokeh cython matplotlib
conda install -c pkgw-forge pwkit casa-tools casa-python casa-data
pip install rtpipe

Alternatively, you can install by building pwkit yourself to access CASA libraries. This is a bit tricky, but can be done by installing CASA and setting environment variables to see its libraries:

setenv CASA_HOME /home/casa/packages/RHEL6/stable/current
setenv PYTHONPATH ${PYTHONPATH}:${CASA_HOME}/lib/python2.7
setenv LD_LIBRARY_PATH ${LD_LIBRARY_PATH}:${CASA_HOME}/lib
setenv CASAPATH "${CASA_HOME} linux local ${HOST}"

The key is being sure that the python interpreter is binary-compatible with that used to build CASA. Note that this approach has not been tested recently and there are new pieces (e.g., bokeh) that are not explicit dependencies in the rtpipe build. And, really, you should be using the anaconda installer anyway!

• Casey Law
• Peter Williams (CASA libraries and general advice)
• Paul Demorest (sdmpy)

If you use rtpipe, please support open software by citing the record on the Astrophysics Source Code Library at http://ascl.net/1706.002. In AASTeX, you can do this like so:

\software{..., rtpipe \citep{2017ascl.soft06002L}, ...}

This code has been supported by the University of California Office of the President under Lab Fees Research Program Award 237863 and NSF ATI program under Grant 1611606.