Load an MS into glue

[keflavich]

Since casa-formats-io can now make astropy tables, we need documentation on how to use casa-formats-io to load an MS into glue

[astrofrog]

We should think about how we want to deal with the vector columns from a glue perspective

[keflavich]

Can glue deal with vector columns at all? The Hyperion RT grid also uses vector columns for a lot of things, it would be nice to load those into glue too (this is somewhat off-topic)

[astrofrog]

Well it could if we broadcasted all scalar columns to the same shape. Otherwise for now the shapes have to match. But this could be changed.

[keflavich]

I don't know what the interface should look like, but the most logical thing to do with vector columns from CASA data is to plot summary statistics: mean, median, sum, etc. Or, optionally, all of the data, flattened. I think that's what plotms allows.

[astrofrog]

What is the meaning of the extra dimensions? Polarisations?

[keflavich]

Not sure in general; they might be polarization in some cases, time in other cases, depending on the table. If it's length 2 or 4, I'd say polarization.