The CASA Software for Radio Astronomy: Status Update from ADASS 2018

CASA, the Common Astronomy Software Applications package, is the primary data processing software for the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) and the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA), and is frequently used also for other radio telescopes. In these proceedings of the 28th Astronomical Data Analysis Software & Systems (ADASS) conference, we give an overview of several new features in the CASA imaging task TCLEAN. This includes improved automated masking for image deconvolution, as well as parallel imaging options to increase imaging speeds. In addition, we highlight two upcoming developments. The first is the anticipated arrival of a first-look version of the Cube Analysis and Rendering Tool for Astronomy (CARTA), which is expected to eventually replace the CASA VIEWER. The other is a change in the way the different CASA components (e.g., tools and tasks) can be integrated within the Python environment, allowing much greater flexibility for users starting with CASA 6. We also summarize a list of CASA links to guide the user community to the latest CASA information and documentation.