X-ray Cross-Calibration Information
Note: this page under construction
Targets
Astrophysical objects which have been used for instrument calibration include the following:ROSAT Calibration Targets
- N132D, HZ 43, Crab Nebula, AR Lac, the "Meaty" Source (aka RE 1629+781, a white dwarf discovered by the ROSAT WFC, see Pye, 1996, MPE Report 263,627 & Cooke et al., 1992, Nature 355, 61), Vela SNR, Cyg X-2, Cyg X-3, A 2256, LMC X-1, LMC X-2, Cas A, MKN 421, Beta Car, Beta Leo, Vega, GD695, BPM97895, and EG 187, Delta Dor, BETA Aur, EPS Lyr
ASCA Calibration Targets
ASCA has used the following targets for the following purposes:- Crab Nebula: XRT+GIS energy response
- 3C273, G11.2-0.3: Residual Dark Distribution calibration
- Cas A: measurement of SIS CTI and gain
- 3C273: boresight calibrator
- 3C 273: spectral calibration
Swift Calibration Targets for the XRT
These targets are taken from "The in-flight spectroscopic performance of the Swift XRT CCD camera", J. Osborne et al.,Object | Type | Mode | Purpose | Exposure (ks) |
RXJ 0720.4-3125 | Pulsar | PC | Low energy response | 19.6 |
RXJ 1856.5-3754 | Neutron Star | PC | Low energy response | 5.4 |
PKS 0745-19 | Cluster of galaxies | PC | Low energy shelf and effective area | 29.7 |
2E 0102-7217 | SNR | PC WT LrPD |
Effective area and gain | 24.3 25.4 6.0 |
Cas A | SNR | PC WT |
Effective area and gain | 5.8 45.7 |
3C 273 | Quasar | WT | Effective area and cross-calibration | 10.0 |
Crab | SNR | WT LrPD |
Effective area and gain | 5.8 25.0 |
PSR 0540-69 | Pulsar | PC | Effective area | 33.9 |
Suzaku Calibration Targets
Suzaku calibration targets are listed in Table B.1.1 of the Suzaku Technical Description, which is reproduced here: B.1.1 Calibration
Target | RA | Dec | Stat | Exp. | #obs | Remarks |
E0102-72 | 01 04 02.4 | -72 01 60.0 | Obs | 75 | 2 | XIS window open |
E0102-72 | 01 04 02.4 | -72 01 60.0 | 20 | 1 | XIS | |
N132D | 05 25 03.3 | -69 38 27.2 | Obs | 105 | 6 | HXD HV ON |
Crab | 05 34 32.0 | +22 00 52.2 | Obs | 170 | 31 | |
Eta Carina | 10 45 03.6 | -59 41 04.3 | 20 | 1 | XIS | |
Lockman Hole | 10 52 00.0 | +57 18 00.0 | 100 | 1 | HXD | |
North Ecliptic Pole | 18 11 12.0 | +66 00 0.0 | Obs | 70 | 1 | |
Vega | 18 36 56.3 | +38 47 01.3 | Obs | 10 | 1 | Optical light leak check |
PKS2155-304 | 21 58 52.1 | -30 13 32.1 | 60 | 1 | XIS; coordinated obs. | |
with XMM-Newton | ||||||
Cas A | 23 23 24.0 | +58 48 54.0 | 10 | 1 | XIS |
Documents
Attempts at intercomparison of instrumental performance between 2 (or among 3 or more) observatories, or between multiple instruments on a single observatory.ASCA
- and ROSAT: "ASCA and ROSAT observations of NGC 5548: discrepant spectral indices", Iwasawa, K., Fabian, A. C., and Nandra, K., 1999, MNRAS, 307,611I (pdf preprint).
- and BeppoSax: "Quasi-simultaneous observations of 3C 273 by BeppoSAX and ASCA", Orr, A., Yaqoob, T., Parmar, A. N., Piro, L., White, N. E., and Grandi, P., 1998, AA, 337, 685. (pdf)
- and BeppoSax and RXTE: "High-Energy Cross-comparison of ASCA/XTE/BeppoSAX Using Simultaneous Observations of 3C 273", 1999, Yaqoob, T., and the ASCA GOF. (postscript)
Chandra
- and XMM-Newton: Chandra/XMM Cross-Calibration (paper presented by Herman Marshall at the 1st Chandra Calibration Workshop, November 2002)
- and XMM-Newton: Are Simultaneous Observations by XMM-Newton and Chanrda a Luxury or a Necessity? (presentation by A. Pollock at the 2003 Chandra Calibration Workshop
- and XMM-Newton: Chandra and Newton: Common Low-Energy Grating Observations (presentation by V. Kashyap at the 2004 Chandra Calibration Workshop
- and XMM-Newton: Chandra/XMM cross-calibration: Temperatures and soft X-ray fluxes of four galaxy clusters with ACIS-S/EPIC (presentation by M. Bonamente at the 2004 Chandra Calibration Workshop)
- and XMM-Newton: XMM-Newton (cross) calibration (presentation by M. Kirsch at the 2004 Chandra Calibration Workshop
- and XMM-Newton: Cross Calibration of the Chandra/ACIS and XMM/EPIC low energy response using 1E0102-723 (paper presented by Joe depasquale at the 2005 Chandra Calibration Workshop)
XMM-Newton
- and Chandra, ASCA, and ROSAT: "Comparison of XMM-Newton EPIC, Chandra ACIS-S3, ASCA SIS and GIS, and ROSAT PSPC Results for G21.5-0.9, 1E0102.2-7219, and MS1-54.4-0321", S. L. Snowden, Astroph, 0203311
- RGS & EPIC & other observatories:"XMM-Newton (cross)-calibration", 2003, M.F.G Kirsch et al.
- and Chandra: Chandra/XMM Cross-Calibration (paper presented by Herman Marshall at the 1st Chandra Calibration Workshop, November 2002)
- and Chandra: Are Simultaneous Observations by XMM-Newton and Chanrda a Luxury or a Necessity? (presentation by A. Pollock at the 2003 Chandra Calibration Workshop
- and Chandra: Chandra and Newton: Common Low-Energy Grating Observations (presentation by V. Kashyap at the 2004 Chandra Calibration Workshop
- and Chandra: Chandra/XMM cross-calibration: Temperatures and soft X-ray fluxes of four galaxy clusters with ACIS-S/EPIC (presentation by M. Bonamente at the 2004 Chandra Calibration Workshop)
- and Chandra: XMM-Newton (cross) calibration (presentation by M. Kirsch at the 2004 Chandra Calibration Workshop
- and Chandra: Cross Calibration of the Chandra/ACIS and XMM/EPIC low energy response using 1E0102-723 (paper presented by Joe depasquale at the 2005 Chandra Calibration Workshop)
- and Crab: Crab: the standard x-ray candle with all (modern) x-ray satellites, Proceedings of SPIE -- Volume 5898 UV, X-Ray, and Gamma-Ray Space Instrumentation for Astronomy XIV, Oswald H. W. Siegmund, Editor, 589803 (Sep. 9, 2005)
INTEGRAL
- Cross-Calibration Report (discusses cross-calibration between the various INTEGRAL instruments)
Other Links
- The RXTE Cross-Calibration page
- The XMM-Newton Cross-Calibration page.
- The Chandra Cross-Calibration page
Questions/Comments/Problems with the CALDB to: caldbhelp@athena.gsfc.nasa.gov
Page Author:
Michael F. Corcoran
1-301-286-5576
Last Update: Wednesday, 03-Oct-2007 12:53:18 EDT
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