High Energy Cross-Calibration Information

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 ROSAT: "Establishing HZ43 A, Sirius B, and RX J185635-3754 as soft X-ray standards: a cross-calibration between the Chandra LETG+HRC-S, the EUVE spectrometer, and the ROSAT PSPC", K. Beuermann,V. Burwitz, & T. Rauch, 2008, A&A, 481, 769
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

XMM Cross Calibration Page (includes the Calibration Review Tool)
and various Observatories: XMM-Newton (cross)-calibration, Kirsch et al., 2004, SPIE 5488, 103
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)