BeppoSAX e-mail news n. 7
E-mail n. 7
07 January 1999
Dear BeppoSAX user,
this is the seventh BeppoSAX "e-mail news" message and covers the
following topics:
1. Release of SAXDAS 2.0 software
2. Release of improved calibrations
3. Cookbook for NFI Spectral Analysis
4. MECS support under MIDAS
5. MECS guided tour
6. SDC on line simulator
1. Release of SAXDAS 2.0 software
-----------------------------------
SAXDAS 2.0 has to be installed under ftools4.2
Modifications with respect to SAXDAS 1.3:
- Full use of the new C based CFITSIO library included in FTOOLS4.2
- Support to PDS expanded to the temperature dependent RiseTime selection.
A flag is added to each event in the PDS linearized and equalized
event file to identify photons within the temperature dependent and
energy dependent RiseTime threesholds. The observer can then screen
these events running for example "fselect".
Spectra and lightcurves are extracted as in SAXDAS 1.3 using
"pdproducts".
- Full support to HPGSPC.
- Energy dependent exposure maps for the MECS instrument ("expomaps").
The program takes into accunt the energy dependant vignetting
of the telescopes and the wobble of the telescopes during the
pointings.
- Calculation of MECS effective area files for extended sources ("effarea").
The program convolves a given surface brightness (provided as an
ascii file) with the MECS energy and position
dependent PSF and vignetting functions. The program can provide
``arf'' files relative to circles or annulii. It has been tested on
Coma cluster and the results compared to those obtained using
ASCA data, finding a good agreement.
- Several minor bugs have been corrected.
The SAXDAS 2.0 software is available from the SDC anonymous ftp service:
ftp www.sdc.asi.it
Name : anonymous
cd /pub/sax/software/saxdas
dir
SAXDAS_2.0.0.tar.gz SAXDAS software, release December 1998
SAXLEcaldb_1.8.0.tar.gz SAXDAS LECS cal files for data reduction
SAXMEcaldb_1.5.3.tar.gz SAXDAS MECS cal files for data reduction
SAXPDcaldb_1.3.0.tar.gz SAXDAS PDS cal files for data reduction
SAXHPcaldb_0.1.0.tar.gz SAXDAS HPGSPC cal files for data reduction
Programs dedicated to PDS and HPGSPC spectra and light curve
extraction (tcl scripts and OSF executables) can be also retrieved as
separate files under the directories "pds" and "hp":
cd /pub/sax/software/saxdas/pds
dir
2842624 Dec 22 17:32 pdmergelc
236 Dec 22 17:32 pdmergelc.par
15406 Dec 22 17:32 pdproducts tcl script
642 Dec 22 17:32 pdproducts.par
5554176 Dec 22 17:33 pdsublc
420 Dec 22 17:33 pdsublc.par
cd /pub/sax/software/saxdas/hp
2752512 Dec 22 17:41 hpgroup
402 Dec 22 17:41 hpgroup.par
4224 Dec 22 17:41 hpgrpgti
164 Dec 22 17:42 hpgrpgti.par
2891776 Dec 22 17:40 hpproducts
1354 Dec 22 17:40 hpproducts.par
2. Release of improved calibrations
-----------------------------------
- An improved effective area file (.arf file) for the HPGSPC
(produced by the CNR/IFCAI HPGSPC group) is now available.
- A new calibration of the telescope vignetting, performed using
in-flight data (MECS only, produced by the CNR/IFCAI and CNR/IFCTR groups,
see the report vignetting_rep.ps.gz in
the SDC anonymous ftp area, ftp://www.sdc.asi.it/pub/sax/doc/reports),
is now available. It is part of the SAXDAS 2.0 release.
- New LECS "blank fields" and "non X-ray" background files are
now available (care of SSD/ESA).
- New MECS "blank fields" and "non X-ray" background files are
now available (care of SDC and CNR/IFCTR)
.arf and .rmf response files are available from the SDC anonymous
ftp in the
/pub/sax/cal/responses/98_11
directory.
Background event files and .pha files are available in the
/pub/sax/cal/bgd/98_11
directory. Please consult the README files before retriving the
new calibrations.
3. Cookbook for NFI Spectral Analysis
------------------------------------------------------
This handbook can be retrived from the SDC anonymous ftp service:
ftp www.sdc.asi.it
Name : anonymous
cd /pub/sax/doc/software_docs
get saxabc.ps.gz
It integrates and expands the BeppoSAX SDC data analysis
Cookbook (http://www.sdc.asi.it/software/cookbook)
for what concerns the spectral analysis of the Narrow Field
Instruments and the combination of their data. Data reduction
and products extraction processes are briefly reviewed. The problem
of the NFI intercalibration is then discussed in detail.
Finally background subtraction issues are briefly discussed.
4. MECS support under MIDAS
---------------------------
Cettina Maccarone (CNR/IFCAI) has developed a context in MIDAS to
support MECS data analysis. The "saxmecs" context allows to convert
BeppoSAX-MECS FITS data (as accumulated with the SAXDAS and FTOOLS
software packages) into MIDAS tables and images, to perform on them
some basic functions, and to generate the analytical on-axis MECS
Point Spread Function. The context, mainly designed to take advantage
of the several image analysis ESO-MIDAS tools, can be retrieved and
easily installed to run under ESO-MIDAS version 97NOV or later. The
"saxmecs" software package will, on request, be distributed at no-cost
to non-profit research institutes or individual researchers (please,
send your request to the author at cettina@ifcai.pa.cnr.it). The
distribution file (gzipped tar file) will contain the complete source
code plus the procedure files for compiling and linking, embedded in a
hierarchical directory structure, together with the help-on-line
documentation. Updating of the "saxmecs" context, if any, will be
notified to whom received the first distribution file.
5. MECS guided tour
-------------------
Lucio Chiappetti (CNR/IFCTR) has prepared "A guided tour to the MECS
and to its response matrix".
The "tour" can be accessed at the following URL:
http://sax.ifctr.mi.cnr.it/Sax/Mecs/
6. SDC on-line simulator
------------------------
The SDC on-line simulator now supports the following missions/instruments:
SAX LECS
SAX MECS
JETX CCD
SODART HEPC
SODART LEPC
XMM EPIC (partial support, standard modes only)
AXAF ACIS (partial support, standard modes only, back illuminated chip)
We remind you that the simulator does not use a raytracing and
therefore the simulations should not be used for very detailed
studies. Nevertheless the simulator can be helpful to preparate
standard proposals. It can quickly generate the event files
appropriate for each given instrument of a generic field previously
observed by ROSAT during the All Sky Survey or as a pointed
observation. The simulator can also simulate complex fields with
extended sources in addition to point sources. See the on-line
help. The event files can be analyzed on-line or retrieved for a local
analysis.
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Wishing you Happy New Year we invite you to view our on-line
BeppoSAX calendar 1999 at
http://www.sdc.asi.it/calendar
or
http://heasarc.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/sax/calendar
We remind you that the BeppoSAX AO3 for the Core Program and the
Guest Observer Program is now open, with deadline
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> February 1 1999 <<<<<<<<<<<<<<
Information on the AO is available from the BeppoSAX SDC web pages:
http://www.sdc.asi.it/
Fabrizio Fiore & Paolo Giommi
BeppoSAX Science Data Center
------------------BeppoSAX SDC useful addresses and numbers----------------
WWW home page http://www.sdc.asi.it/
anonymous ftp www.sdc.asi.it
phone +39 06 40796307 (M.E. Pennisi, SDC secretary)
fax +39 06 40793855, +39 06 40796291
e-mail helpdesk@sax.sdc.asi.it
p-mail address BeppoSAX Science Data Center
ASI
c/o Nuova Telespazio
via Corcolle 19
00131 Roma
Italy
how to reach us http://www.sdc.asi.it/howreach.html
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Addendum
15 January 1999
Dear BeppoSAX user,
this is an addendum to the seventh BeppoSAX "e-mail news" message
issued on January 7 1999.
The BeppoSAX software, calibration and documentation is available not only
from the SDC anonymous ftp service but also from its mirror at HEASARC:
ftp legacy.gsfc.nasa.gov
Name : anonymous
cd sax/software/saxdas SAXDAS 2.0
cd sax/software/saxdas/pds SAXDAS 2.0 PDS dedicated software
cd sax/software/saxdas/hp SAXDAS 2.0 HPGSPC dedicated software
cd sax/cal/responses/98_11 .arf and .rmf response files
cd sax/cal/bgd/98_11 Background event and .pha files
sax/doc/software_docs Cookbook for NFI spectral analysis
sax/doc/reports/vignetting_rep.ps.gz A report on the in-flight calibration
of the telescopes vignetting
Fabrizio Fiore
BeppoSAX Science Data Center