Contents

• List of Tables
• 1. Introduction
  • 1.1 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  
  
• 2. Useful Information and References
  • 2.1 MAIN WEB SITES
  • 2.2 XMM-NEWTON HELP DESKS
  • 2.3 MISSION PLANNING AND SPACECRAFT STATUS
  • 2.4 PUBLIC DATA ARCHIVES
  • 2.5 CALIBRATION DATA
  • 2.6 SOFTWARE
  • 2.7 ANALYSIS, DOCUMENTATION AND HELPFUL HINTS
  
  
• 3. Data
  • 3.1 USEFUL DOCUMENTATION
  • 3.2 THE DATA
  • 3.3 PI Data
    • 3.3.1 ODF Data
    • 3.3.2 Pipeline Product Data - Summary Files and Groupings
    • 3.3.3 Pipeline Product Data - Data Files
  
  
• 4. Setting Up and Running SAS
  • 4.1 Installation
  • 4.2 Calibration Data
  • 4.3 SAS Environmental Parameters and Invocation
    • 4.3.1 SAS Helpful Hints
  • 4.4 SAS Syntax and Logic
    • 4.4.1 Command Line Syntax
    • 4.4.2 Table Syntax
    • 4.4.3 Filtering Logic
  
  
• 5. Preparing the Data for Processing
  • 5.1 cifbuild
  • 5.2 odfingest
  
  
• 6. An EPIC Data Processing and Analysis Primer
  • 6.1 A Quick Look at What You Have
  • 6.2 Rerunning the Pipeline
  • 6.3 Examine and Filter the Data
    • 6.3.1 An Introduction to the SAS GUI and xmmselect
    • 6.3.2 Create and Display an Image
    • 6.3.3 Create and Display a Light Curve
    • 6.3.4 Applying Standard Filters the Data
    • 6.3.5 Applying Temporal Filters the Data
  • 6.4 Extract and Fit the Spectrum
    • 6.4.1 Extract the Source Spectrum
    • 6.4.2 Extract the Background Spectrum
    • 6.4.3 Determine the Spectrum Extraction Areas
    • 6.4.4 Check for Pile Up
    • 6.4.5 My Observation is Piled Up! Now What?
    • 6.4.6 Create the Photon Redistribution Matrix (RMF)
    • 6.4.7 Create the Ancillary Region File (ARF)
    • 6.4.8 Prepare the Spectrum
    • 6.4.9 Fit the Spectrum
  • 6.5 Source Detection: edetect_chain
  • 6.6 Source Detection: The edetect_chain Work-Around
  • 6.7 Source Detection: Making a Sensitivity Map
  • 6.8 Timing Analysis
  • 6.9 Once More, This Time with Feeling and Ftools
  • 6.10 In a Nutshell
  
  
• 7. An RGS Data Processing and Analysis Primer
  • 7.1 A Quick Look at What You Have
  • 7.2 Rerunning the pipeline
  • 7.3 Potentially useful tips for using the pipeline
    • 7.3.1 A Nearby Bright Optical Source
    • 7.3.2 A Nearby Bright X-ray Source
    • 7.3.3 User-defined Source Coordinates
  • 7.4 Examine and Filter the Data
    • 7.4.1 An Introduction to the SAS GUI and xmmselect
    • 7.4.2 Create and Display an Image
    • 7.4.3 Create and Display a Light Curve
    • 7.4.4 Generating the Good Time Interval (GTI) File
    • 7.4.5 Applying the GTI
    • 7.4.6 Creating the Response Matrices (RMFs)
    • 7.4.7 Combining Spectra
  • 7.5 Fitting a Spectral Model
  • 7.6 Approaches to Spectral Fitting
    • 7.6.1 Spectral Rebinning
    • 7.6.2 Maximum-Likelihood Statistics
  • 7.7 Analysis of Extended Sources
    • 7.7.1 Region masks
    • 7.7.2 Fitting spectral models to extended sources
    • 7.7.3 Model limitations
  • 7.8 In A Nutshell
  
  
• 8. An OM Data Processing and Analysis Primer
  • 8.1 OM Artifacts and General Information
  • 8.2 A Quick Look at What You Have
  • 8.3 Imaging Mode
    • 8.3.1 Rerunning the Pipeline
    • 8.3.2 Verifying the Output
  • 8.4 Fast Mode
    • 8.4.1 Rerunning the Pipeline
    • 8.4.2 Verifying the Output
  • 8.5 Grism Analysis
    • 8.5.1 Rerunning the Pipeline
    • 8.5.2 Verifying the Output
  • 8.6 In a Nutshell