XMM-Newton Science Analysis System: Users' Guide

2.2 Successive steps in analysing XMM-Newton data. Threads and Watchout items

In general, the analysis of XMM-Newton data proceeds along the following steps:

1. preparation of the analysis environment, including access to the XMM-Newton data and calibration files, SAS analysis system and associated software packages,

2. inspection of the XMM-Newton observation datafiles, current calibration files and pipeline products,

3. definition and planning of the analysis activities,

4. creation of calibrated event lists using the pipeline processing meta-tasks. The user may skip this step and only use for analysis the calibrated event lists provided as pipeline products (the step is necessary in case of better calibration available or the pipeline products been generated with an older SAS version than the current one),

5. data screening, source detection and extraction of scientific products including images, spectra and time series. Again, much of this work is done also by the pipeline, e.g. generation of images in different spectral ranges as well as source detection in the case of EPIC data, also spectra extraction in first and second order from the RGS data,

6. generation of auxiliary response files and redistribution matrices,

7. scientific analysis of the final XMM-Newton products.

The completion of step 2, 4, 5 and 6 requires the use of tasks specific to the analysis of XMM-Newton data which constitute the XMM-Newton Science Analysis System (SAS).

Users are strongly recommended to first have a look at the Data analysis threads for the data reduction of each instrument, and to check regularly the Watchout items and evergreen tips, both under:

http://xmm.esac.esa.int/sas