Single Box Xamin Quick Search
This page allows users to initiate Xamin queries using a single box for input. Users may enter target names, positions, missions and a variety of keywords that specify formats, coordinate systems and such.Note: This page demonstrates the single box input, but it is anticipated that normally this interface will be used in contexts (e.g., the HEASARC home page) where only the entry box is shown and a very small amount of help information will be present.
Inputs are parsed into tokens and these tokens are then analyzed. While the parser accepts many combinations of inputs correctly, you may find that enclosing complex tokens in single or double quotes is needed to convey the appropriate meaning.
| Kinds of inputs supported | ||
|---|---|---|
| Type | Description | Example[s] |
| Positions | Numeric positions in sexagesimal or decimal format, multiple positions can be specified. | 10 10 10, 20 20 20.3 10.124,8.763 |
| Target names | Names of targets that can be resolved into positions. If names or positions include spaces they should enclosed in quotes though sometimes such names can be recognized without quoting. | 'eta carina' '3c 273' or 3c273 sirius |
| Times | Times may be specified in JD, MJD or ISO formats. Time ranges may be given | 1990-10-10T14:15 50143.276 2003-10-04..2004-10-04 |
| Coordinates | The coordinate system used in input and output | J2000 Galactic B1950 E2000 |
| Table names | HEASARC and Vizier table names. When a table name is specified, only this table is queried. Multiple tables can be specified to start a correlation. | rosmaster I/284 |
| Formats | The format for the output | Text Excel FITS |
| Missions and other keywords | Keywords to look for in the description of the table. Mission names may be transformed to fiducial versions to assist the search. Any number of keywords may be specified. Only tables that match all keywords will be included. To include multiple missions enter as M1|M2 | 'Ariel 5' ROSAT|ASCA ROSAT|ASCA Clusters |
| Radius | The radius for cone searches. The final character specifies the units | 1800" 30' 0.5d |
| Constraints | Strings containing <,> or = are assumed to be constraints. If a string value is used it may need to be enclosed in single quotes. | exposure>10 status='archived' |
In the following table, we illustrate combinations of the above inputs to answer more complicated questions:
| Complete examples | |
|---|---|
| Description | Example |
| What ROSAT tables have information on 3c273 | '3c 273' rosat or 3c273 rosat |
| Find long Chandra exposures | chanmaster exposure>10000 status='archived' |
| Tables of cataclysmic variables (or that mention these) that include AM Her | 'AM Her' cataclysmic |
| Find all of the long ROSAT observations of Messier objects in Scorpius. | messier rosmaster a.constell='SCO' b.exposure>20000 |
For the full Xamin usage, see the web user guide