Contents

• Contents
• Preface to the AO-7 Version
• Introduction
  • Purpose and Scope
  • Quick Comparison of the GIS & SIS
  • Latest Information
  • Figure Captions
• ASCA Performance Update
  • XRT Performance
  • GIS Performance
  • SIS Performance
    • CTI, RDD, & spectral resolution
    • Hot and flickering pixels
    • Background
  • Satellite Operations Since the PV Phase
• Observing Constraints
  • Scheduling
  • Constraints
  • Viewing Constraints
  • Sampling Constraints
    • South Atlantic Anomaly
    • Earth occultation
    • Regions of low geomagnetic rigidity
    • Angle from the bright Earth limb
    • Typical sampling window
  • Operational Constraints
    • ``Contact'' and ``remote'' orbits
    • Telemetry rates and on-board storage capacity
    • Maneuvering and attitude determination
    • Choice of GIS & SIS modes
    • Placement of target in the field of view
  • Restrictions on Observing Time
    • Interpretation of requested time
    • Minimum observing time
    • Multiple close pointings at large extended objects
    • Time-critical observations
  • Figure Captions
• XRT
  • Summary of Properties
  • Instrument Structure
  • XRT Capabilities
    • Effective area
    • Field of view
    • Plate scale
    • Spatial resolution
  • References
  • Figure Captions
• GIS
  • General Principles
  • The Detector
    • Detector assembly
    • Gas cell
    • Phototube
  • The Data System
    • On-board data processing
    • Position determination
    • Background rejection
  • Observation Modes
  • Inflight GIS Performance
    • Energy resolution
    • Background
    • Useable field of view
  • Acknowledgements
  • Figure Captions
• SIS
  • Introduction
    • CCD structure
  • Properties of the SIS CCDs
  • SIS Camera
  • Detection and Classification of Events
  • Observation Modes
    • CCD clocking modes
    • CCD data modes
    • Address and level discrimination
    • Mode choice
  • Inflight SIS Performance
    • Energy resolution
    • Background
    • Limiting sensitivity
    • Optical and UV light leakage
    • Echo
    • Hot and flickering pixels
  • Radiation Damage Monitoring and Predictions for the AO-7 Phase
    • CTI
    • Residual Dark Distribution
    • Predicted performance of SIS during AO-7
  • Acknowledgement
  • Figure Captions
• Feasibility: GIS+XRT
  • Count Rate Limitations
    • Telemetry Limit
  • Limitations of Imaging Observations
    • PSF
    • Useable field of view
  • Limitations of Timing Observations
    • Choice of GIS bit assignment
  • Limitations of Spectral Observations
    • Pass band
    • Energy resolution
    • Effect of deadtime
  • Detection Sensitivity (GIS & SIS)
  • Figure Captions
• Feasibility: SIS+XRT
  • Preamble: SIS Observing Modes and Feasibility
  • Count Rate Limitations
    • Telemetry Limit
    • Photon pile-up limit
  • Extended source observations
  • Limitations of Imaging Observations
    • PSF
    • Image scale
  • Limitations of Timing Observations
    • Imaging modes
    • Fast mode
  • Limitations of Spectral Observations
    • Effective Area
    • Resolution
  • Figure Captions
• Simulations
  • Introduction
  • Helpful hints for good feasibilities
    • Common mistakes
    • Do I really have do a full-blown simulation?
  • Estimating source count rate using PIMMS
    • PIMMS terminology
    • Example I: estimating ASCA count rates
    • Example II: estimating ASCA count rates
  • Using XSPEC for Spectral Simulations
    • Getting started
    • Reading in the dummy data
    • Defining a model
    • Faking data
    • Fitting the fake data
• PIMMS, VIEWING and ROLL
  • Introduction
  • PIMMS
  • viewing
  • roll
• ASCA Personnel
• How to Obtain and Install XSPEC
  • Where to find XSPEC
  • How to install XSPEC
  • Where to get help on XSPEC
• Acronyms