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Suzaku Guest Observer Facility

Suzaku Data Analysis


Analysis of Version 2 and Version 3 Data

  • Things to Watch Out For (Last updated 2018 Oct 26 with updated information on the calibration of the Si K edge region of the XIS) This page lists
    • Calibration problems that have recently surfaced
    • Hints on how best to run Suzaku specific software

The version 5.0 of the data reduction guide is now available in HTML, PDF, and PostScript versions. This guide corresponds to Processing Version 2.X data as distributed to US Guest Observers. Although others are welcome to use this guide, there may be differences if data were obtained from ISAS/JAXA, or if the processing version is different.

Users of Version 2 data should update their Suzaku software to Version 6 or newer and also obtain the latest CALDB files.

  • Suzaku FTOOLS
  • Calibration files and related files can be obtained from the CALDB page at GSFC or from the CALDB page at ISAS.
    • There was a problem with the NXB database in the 20130110 version of XIS CALDB (files ae_xi?_nxb*_20121201.fits). This has been corrected in the 20130305 version (files ae_xi?_nxb*_20130228.fits).
Current calibration uncertainties of Version 2.X data are described in the Calibration status and caveats pages at ISAS.

The non X-ray background files for the analysis of the HXD data can be downloaded from the following locations:

PINGSO
Tuned (smaller systematic uncertainties):
Version 2.0 (for observations before 2012 July) or
Version 2.2 (New: for observations since 2012 August)
Version 2.5 (for observations before 2011-11-031)
or Version 2.6 (for observations after 2011-11-03)
Quick (usualy available sooner than "Tuned") Old Gain (for comparison with old analysis)

1Version 2.6 should be used for observations taken between 2010-03-01 and 2011-11-03 if it has been reprocessed with the latest gsogpt file.

Technical Description and XIS Quick Reference

Further details of the Suzaku satellite and its instruments, including the details of the data modes and calibration changes over the years, can be found in the Technical Description document, originally published as a guide for proposers.

This final version includes the post-mission updates to the history of the XIS calibration.

Dr. Tsujimoto of ISAS/JAXA maintained a 2-page quick reference for the XIS, mostly to facilitate observation planning. However, it contains useful information for archival users.

Stand-alone Pages on Specific Topics

The following are recent stand-alone pages on specific analysis topics. There are some instances in which information in these pages supercede that in the current version (Version 5.0) of the data reduction guide.

See also a list of current Suzaku memos - they contain more detailed information of many of the calibration issues.

In publishing results of Suzaku data analysis:
  • Please explicitly list the sequence numbers of the data used. This enables us to cross-link Suzaku data in the HEASARC database and the bibliography in the ADS.
  • How to acknowledge the use of Suzaku data in your publication.


The following pages include information appropriate for v2.x data and software that are also covered in the Reduction Guide, version 3.2.


Older Links

XIS Specific Issues

HXD Specific Issues


If you have any questions concerning Suzaku, visit the Feedback form.

This file was last modified on Tuesday, 01-Oct-2019 18:38:48 EDT

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