It typically takes about 1 to 2 weeks.

It typically takes about 3 to 4 weeks.

It typically takes one week to process one month of data.

Before guide stars are available for the first time (the first 90 minutes or less), both attitude control and ground attitude determination may be less accurate. Users should check images and light curves carefully.

The pointing accuracy currently is about 1 arcmin or less.

In the data of processing v.1.2.2.3, the pointing error with a time scale longer than one satellite orbit is corrected and is reflected on the sky coordinate of each photon. However, there still remains 20"-50" fluctuation of the pointing direction originating from thermal distortion of the spacecraft body. This latter point will further be investigated using v.1.2.2.3 data.

The effective area (including the detector efficiency) at launch was about 330 and 370 cm² on the FI and BI at 1.5 keV.

Although the average optical axis of XIS and that of HXD-PIN differ by about 5 arcmin, the XIS field of view is entirely covered by the HXD-PIN field of view. Users therefore always obtain both XIS and HXD data simultaneously. Taking into account this difference, we prepared the two default pointing positions, XIS nominal and HXD nominal positions, which prioritizes the observation efficiency of XIS over that of HXD, and vice versa.

The spectral resolution depends on the observation modes and the observation date. The user should check it using the calibration source (⁵⁵Fe) that is attached to the CCD.

The XIS field of view is about 17.8 arcmin x 17.8 arcmin.

PI = [E(eV)/3.65]
You can also find this relation in the RMFs that are part of the Suzaku calibration database.

Basically the difference lies in the number of pixels read out around the center of each event; in the 5x5 or 3x3 mode, the data from 25 or 9 pixels are read. Please note that there is no difference in the basic analysis (we use only the 3x3 pixels around the central pixel) and users are free to sum up spectra of both modes. Users should note that, since the FITS structure of event files are different between the 5x5 and the 3x3 modes, 5x5 and 3x3 event files cannot be combined into a single event file without loss of information.

The problem was first noticed in late 2005. The XIS instrument team has been studying the effects to determine the origin and the exact composition of the contaminant. They have provided a tool called xiscontamicalc as part of the newest distribution of HEASOFT. Please check the Suzaku website regularly for updates.

Screening criteria are as follows:

SAA_HXD==0 && T_SAA_HXD>500 && ELV>5 && DYE_ELV>20

The field of view of the PIN diode is collimated by the passive fine collimator (FC) into 34'x34' squares. The situation is the same for GSO in below 100 keV. The FCs become transparent in above 100 keV, where the FOV becomes 4.5 degrees x 4.5 degrees.

During the AO-1 period, the recommended range is 12 to 70 keV. Thermal noises sometimes appear in the 10-12 keV band, because of problems in the cooling system of the HXD from the initial phase.

During the AO-1 period, the recommended range is 40 to 600 keV. Note, however, that the background above 300 keV is so high that even the Crab data are not used in the analysis at >300 keV.

It depends on the observation, but we have background systematic errors within roughly 5% in the 15-40 keV band if the data have a few x 10 ks exposure.

It depends on the observation, but again we have background systematic errors within roughly 3% in 50-100 keV band if the data have a few x 10 ks exposure.

No. The normalizations of the background spectra were multiplied by 10 for the PIN in order to reduce statistical uncertainties. Note that the GSO background data have been created with the same count rate as the real data.

Deadtime correction of a (spectral) PI file can be performed using the hxddtcor tool in the HEADAS package. The details are available in the newest version of the ABC guide.

If users want to correct the deadtime in their HXD light curves, they will need to perform the correction time bin by time bin. They should perform the deadtime correction for GSO background data, but need not do so for the PIN background data, which are generated with the correction built-in.

Screening criteria are as follows:

ELV>5 && SAA_HXD==0 && T_SAA_HXD>500 && COR>8.

The intervals with the high voltage set below 700 V are also screened out.