Contents

• List of Tables
• 1. Introduction
  • 1.1 Acknowledgements
  
  
• 2. Useful Information and References
  • 2.1 Main Websites
  • 2.2 XMM-Newton Help Desks
  • 2.3 Mission Planning and Spacecraft Status
  • 2.4 Public Data Archives
  • 2.5 Software
  • 2.6 Analysis, Documentation, and Helpful Hints
  
  
• 3. A Few Words for the Veteran SAS Users
• 4. Hera
  • 4.1 Placing Data on the Hera Servers
  • 4.2 Setting Up and Running Standard Hera
  • 4.3 Command Line Hera Syntax and Logic
    • 4.3.1 Table and Command Line Syntax
    • 4.3.2 Filtering Logic
  
  
• 5. Data
  • 5.1 Useful Documentation
  • 5.2 The Data
  • 5.3 PI Data
    • 5.3.1 ODF Data
    • 5.3.2 Pipeline Product Data - Summary Files and Groupings
    • 5.3.3 Pipeline Product Data - Data Files
  
  
• 6. Preparing the Data for Processing
• 7. An EPIC Data Processing and Analysis Primer
  • 7.1 Rerun the Pipeline
  • 7.2 Examine and Analyze Data
    • 7.2.1 Create and Display an Image
    • 7.2.2 Create and Display a Light Curve
    • 7.2.3 Applying Standard Filters the Data
    • 7.2.4 Applying Time Filters the Data
    • 7.2.5 Source Detection with edetect_chain
    • 7.2.6 Extract the Source and Background Spectra
    • 7.2.7 Determine the Spectrum Extraction Areas
    • 7.2.8 Check for Pile Up
    • 7.2.9 My Observation is Piled Up! Now What?
    • 7.2.10 Create the Photon Redistribution Matrix (RMF) and Ancillary File (ARF)
    • 7.2.11 Prepare and Fit the Spectrum
  • 7.3 Timing Analysis
  
  
• 8. An RGS Data Processing and Analysis Primer
  • 8.1 Rerunning the Pipeline
  • 8.2 Potentially useful tips for using the pipeline
    • 8.2.1 A Nearby Bright Optical Source
    • 8.2.2 A Nearby Bright X-ray Source
    • 8.2.3 User-defined Source Coordinates
  • 8.3 Examine and Analyze the Data
    • 8.3.1 Create and Display an Image
    • 8.3.2 Create and Display a Light Curve
    • 8.3.3 Generating the Good Time Interval (GTI) File
    • 8.3.4 Applying the GTI
    • 8.3.5 Creating the Response Matrices (RMFs)
    • 8.3.6 Combining Spectra
  • 8.4 Approaches to Spectral Fitting and the Cash Statistic
    • 8.4.1 Spectral Rebinning
  • 8.5 Fitting a Spectral Model
  • 8.6 Analysis of Extended Sources
    • 8.6.1 Region masks
    • 8.6.2 Making RMFs for extended sources
  
  
• 9. An OM Data Processing and Analysis Primer
  • 9.1 OM Artifacts and General Information
  • 9.2 Imaging Mode
    • 9.2.1 Rerunning the Pipeline
    • 9.2.2 Verifying the Output
  • 9.3 Fast Mode
    • 9.3.1 Rerunning the Pipeline
    • 9.3.2 Verifying the Output
  • 9.4 Grism Analysis
    • 9.4.1 Rerunning the Pipeline
    • 9.4.2 Verifying the Output