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ROSAT Status Report #137/ FTOOLS v3.5 release
ROSAT Status Report #137
April 1 1996
***************************************************************************
ROSAT FTOOLS
A number of new ROSAT ftools are available as part of the ftools version 3.5
release (detailed release notes follow):
New in the ROSAT package:
pcsasscor - Performs spatial gain recorrection on PSPC events file
This tool was previously known as pcpicor, and corrects the PI
column of a ROSAT events file for a bug in the spatial gain correction
appplied by all versions of SASS used to date.
pctcor - Applies a time-dependant correction to PI data
pctcor corrects for uncalibrated spatial gain variations across the
face of the detector. It uses gain maps produced from the on-board
Al K alpha calibration data. The calibration data were binned in
100 day intervals and then fit for the gain on a 2 arc minute
grid.
pcecor - Applies an energy dependant term to time correction of the PI data
pcecor uses calibration data from the PANTER facility in Neuried to
correct for the variation in the linearity of the PSPC response
with absolute gain. The data were collected several years after
the launch of ROSAT using the engineering model PSPC. It was
observed that the effective gain in the 0.25 - 1.0 keV energy range
was lower than expected after normalizing to the 1.5 keV monitor
line, and this effect became worse with lower absolute gain. For
example, a 0.75 keV X-ray might be detected as a 0.72 keV X-ray
when the PSPC was operating at low gain. Data from higher energy
calibration lines were collected at the same time, which allowed a
check of response linearity over an extended energy range.
pcpicor - script which spawns PI correction tasks pcsasscor, pcecor, pctcor
The ftool previously released under the pcpicor name perfomed the
correction which is now know as pcsasscor. This new script version
of pcpicor spawns all the PI correction tasks, pcsasscor, pcecor
and pctcor.
***************************************************************************
*WARNING*
- spectra extracted after correction for all time dependant
effects using pcpicor (or using pctcor and pcecor)
should not be fit using the pspcb/c_gain1/2 matrices. A new matrix
will shortly be released for use with corrected data (expected by May
1996). Please contact the ROSAT GOF for updates.
***************************************************************************
Useful new general tasks:
extrpsf - Extracts a radial profile directly from an events file
This allows an extraction of a FITS format radial profile directly
from the ROSAT events file in circular annuli. User inputs include the
desired energy range, the specification of the centroid and extent
of the radial profile and some options related to error and
background handling. Later releases of this task will allow
region masks to be applied to screen-out regions which should be
excluded from the radial profile. The output from this task
can be compared to the theoretical profile using the rbnrpsf,
pcrpsf, rpsfqdp, rpsf2eef tasks (or the calcrpsf script which
spawns these). Please read the online help file for more details
and current limitations of this first version of the task.
rpsf2eef - converts radial point spread format to encircled energy function
caldbinfo - Gives info on caldb setup
addspec - adds pha spectra
A ROSAT Users Guide to data analysis using XSELECT and FTOOLS is available in
postscript and LaTeX form from the legacy.gsfc.nasa.gov anonymous FTP area
under /rosat/doc/xselect_guide and via the www at
http://heasarc.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/rosat/ros_xselect_guide/xselect.html
The Users Guide will be updated shortly, to reflect these additions and
some other minor changes. For more details on the new tasks please see the
online help files, or contact the ROSAT GOF at rosathelp@rosserv
The ROSAT FTOOLS page on the World Wide Web describes the latest FTOOLS and
perl scripts, the URL is
http://heasarc.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/software/ftools/rosat.html
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< SOFTWARE RELEASE ANNOUNCEMENT >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
---------------------------------
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< FTOOLS VERSION 3.5 DISTRIBUTION >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
A new release of the FTOOLS software package is now publicly available.
FTOOLS is a package of approximately 200 data analysis programs and Perl
scripts that operate on FITS format data files. Some of these tasks are
very general and may be used on any FITS format file. Other tasks are
designed to perform specific data reduction or analysis procedures on data
files from the ROSAT, ASCA, XTE, CGRO and other astrophysics X-ray and
Gamma-ray satellites. This software is freely available from the High Energy
Astrophysics Science Archive Research Center (HEASARC) as described below:
How: (1) With a WWW browser:
http://heasarc.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/software/ftools/ftools_release.html
*** OR ***
(2) Anonymous FTP from legacy.gsfc.nasa.gov in directory:
software/ftools/release/FTools_3.5
What: ******* FTOOLS Source and Data *******
***(ascadata is only needed to run certain tasks, primarily ASCA)***
ftools.v3.5.tar.gz - Source Code Distribution for all platforms
ascadata.v3.5.tar.gz - Minimal subset of ASCA Calibration Database
*** Compressed Postscript Documentation ***
***(in software/ftools/release/doc directory)***
develop.v3.5.ps.gz - Developer's Guide
install.v3.5.ps.gz - Installation Guide
users.v3.5.ps.gz - User's Guide
Xselect_1.3.ps.gz - Xselect Users Guide
*** HTML Documentation ***
at http://heasarc.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/software/ftools/ftools_menu.html
Supported Platforms: (See Installation Guide for details)
unix ALPHA/OSF, DEC/ULTRIX, SUN/SunOS (incl. Solaris)
SGI/IRIX
vms ALPHA/VMS, VAX/VMS
++++++++++What's New in FTOOLS version 3.5++++++++++
++ HP-UX Host Untested ++
As of the release date (29MAR96), the v3.5 release has
not been tested on HP-UX. Our software group hasn't had
access to an HP platform since November, 1995. There are
probably several routines that won't work, assuming the
package builds at all. Hopefully we'll have access to an
HP by early fall '96.
Report any installation difficulties to:
ftoolshelp@athena.gsfc.nasa.gov
Please remember that without an HP here our ability to
answer questions is severely limited.
++ NEW PACKAGE: XRONOS ++
XRONOS comes to us from XANADU. It has several tools for
general timing analysis.
++ NEW PACKAGE: EINSTEIN ++
EINSTEIN contains two EINSTEIN mission specific tasks.
++ Questionnaire ++
So that we can better serve the user community in the future
we have prepared a short questionnaire. Your cooperation in
filling it out and emailing it back to us will be greatly
appreciated!
*******************************CUT HERE******************************
FTOOLS Questionnaire (v3.5, 28.03.1996)
1. Are you running the Host/Standalone version or the IRAF version?
Please explain your choice. Also, what platform are you running
IRAF on?
2. Is there an architecture/OS that you'd like to see supported?
3. Do you have any general comments/suggestions for FTOOLS?
Please return to ftoolshelp@athena.gsfc.nasa.gov
under the Subject heading: Questionnaire
*******************************CUT HERE******************************
NEW TASKS AND PERL SCRIPTS (indicated by **):
ASCA
------
*Note: sisrmg currently fails on fast mode data files *
*A fix is in the works. *
dfe2mkf
-Updated
faint
-Updated
faintdfe
-Updated
ascalin
-Updated
ascaexpo
-Updated
attitude
-Updated
faspect
-New. Computes the euler angles of the best aspect point
ascaarf
-Updated
ascaeffmap
-Updated
fastwmap
-Updated
sispi
-Updated
ghkcurve
-New. Extract light curve from ASCA GIS housekeeping file.
CALTOOLS
----------
rbnrmf
-Update
addarf
-New. Adds two or more Ancillary Response Files (ARFs)
rpsf2eef
-New. Converts a radial profile dataset to an encircled energy fraction
caldbinfo
-New. Determines if local CALDB is setup
rpsf2eef
-New. Converts a radial PSF (RPSF) dataset to a radial encircled
energy function (REEF) dataset.
EINSTEIN
----------
New package for EINSTEIN mission.
FUTILS
--------
fcolpar
-New. Returns column number for an input filename and column name
HEASARC
---------
addspec
-New. Adds PHA spectra, bkgd files & combines respons matices
extrpsf
-New. Extracts radial PSF (RPSF) dataset from an event file
ROSAT
-------
pcpicor
-Now a perl script: corrects PI channel in Events file
pctcor
-New. Corrects PI channel in Events file
VELA5B
--------
fvelgallc
-Working. Creates multiple light curves for sources in
confused fields
fvelmap
-Working. Creates a set of FITS source maps of a rectangular
region
velamap
-Updated
XRONOS
--------
New package for general timing analysis
XTE
-----
XTE has been completely updated.
For ftools help please contact
dunfee@rosserv.gsfc.nasa.gov