newpar (and rnewpar)

change parameter values

Adjust one or more of the model parameters.

Syntax:	newpar	[<modelName>:]<index range>[<param spec list>]
Syntax:	newpar	[<modelName>:]<index>= <coupling expression>
Syntax:	newpar	0

where:

<param spec list> =:: <param value> <delta> <param range spec> <param range spec> =:: <hard min> <soft min> <soft max> <hard max>

For response parameters (created with the gain or rmodel command):

Syntax:	rnewpar	[<sourceNum>:]<idx range>[<param spec list>]
Syntax:	rnewpar	[<sourceNum>:]<index>= <coupling expression>

The model parameters are accessed through their model parameter indices. For example, the first parameter of the first model component generally is model parameter 1, etc. The first command line argument, <index range>, gives the indices' parameters to be modified by the newpar command. The default value is the range from the previous invocation of newpar. The remaining arguments can be used to update the parameter specification. If the parameter specification is omitted from the command line, then the user is explicitly prompted for it. The first two arguments of the parameter specification are:

<param value>	The trial value of the parameter used initially in the fit
<delta>	The step size used in the numerical determination of the derivatives used during the fitting process. When delta is set to zero, the parameter is not adjustable during the fit. This value may be overriden for all parameters by the xset delta command option, which will apply a proportional rather than a fixed delta.

The four arguments of the range specification determine the range of acceptable values for the parameter. The soft limits should include the range of expected parameter behavior. Between the hard and soft limits, the parameter is made stiffer to adjustment by the minimization routine invoked by the fit command. The parameter is never allowed to have a value at or outside the hard limits.

A slash (/) will set all the six parameter specification values (value, delta, range specification) to the previous value (default for a new model, current value if the parameter has previously been set or fit).

The sequence /* leaves all parameters unchanged (in the case of a new model, to be set to the default).

newpar 0 prints the current parameter settings.

Parameter Links

Coupling of parameters allows parameters in a model to always have the same value or to be related by an expression. The expression is a function of the other parameters (XSPEC will reject attempts to link parameters to themselves!). Scale parameters (i.e. never variable during a fit), and s witch parameters (i.e. that change the mode in which a component is calculated) can only be linked to other scale and switch parameters, respectively. Details of parameter types are explained in more detail in Appendix C.

The syntax for linking parameters is

XSPEC12>newpar <par>= f(<par>)

where f is a function in the (other) parameters. Parameters can be specified either by the character 'p' followed by the parameter number ( preferred) or by the parameter number. Integers appearing in f that are within the range of existing parameter numbers will be interpreted as parameters: to avoid confusion, if a real number is intended it should include a decimal point. Integers larger than the last parameter number will be interpreted as integers. Parameters of named models must be prefixed by <modelName:>.

The following operators and functions can be used in f:

operators
+	=	plus operator
-	=	minus operator
$\ast$	=	multiplying operator
/	=	dividing operator
$\ast\ast$	=	exponentiation operator
^	=	exponentiation operator

unary functions
EXP	(expr)	=	exponential
SIN	(expr)	=	sine in radians
SIND	(expr)	=	sine in degrees
COS	(expr)	=	cosine in radians
COSD	(expr)	=	cosine in degrees
TAN	(expr)	=	tangent in radians
TAND	(expr)	=	tangent in degrees
LOG	(expr)	=	base 10 log
LN	(expr)	=	natural log
SQRT	(expr)	=	square root
ABS	(expr)	=	absolute value
INT	(expr)	=	integer part
ASIN	(expr)	=	inverse sine in radians
ACOS	(expr)	=	inverse cosine in radians
MEAN	(expr)	=	mean value

binary functions
MAX	(expr1, expr2)	=	maximum of the two expressions
MIN	(expr1, expr2)	=	minimum of the two expressions

If there are multiple data groups present, then the parameters of models associated with datagroups greater than 1 (``secondary models'') are coupled by default to their ``primary'' counterparts. For example, if there are 5 parameters in the model and 3 datagroups present, then the model command will prompt for 15 parameters. If the user types

XSPEC12> model <expression>
XSPEC12>/*

Then parameters 1-5 will be set to their values specified in the initialization (model.dat) file. Parameters 6-15 will be linked to their counterparts, i.e. as if the user had typed

XSPEC12> newpar 6 = p1
XSPEC12> newpar 7 = p2
...
XSPEC12> newpar 11 = p1

And so on.

Examples:

The total number of model parameters for the example is four.

XSPEC12> newpar 2 0.1
// The value of the second parameter is set to 0.1.
XSPEC12> newpar 3-4
// The program will prompt for a specification for the 3rd
//   parameter (comp gives the name of the corresponding model 
//   component)
comp:param3>0.001, 0
// which has its value set to 0.001 and its delta set to zero, fixing 
//   it in later fits.The program now prompts for a specification for 
//   the 4th parameter
comp:param4>21
// which is set to 21.As there is no 5th parameter, the program 
//   displays a summary and returns to command level.
XSPEC12> newpar ,,.001
// The value of the delta of the 3rd parameter (which is the default 
//   index as it was the first parameter modified in the previous 
//   newpar invocation) is set to 0.001, allowing it to be adjusted 
//   during any fits.

The total number of parameters for this example is eight.

XSPEC12> newpar 4 = 1
// The value of parameter 4 is set to the value of parameter 1. 
//   This has the consequence of model parameter 4 being frozen at the
//   value of parameter 1 during subsequent fitting procedures.
//   If model parameter 1 is a free parameter, then both parameters
//   1 and 4 change their values simultaneously in the fit procedure.
XSPEC12> newpar 4 = p3/5 + 6.7 
// The value of parameter 4 is set to the value of
//   (parameter 3/ parameter 5) plus 6.7
XSPEC12> newpar 6 = p3 * 0.1 - 9.5
// The value of parameter 6 is set to 0.1 times the 
//   value of parameter 3 minus 9.5
XSPEC12> newpar 5 = 2 + 5. 
// The value of parameter 5 is set to the value
//   of parameter 2 plus 5.
XSPEC12> newpar 8 = p1 / 4.6
// parameter 8 is set to parameter 1 divided by 4.6
XSPEC12> newpar 8 = abs(p1^3) / 2.0
// parameter 8 is set to the absolute value of the cube of 
//   parameter 1 divided by 2.0
XSPEC12> newpar 5 = cos(p1) + sin(p3)
// parameter 5 is set to the cosine of parameter 1 plus the sine 
//   of parameter 3
XSPEC12> newpar 3 = log(mymodel:p1)
// parameter 3 is set to the log (base 10) of parameter 1 in the
//   mymodel model
XSPEC12> untie 6 
// Makes parameter 6 independent of parameter 3 and a free
//  parameter.