XMM-NEWTON EXTENDED SOURCE ANALYSIS SOFTWARE
The XMM-Newton Extended Source Analysis Software, XMM-ESAS, is available in the SAS package. XMM-ESAS allows the user to model the quiescent particle background both spectrally and spatially for the EPIC detectors. It will produce background spectra for user-defined regions of the detectors and background images. The output files are FITS standard and can be used in spectral fitting packages (e.g., Xspec) or with FITS image display software (e.g., fv or ds9).
XMM-ESAS was developed at the NASA/GSFC XMM-Newton GOF in cooperation with the XMM-Newton SOC at ESAC and the Background Working Group. The Background Working Group consists of representatives from a number of institutions including the SOC, MPE, Leicester, Saclay, Milan, and GSFC. The focus is on extracting the greatest possible science from EPIC observations of extended sources and the diffuse background. Our goal has been to understand to the various background components experienced by the EPIC detectors, derive methods for modeling and/or removing the backgrounds, produce software to do so, and make the resulting products available to the general community. To aid astronomers, the SOC has created web pages detailing the current understanding of various background components.
A couple of papers demonstrate the utility of the XMM-ESAS analysis procedures. Snowden et al. 2004, ApJ,610,1182 Presented a serendipitous observation of solar wind charge exchange (SWCX) X-ray emission while Snowden et al. 2008, A&A, 478, 615 presented a catalog of galaxy clusters with their flux, temperature, and abundance radial profiles.
The XMM-ESAS users guide can be downloaded from the GOF at: xmm-esas-v13.pdf or viewed on-line. The document is in the process of being revised for the SAS V13 release but is not quite finished, but this partially upadted version is better than the old one as things changed significantly.
The additional CalDB files required be XMM-ESAS can be downloaded from the GOF at: esas-caldb-sasv13.tar.gz.
If problems arise or if the results look odd, please contact the GSFC GOF Helpdesk at: email@example.com. Suggestions for improving the software or documentation are also welcome.
Warnings and Watchouts
NEW - 1 November 2011
READ_PHA POSITION 11
Missing EXPOSURE keyword
PN_BACK POSITION 04
missing file: pnS003-4obj.pi
where in this case the offending quadrant was number 4 (as indicated by the spectrum name pnS003-4obj.pi). The failure can be verified by extracting a spectrum in detector coordinates using the extraction expression. The easiest fix is to deselect the affected quadrant.
NEW - 16 May 2011
NEW - 5 May 2011
OLDER and General Notes
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If you have any questions concerning XMM-Newton send e-mail to firstname.lastname@example.org