Input panel

When PULSAR is run, a window will be created with a number of input items at the top above an empty window where the histogram will be plotted. Here is a description of each input item.

Input file

The file containing -ray events to be analyzed. This file must be in the standard format described in EGRET Telemetry and Data Formats. When the "<Run>" button is pushed, the program first searches the current directory for the file. If you want to use a file from another directory, you must include the path name. The input file is checked to ensure that it is a FITS file of type EGRET_PULSAR or EGRET_SMDB. If the file is not found, the $SMDB_DIR is searched for a matching SMDB file. If four digits were entered as the filename, the $SMDB_DIR is searched for a file with name QVP XXXXC, QVP XXXXB, or QVP XXXXA, where XXXX are the four entered digits. If the file cannot be found, or if it is not in the proper format, an error message will appear and the user is expected to re-enter a valid filename.

Angular selection

Whether to use a fixed or energy dependent acceptance cone about the pulsar location.

Acceptance cone

For a fixed angular selection, the maximum allowable incident -ray aspect angle from pulsar position. For an energy dependent angular selection, use an acceptance cone of half-angle , where the cone defined by half-angle degrees contains approximately 68% of the source photons, and n is the user entered multiple to use.

Number of bins

Number of period divisions, up to 999, to use when forming histogram. If no value is entered, the default value is 20.

Minimum energy (MeV)

Minimum allowable -ray energy. Default value is 50 MeV.

Maximum energy (MeV)

Maximum allowable -ray energy. Default value is 99999 MeV.

If the user pushes the "<Properties...>" button, a pop-up window will appear which allows the user to adjust run parameters such as phase offset and maximum zenith angle.

When an input filename is entered, PULSAR checks the the existence and format of the file. If the input file is an SMDB file or a FITS file of type EGRET_SMDB, or if Create output file has been set to Always, a pop-up window appears with the following items.

Pulsar name

Used to find pulsar parameters in the Princeton pulsar parameter file. You need only enter the the first characters that uniquely identify the pulsar. When "<Return>" is pressed, the program will search the catalog for a match; if one is found, the full name of the pulsar will be filled in; otherwise, the user will have the option to re-enter a cataloged pulsar or enter a new set of pulsar parameters. Pulsar names are limited to eight characters and are typically identified by their Epoch 1950 coordinates.

Output File

The file to be created in current directory which will hold selected -ray events. If entered filename already exists, a warning message will appear prompting user whether to overwrite existing file. After the results have been plotted, the pop-up window will go away and the output filename will be moved to the Input file input item.

The input panel is fairly self-explanatory and crash-proof, so don't be afraid to experiment with the program to get the best results.