pcamergeobsids - merge multiple 'pcaprepobsid' directories into one
pcamergeobsids indir outdir
The task pcamergeobsids is a high-level convenience task that combines multiple Standard2 and Standard1 directories into a single directory. This task eases the job of merging multiple observations into a single observation, and thus extracting spectra or light curves.
IMPORTANT: observations to be merged should be of the same target, and the same, consistent target RA and Dec position should have been used for the preparation step.
The task essentially concatenates list files, which list filter files and Standard1/Standard2 files, into a single list file for the combined set. It also creates a single RXTE filter file covering all observations, which has been merged and time-sorted.
As an alternative to using pcamergeobsids, the user can collect the desired files by their own methods.
The input to the task is a list of input directories, either comma-separated or as a @filename.lis list file. These directories must have the directory and file structure produced by pcaprepobsid. Thus, you should run pcaprepobsid at least once for each observation of interest, and then merge those outputs with pcamergeobids.
NOTE: the observations you merge should be of the same target.
Your input list may optionally point to each subdirectory's "pcaprepobsid_done.txt" file instead of the parent subdirectory. This is a convenient way to search for only those observation directories that have successfully been processed by pcaprepobsid. For example the shell command:
ls 96443-*/pcaprepobsid_done.txt > indirs.lis
will automatically find any 96443-* subdirectory that has been successfully processed by pcaprepobsid. pcamergeobsids will automatically use the parent subdirectory for further processing.
The output of pcamergeobsids is a new results directory, also of the same format as produced by pcaprepobsid, which can be used for further scientific processing.
The output of pcamergeobsids is suitable to be used as input to itself. Thus, it is possible to merge sub-groups of data with pcamergeobsids, and then use the same task to merge those sub-grouped results into a single master data set, ad infinitum.
pcamergeobsids gives you a choice to LINK or COPY the raw data. The setting copymeth=COPY will copy all relevant inputs to the output directory, including Standard1/Standard2 files, backgrounds, and files with dead-time quantities. Use this setting if you plan on deleting the individual observation data, or plan on moving observation data around. This option has the down side of using twice the amount of disk space as the original data.
The setting copymeth=LINK will create new list files, and a merged filter file, but none of the Standard1/Standard2 files, backgrounds or files with dead-time quantities are copied into the output directory. The output list files point to the input files in the original location. Use this setting if you wish to save disk space, or are experimenting with merging different data sets. This option has the down side of forcing you to preserve the input directories where the original data lives.
# Merging results for 96443-01-01-16 and 96443-01-01-17, which have been
# created by running pcaprepobsid.
pcamergeobsids indir=96443-01-01-16-result,96443-01-01-17-result \
outdir=merged-96443
# Same example but using an @-file
# Create the @ file
ls 96443-01-01-*/pcaprepobsid_done.txt > merged-96443.lis
# Merge the data
pcamergeobsids @merged-96443.lis outdir=merged-96443
The user is strongly recommended to use an updated RXTE Calibration database (CALDB), and to set breakfile=CALDB, modelfile=CALDB, saahfile=CALDB.
Please report problems to xtehelp@athena.gsfc.nasa.gov.
pcamergeobsids