FTOOLS: The XTE Sub-package

The XTE sub-package of FTOOLS contains tasks specific to the XTE mission.

The following XTE tasks were released in the latest release of the HEASARC's FTOOLS package. Each task is hyperlinked to the help file distributed with the task. The same information can be obtained while running FTOOLS by typing the command fhelp {taskname}.

If you require further, or more detailed information on the XTE tasks, contact

xtehelp@athena.gsfc.nasa.gov

XTE Tasks

addshots

Adds shot noise to an input light curve

addsine

Adds a sine curve (or a user-defined periodic function) to an existing timing FITS file.

asmappend

Reads in an ASM master file and a series of files that are sorted and appended to the master file.

asmchannel

Separates an ASM color file into separate light curve files for each ASM energy channel.

asmsrcupdate

Runs ASMAPPEND on a collection of XTE ASM master files and their respective incoming files.

bemerge

Merges XTE binned event spectral files

chantrans

Translates relative channel range to an absolute channel range by reading XTE produced .pha files.

correctlc

Corrects lightcurves for variance in number of active PCUs

decodeevt

Decodes event keywords in XTE Science Event files

edsgcor

Converts the PCA/EDS Gain & Offset (ascii) file to FITS format

fakelc

Creates a fake light curve given a mean count rate. The output may be either an event list or a binned light curve.

fasebin

Bins observations of a periodic signal into a two-dimensional histogram of phase vs. energy [PHA-type II FITS ("fB") file].

faxbary

Barycenter correction routine for XTE light-curve, science array/event data files.

fbadd

Adds several commensurate fB files together

fbfsum

Averages fB files in phase, by summing rows together

fbssum

Allows averaging of fB files in energy and performs phase analysis.

fbsub

Subtracts a baseline (unpulsed contribution) from an fB histogram.

fcollect

First half of XTEFILT, which creates a filter file for an observation based on housekeeping, attitude and orbit data.

fgabor

Performs a Gabor transform on a lightcurve and returns the normalized power as a function of time and frequency.

fxbary

Reads XTE light-curve, science array, or science event data files and either adds a new column BARYTIME (as the last column) which gives the barycentric time for this data, or overwrites the TIME column.

grosstimefilt

Filters out all times that fall outside of a specified range and modifies appropriate keywords in a XTE SA or SE file.

gti2xronwin

Converts a GTI file (or extension) to a XRONOS-format time filter file, i.e., *.wi file.

hextebackest

Estimate background for HEXTE Cluster A.

hxtarf

Computes and applies the HEXTE collimator response to produce a .arf file for a HEXTE spectrum (.pha).

hxtback

Reads a HEXTE science or housekeeping FITS file and creates new FITS files based on cluster position.

hxtdead

Corrects a HEXTE spectral or light curve FITS file for detector dead time, including correction for time lost to the rocking motion. The program is applied to .pha or .lc files produced by seextrct or saextrct from a single FITS file.

hxtlcurv

Produces background-corrected HEXTE lightcurves

hxtrsp

Produces response matrix for a HEXTE spectrum (PHA file)

make_se

Creates XTE/SE (Event) data files from a list of input files which may contain Good_Xenon and/or Transparent Mode data files.

mkgtif

Creates GTI extension file for HEXTE data

pca_bs

Performs rough PCA lightcurve background subtraction

pcabackest

Creates an estimated PCA background spectrum for a specific observation from the background model created by the PCA instrument team.

pcaclrsp

Creates a collimator corrected light curve for an XTE PCA input light curve.

pcadeadcalc1

Calculates deadtime for PCA Standard1 file.

pcadeadcalc2

Calculates deadtime quantities for a single PCA Standard2 file.

pcadeadspect2

Computes PCA dead-time correction for a PCA Standard2 spectrum.

pcaextlc2

Extract PCA Standard2 light curve and background, and optional deadtime correction.

pcaextspect2

Extracts a PCA Standard2 spectrum and applies corrections for deadtime, number of active PCUs, and optionally calculates the corresponding PCA response matrix.

pcagainset

Inserts PCA/EDS gain and offset values into a PCA .pha file

pcamergeobsids

Merges multiple 'pcaprepobsid' directories into one.

pcaprepfile2

Performs standard background and dead-time calculation tasks for a single PCA Standard2 file.

pcaprepobsid

Prepares one XTE observation for PCA analysis.

pcarmf

Creates a .rmf file for an specified anode chain (i.e combination of layers) in a given PCU

pcarsp

Runs the tools necessary to construct response matrices for XTE PCA spectral data.

perdgrm

Computes the periodogram (a discrete fourier analysis) on light curves which are comprised of binned intensities at unevenly spaced time intervals.

proc2pcu

Pre-process RXTE/PCA binned-mode data files containing two separate channels of PCU data to produce files that are compatible with saextrct.

rddescr

Obtains channel and gain information from an input XTE .pha file.

rebinlc

Rebins lightcurves by integer multiple of TIMEDEL

recofmi

Reconstructs an FMI from subdirectories' FMIs which may be nested one level or two levels deep.

rex

Makes preliminary products and then extracts data; i.e. filter files, GTIs, lists of data files, background data files and lists, lc and pha files.

runpcabackest

Runs PCABACKEST on a series of StdMode2 data files

sa2phaII

Converts a Standard Mode 2 Science Array (SA) file into a type-II PHA file.

sachip

Runs SAEXTRCT and FPLOT once from command line

saexpd

Reads science array vectors and outputs generic FITS files

saextrct

Creates lightcurve and/or spectrum from Science Array files

saplot

Cyclically queries the user for additional SA files and then runs SAEXTRCT and FPLOT (for SOF use).

sbmerge

Combines concurrent single-bit (SB) mode data and creates an output file in Science Array (SA) format.

sebitmask

Creates bitmask for filtering SE data with FSELECT

seexpd

Reads science events data and outputs generic FITS files

seextrct

Creates lightcurve and/or spectrum from Science Event data

sefilter

Helps the user generate an expression that is fed into SEBITMASK and examines the result to determine if the file can be directly input into SEEXTRCT for filtering, or if it first needs to be input to FSELECT.

seplot

Cyclically queries the user for additional SE files and then runs SEEXTRCT and FPLOT (for SOF).

seselect

Runs SEBITMASK and FSELECT to generate a FITS file

sumpha

Adds individual .pha files and merges GTI extensions.

timetrans

Translates relative time range to an absolute time range by reading XTE produced .lc files.

trans2fits

Creates science event FITS file from Transparent Mode data

vle2fits

Creates science event FITS file from VLE Mode data.

xdf

The GUI XTE data finder

xenon2fits

Creates science event FITS file from Good Xenon data

xpcaarf

Creates a .arf file for an input XTE PCA .pha and .rmf file

xsut

GUI front-end to GNUtar for selective untarring of XTE data distribution tapes or data archive tar files.

xtecol

Applies the HEXTE collimator correction to a light curve

xtederive

Second half of XTEFILT, which creates a filter file for an observation based on housekeeping, attitude and orbit data.

xtefilt

Creates a filter file (.xfl) for a given RXTE observation

xtetape

Reads FITS files from NASA/GSFC/ADF supplied XTE data distribution tapes.

xteversion

Prints the version and date of the XTE subpackage

Web page maintained by: Bryan K. Irby