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PIMMS v4.14 now available
Version 4.14 contains a minor update of the XMM-Newton (EPIC and RGS)
effective area curves, suitable for AO-24 proposal preparation. However,
differences from previous versions are small and the use of older versions
of PIMMS is not expected to impact feasibility assessments.
Version 4.14 contains an updated calibration file for IXPE without a filter
(i.e., "OPEN"), and adds one for gray filter.
Version 4.14 alsocontains the new set of of effective area curves for the
X-IFU and WFI instruments on NewAthena, and the old Athena XIFU effective
area curve files have been withdrawn.
If you would like to be informed whenevera new version
of PIMMS is released, please contact
Koji Mukai,
Koji.Mukai@nasa.gov.
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PIMMS - Portable, Interactive Multi-Mission Simulator
Command-line tool and the Web interface
PIMMS was originally written as a stand-alone,
interactive program (the "command line PIMMS").
WebPIMMS
implements a subset of the functionalities of the command line
PIMMS. While allowing easy access, without the need to
install the software, it does not have all the functionality
of the command line version.
Bugs and Caveats
- Calibration files used by PIMMS are adequate for simulation purposes.
In many cases, the results are accurate to 5% or better but higher
fidelity is not guaranteed.
- In particular, PIMMS contains 1-d effective area curves, not 2-d
redistribution matrices. It should therefore be used only with caution
for narrow energy ranges. For example, "ASCA SIS 2-4" does not
mean "ASCA SIS count rate in the channels whose nominal channel
energies are in the range 2-4 keV"; PIMMS provides, in this case,
ASCA SIS counts produced by 2-4 keV photons. The differences are likley
to be small enough to be acceptable when the energy range is large compared
with the instrumental resolution.
Disclaimer
PIMMS, as described here, is software for high-energy
astrophysicists, and has nothing to do with
PIMMS,
the Project to Increase Mastery of Mathematics and Science.
The program was named quite independently of this
worthwhile project at Wesleyan University.
Time-Variable Instrumental Response
PIMMS currently does not support time-variable calibration
of instruments. Because it is primarily intended as a planning tool
for future observations, the responses in PIMMS is often
applicable for upcoming observations.
For example, if you are a Chandra user who wishes
to convert count rates in a past observation to flux, please see
this note.
PIMMS Users' Guide
The PDF version of the guide is available
here.
Installation Guide
PIMMS is currently supported on several flavors of UNIX
workstations, on Linux PCs, Macs running OS X/Darwin.
It requires a Fortran compiler, and make on UNIX machines.
Please consult the Installation Guide
for details, then
download
the latest version.
Revision History
New in Version 3.7/3.7a (Released 2005 Sep 13 - 2005 Dec 23)
New in Version 3.6/3.6a/3.6b/3.6c5 (Released 2004 Sep 15 - 2005 Feb 10).
New in Version 3.5 (Released 2004 Jul 9).
New in Version 3.4/3.4a (Released 2003 Sep - 2004 Jan 12).
New in Version 3.3/3.3a (Released 2002 Dec 16 - 2003 Mar 27).
New in version 3.2-3.2d (Released 2001 Sep 10 - 2002 Jan 29).
New in version 3.1 a-c (Released 2001 January 29 - May 03).
New in version 3.0 (Released 2000 April 28).
New in version 2.7 (Released 1999 July 9).
New in version 2.6 a-c (Released 1999 February 2 - May 4).
New in version 2.5 (Released 1997 December 15).
New in version 2.4/2.4b
(Released 1996 June 03).
New in version 2.3 (Released 1996 June 03).
New in version 2.2 (Released 1995 August 07).
New in version s2.1a (Released 1995 April 03).
Users' Guide
- Introduction
- Sample Sessions
- Using Multi-component Models
- Extended Sources
- Missions
- The User Interface
- PIMMS commands
Download the
LaTeX,
PDF, or
PostScript
version of the Guide.
Adding new missions and other future plans
At a very basic level, new missions can be added simply by
creating a set of effective area curve files: they need to
be two-column ASCII files, containing pairs of photon energy
in keV and effective area in cm2.
PIMMS source code and data files are distributed
freely, without restrictions. If you decide to add new
missions to PIMMS, we would like to be able to distribute
it from HEASARC.
We hope to have a programmers' guide some day to make it easier
to add mission-specific information.
Credits and Feedback
PIMMS is mostly written and maintained by Koji Mukai.
Effective area curves for current and future missions have been supplied
by the respective projects. XTE specific subroutines have been written
by Koji Mukai, with the help of Jim Lochner and Phil Blanco. The SAX
specific subroutine has been written by the SAX Data Center and
Lorella Angelini. Snowden R-band effective area curves for ROSAT
PSPC have been created by Richard West of Leicester.
The only published article on PIMMS is in the HEASARC journal:
Mukai, K. 1993, Legacy 3, 21-31.
Questions and comments on PIMMS can be sent to
Koji Mukai,
Koji.Mukai@nasa.gov.
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HEASARC Staff Scientist Position - Applications are now being accepted for a Staff Scientist with significant experience and interest in the technical aspects of astrophysics research, to work in the High Energy Astrophysics Science Archive Research Center (HEASARC) at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) in Greenbelt, MD. Refer to the AAS Job register for full details.
This file was last modified on Monday, 16-Sep-2024 16:56:00 EDT
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