Getting Started:

• Installing CIAO 4.2 using the ciao-install script
  (29 Dec 2009)
• Installing CIAO 4.2
  (30 Dec 2009)
• Introduction to CIAO
• Starting CIAO
  (16 Dec 2009)

Chandra Data:

• How to Download Chandra Data from the Archive
• Introduction to the Data Products
• A Note on Processing Versions
• A Note on Filenames & Directories

General:

• Introduction to the Data Model
• Using ASCII Files in CIAO
• Using CIAO Region Files
• Using SAOImage ds9
• Using Parameter Files

GUIs:

• Introduction to Prism
• Introduction to Peg
• Introduction to the Analysis Menu

Analysis Guides:

• ACIS Data Preparation
• HRC Data Preparation

General:

• Setting the Observation-specific Bad Pixel Files
  Uses: the acis_set_ardlib script
• Filtering Data (S-Lang or Python)
• Filtering Lightcurves (S-Lang or Python)
  Uses: the lightcurves.sl S-Lang script; the lightcurves.py script

Coordinates, Astrometry, & Spatial Filtering:

• Notes on Chandra Astrometric Accuracy
• Improving the Astrometry of your Data: Correct for a Known Processing Offset
• Correcting Absolute Astrometry with reproject_aspect
• Using CIAO Region Files
• Creating Source and Background Files
• Converting between CHIP and SKY Coordinates with dmcoords

ACIS:

• Check the ACIS Data Caveats
• Why topic: -110 C Observations
• Why topic: Continuous Clocking Mode Data

• Removing Cosmic-Ray Afterglows:

  • Why topic: Cosmic-Ray Afterglows
  • Remove the acis_detect_afterglow Correction
  • New ACIS Bad Pixel File: Identify ACIS Hot Pixels and Cosmic Ray Afterglows
  • Customizing an ACIS Bad Pixel File
    (19 Jan 2010)

• acis_process_events:

  • Reprocessing Data to Create a New Level=2 Event File thread: apply the newest calibration (CTI, TGAIN); includes CC mode times of arrival calculation.
  • Clean ACIS Background in VFAINT Mode

  
  
• The ACIS "Blank-Sky" Background Files (S-Lang or Python)
  Uses: the acis_bkgrnd_lookup script; the lightcurves.sl S-Lang script; the lightcurves.py script
• Remove the ACIS Readout Streak

HRC:

• New Observation-Specific HRC Bad Pixel File
• Reprocessing Data to Create a New Level=2 Event File thread: applies the newest calibration (degap, AMP_SF/tapringing).
• Computing Average HRC Dead Time Corrections (S-Lang or Python)

Analysis Guides:

• HRC Imaging
• Extended Sources

General:

• The ACIS "Blank-Sky" Background Files (S-Lang or Python)
  Uses: the acis_bkgrnd_lookup script; the lightcurves.sl S-Lang script; the lightcurves.py script
• Match the Binning of an Image
  Uses: the get_sky_limits script
• An Estimated Background Image
• True Color Images
• True Color Images in ds9
• An Image of Diffuse Emission
  Uses: the mkBgReg.pl script; the mkSubBgReg.pl script
• Using Data Cubes

Reprojecting Data:

• Merging Data from Multiple Imaging Observations
  Uses: the merge_all script
• Overview: Reprojecting Files
• Correcting Absolute Astrometry with reproject_aspect
• Reprojecting Images: Making an Exposure-corrected Mosaic
• Reprojecting Coordinates of a Solar System Object
• Object-centered Aspect Solution and Exposure Map
  (12 Jan 2009)

Coordinates, Astrometry, & Spatial Filtering:

• Notes on Chandra Astrometric Accuracy
• Using SAOImage ds9
• Using CIAO Region Files
• Creating Source and Background Files
• Converting between CHIP and SKY Coordinates with dmcoords

Source Characteristics:

• Estimate Source Counts in an Image
• Obtain and Fit a Radial Profile (S-Lang or Python)
• Compute Net Counts, Rate, or Flux for Point Sources
• Computing the Intensity Upper Limit for an Unresolved Source
• Calculate the Flux for a Position
• Measuring Source Extent
• Search for Variability in a Source (S-Lang or Python)

PSFs:

• PSFs with ChaRT: the Chandra Ray Tracer
• Create a PSF (S-Lang or Python)

Detect:

• Overview: Detecting Sources in Imaging Observations
• An Estimated Background Image
• Running celldetect
• Running vtpdetect
• Running wavdetect
• Using the Output of Detect Tools (S-Lang or Python)

Exposure Maps:

• Using merge_all to Compute ACIS Exposure Maps and Fluxed Images
  Uses: the merge_all script
  (12 Jan 2009)
• Calculating Spectral Weights for mkinstmap (S-Lang or Python)
• Single Chip ACIS Exposure Map and Fluxed Image Step-by-Step
  Uses: the get_sky_limits script
  (12 Jan 2009)
• Multiple Chip ACIS Exposure Map and Fluxed Image Step-by-Step
  Uses: the get_sky_limits script
  (12 Jan 2009)
• HRC-I Exposure Map and Fluxed Image
  Uses: the get_sky_limits script
• HRC-S Exposure Map and Fluxed Image
  Uses: the get_sky_limits script
• Match the Binning of an Image
  Uses: the get_sky_limits script

Modeling & Fitting Imaging Data with Sherpa
(from the Sherpa analysis threads):

• Fitting FITS Image Data (S-Lang or Python)
• Using an Exposure Map in Fitting Image Data (S-Lang or Python)
• Using a PSF Image as the Convolution Kernel (S-Lang or Python)
• See also: the Obtain and Fit a Radial Profile CIAO thread (S-Lang or Python)

Extracting Spectra & Creating Response Files:

These threads use CIAO contributed scripts to automate the spectral extraction and the creation of ARF and RMF response files.

specextract should be used for the analysis of extended sources only. Users working with point sources should instead use the psextract script. The mkwarf tool, which is used for ARF generation by specextract, may not produce accurate results for point sources. The mkarf tool, used by psextract, is preferred for point source extraction.

In certain cases, the mkacisrmf tool will need to be run separately to create the best possible RMFs for ACIS observations; see the thread for details.

• The ACIS "Blank-Sky" Background Files (S-Lang or Python)
  Uses: the acis_bkgrnd_lookup script; the lightcurves.sl S-Lang script; the lightcurves.py script
• Using specextract to Extract ACIS Spectra and Response Files for Extended Sources
  (12 Jan 2009)
• Using psextract to Extract ACIS Spectra and Response Files for Pointlike Sources
  Uses: the psextract script; the acis_fef_lookup script
  (12 Jan 2009)
• Coadding Spectra and Weighted Responses
  Uses: the acisspec script
  (12 Jan 2009)
• Creating ACIS RMFs with mkacisrmf

Step-by-step Analyses:

These threads give step-by-step instructions for creating spectra and response files.

• The ACIS "Blank-Sky" Background Files (S-Lang or Python)
  Uses: the acis_bkgrnd_lookup script; the lightcurves.sl S-Lang script; the lightcurves.py script
• Weighting ARFs and RMFs: multiple sources
  (12 Jan 2009)
• Step-by-Step Guide to Creating ACIS Spectra for Pointlike Sources
  Uses: the acis_fef_lookup script
  (12 Jan 2009)
• Extract a Spectrum from the ACIS Readout Streak
  Uses: the acis_fef_lookup script
• Extracting a Spectrum of a Solar System Object
  Uses: the acis_fef_lookup script
• A Note on HRC Spectra

Modeling & Fitting Spectral Data with Sherpa
(from the Sherpa analysis threads):

• Introduction to Fitting PHA Spectra (S-Lang or Python)
• Changing the grouping scheme of a data set within Sherpa (S-Lang or Python)
• Introduction to Fitting ASCII Data with Errors: Single-Component Source Models (S-Lang or Python)
• Simultaneously Fitting Two Data Sets (S-Lang or Python)
• Simulating 1-D Data: the Sherpa FAKE_PHA Command (S-Lang or Python)
• Simulating Chandra ACIS-S Spectra with Sherpa (S-Lang or Python)
• Fitting PHA Data with Multi-Component Source Models (S-Lang or Python)
• Independent Background Responses (S-Lang or Python)
• Using A Pileup Model (S-Lang or Python)

General:

• Examining Grating Spectra and Regions: PHA2 files (S-Lang or Python)
• Create a Color Spectrum

Problems with the Zero Order:

• Correcting a Misplaced Zero-order Source Position
• Source Position for Grating Data with a Piled or Blocked Zero Order

HETG/ACIS:

• HETG/ACIS-S Grating Spectra
• Grating Spectra for Multiple Sources - ACIS
• ACIS-S Grating RMFs
• HETG/ACIS-S Grating ARFs
  Uses: the fullgarf script
  (12 Jan 2009)
• Grouping a Grating Spectrum

LETG/ACIS:

• LETG/ACIS Grating Spectra
• Grating Spectra for Multiple Sources - ACIS
• ACIS-S Grating RMFs
• LETG/ACIS-S Grating ARFs
  Uses: the fullgarf script
  (12 Jan 2009)
• Grouping a Grating Spectrum

LETG/HRC-S:

• LETG/HRC-S Grating Spectra
  (28 Dec 2009)
• Applying Customized Background Regions to LETG/HRC-S Observations (S-Lang or Python)
• Grating Spectra for Multiple Sources - HRC
• Higher-order Responses for HRC-S/LETG Spectra
• HRC Grating RMFs
• LETG/HRC-S Grating ARFs
• Grouping a Grating Spectrum

LETG/HRC-I:

• LETG/HRC-I Grating Spectra
• Grating Spectra for Multiple Sources - HRC
• HRC Grating RMFs
• LETG/HRC-I Grating ARFs
• Grouping a Grating Spectrum

Combining Spectra & Preparation for Fitting:

• Extract Coadded and Grouped Nth-Order Source & Background Spectra and ARFs
  Uses: the add_grating_orders script
• Add Grating Spectra and Average ARFs
  Uses: the add_grating_spectra script
• PHA Background File for XSPEC
  Uses: the tg_bkg script

Modeling & Fitting Grating Data with Sherpa
(from the Sherpa analysis threads):

• Fitting Grating Data (S-Lang or Python)
• Fitting Multiple Orders of HRC-S/LETG Data (S-Lang or Python)
• Measuring Line Parameters with an HETG/ACIS-S Spectrum (S-Lang or Python)
• Measuring Line Parameters with an LETG/ACIS-S Spectrum (S-Lang or Python)

General:

• Why topic: Continuous Clocking Mode
• Apply Barycenter Correction
• Phase-binning a Spectrum (S-Lang or Python)

Analyzing Lightcurves:

• Why topic: Timing Analysis with Lightcurves
• Basic Lightcurves (S-Lang or Python)
• Filtering Lightcurves (S-Lang or Python)
  Uses: the lightcurves.sl S-Lang script; the lightcurves.py script
• Search for Variability in a Source (S-Lang or Python)