XSPEC, Fitting, and Atomic Data
Keith Arnaud
July 13th 2012
Leicester
XSPEC
XSPEC is an interactive program widely used to fit parameterized
models to energy spectra, primarily in the X-ray and gamma-ray
bands.
It has been used for over 6000 refereed papers.
XSPEC includes a library of over 150 physical models. This
library is available independently for use by other programs.
An individual researcher can easily add their own models. This
can be done within an XSPEC run by loading an external
subroutine, or reading a FITS file containing a grid of theoretical
spectra.
July 13th 2012
Leicester
Current status
Latest version is XSPEC v12.7.1d. V12.7.1 was released as part
of HEAsoft 6.12 which also included PyXspec v1.0, our XSPEC
Python module.
HEAsoft 6.12 also included HEASP 1.0, a new C++/C/Python
library for manipulating spectra, responses, table model files.
I recently had to overhaul WebSpec for security reasons and took
the opportunity to add the ability to make confidence contours.
July 13th 2012
Leicester
Craig Gordon
July 13th 2012
Leicester
Bryan Irby
Equilibrium ionization collisional models
apec
mekal
raymond
based on AtomDB
an older version of SPEX
the original raymond-smith
A number of models build on these with multiple temperature
components including power-law, gaussian, and Chebyshev
polynomial differential emission distributions as well as physicallymotivated examples such as cooling flows.
All these models run through a single routine so it is easy to build
new multi-temperature models.
Almost all these models can also be run using alternative atomic
physics data provided they are presented through apec coco and
line FITS files.
July 13th 2012
Leicester
Non-equilibrium ionization collisional models
These models from Kazik Borkowski range from the simple, a
single temperature and an ionization parameter, to plane parallel
shocks and Sedov models.
There is an option to use AtomDB to calculate the spectra though
the current version does not include many of the lines produced
by out of equilibrium plasma. Further, the ionization fractions are
based on pre-AtomDB data so also need to be updated.
July 13th 2012
Leicester
Photoionized plasmas
Photoionized plasma codes are generally too CPU intensive to
run inside XSPEC so instead they are run externally to generate
grids of models which can be stored in table model FITS files and
used in fitting. Both XSTAR and CLOUDY have been used in this
way.
XSPEC also includes models for ionized absorbers and Compton
“reflection”. Some of these models use older atomic physics data
however getting the physical model correct may be a larger
source of uncertainty.
July 13th 2012
Leicester
Some useful XSPEC commands
addline – adds a gaussian or lorentzian line at the position of
largest residual between current model and data
identify – list possible lines in a given energy range. Uses either
the Bearden compilation of fluourescence lines, the mekal line list
or the apec line list. If the latter then can also specify a
temperature plasma and a minimum emissivity.
modid – runs identify on all the gaussian lines in the current
model.
setplot id – add line IDs to plots. Uses the apec line list for a
given temperature and minimum emissivity.
Leicester
A few things I’m working on / worrying about.
Models
Statistics
Computational issues
User support
Multi-wavelength support
July 13th 2012
Leicester
Models
Rationalized the models involving Compton reflection – sharing
the code.
Trying to sort out eqpair.
Need an XMM pileup model - Prashin Jethwa
What else ?
July 13th 2012
Leicester
Statistics
Separate statistics for parameter estimation and goodness-of-fit.
More goodness-of-fit options.
Poisson data with background.
More support for Bayesian methods - priors.
July 13th 2012
Leicester
Computational Issues
Parallelization of parts of code.
- starting on derivatives wrt parameters
Improvement to Levenberg-Marquardt (standard fit algorithm).
Better error algorithm.
- parallel ?
Use Goodman-Weare version of MCMC (emcee).
Computing in cloud.
July 13th 2012
Leicester
July 13th 2012
Leicester
Spitzer IRS spectrum of NGC 4395
Riley et al., 2012
July 13th 2012
Leicester
July 13th 2012
Leicester
Multi-wavelength support
Allow spectra, responses and table models in other units. Convert
when reading into xspec.
Allow models written in other units. Specify units in the model.dat
entry.
Build up model libraries for other wavebands.
Spitzer IRS, SDSS, ???
July 13th 2012
Leicester