Chandra X-ray Data Analysis For Amateur Astronomers

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Chandra X-ray Data Analysis For Amateur
Astronomers
Terry Matilsky, Eugenia Etkina (Rutgers
University), Kathy Lestition, Eric Mandel
William Joye (CfA)
Have you ever wondered how the object you have
been looking at through your optical telescope
behaves in other wavelength bands? We couple DS9
imaging software, a user friendly, fun to explore
environment, with a virtual observatory that
allows analysis to be done remotely on UNIX based
machines, regardless of the platform employed by
the user. Furthermore, by adapting VNC (Virtual
Network Computer) software, we can enhance this
flexibility enormously and allow observers to
view, comment on, and communicate results of any
analysis task in real-time, from anywhere in the
world, and across all computing platforms. This
makes these programs especially useful in
distance learning environments or in your
backyard.
DS9 http//chandra-ed.harvard.edu
DS9-Continued Now we can do some real
science! PICK TWO REGIONS
BOX 1
BOX 2
DS9
From this image, we can perform a host of
operations
OR
GET ENERGY SPECTRA!
CHANGE COLORS
CHANGE CONTRAST
DISPLAY COORDINATE SYSTEMS
TIME VARIABILITY ANALYSIS USING CEN X-3
POWER SPECTRUM
LIGHT CURVES
EQUATORIAL
GALACTIC
CREATE ANALYSIS REGIONS Very flexible!
You can even select regions based on
iso-intensity contours
FOLDED LIGHT CURVE
ZOOM IN!!!

BOX 3
VNC- Virtual Network Computing allows you to view
any computer (in this case, a LINUX server at
Rutgers that contains the entire suite of DS9
and FTOOLS subroutines), even if you are in a PC
environment. Moreover, observers can work from
several remote locations and see the same window.
The astronomer can now debug or comment on any
analysis , also from a remote location. For
example, you can examine any number of VNC
sessions, and comment (in real time) on a
particular observation. You can operate the mouse
and keyboard remotely, and other observers will
see it on his/her desktop! We have been using
these tools for 11 years in our annual month long
Astrophysics Summer Institute held each year at
Rutgers University. COME TO THE PLENARY SESSION
AND WORKSHOP FOR A LIVE DEMO!!