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Updates of the EPIC Canned Response Files

Update 2012-06-29

EPIC response files have been made available for the new SAS v12.0.1, released on the 25th June 2012. As in the previous release (Update 2011-04-12), canned response matrices have been created for 13 different epochs for EPIC-MOS.

Update 2011-04-12

EPIC response files have been made available for the new SAS v11.0.0 release on the 28th February 2011. The EPIC-MOS matrices have been substantially revised and now produce a fit which is more in agreement with the EPIC-pn and RGS cameras, especially at energies below 700 eV (see CCF release notes CAL-SRN-0272 and CAL-SRN-0273 for more information). The EPIC-MOS redistribution continues to evolve with time and canned response matrices have been created for 13 different epochs during the mission, and at three different positions on the detector.

Note: Before SAS 11.0, the canned MOS RMFs were epoch independent. The files can still be found here, under the old folder, and follow the nomenclature:
  <camera>_<patch>_<patterns>_<ver>.rmf
 
 
camera m1 for MOS-1 or m2 for MOS-2
patch onpatch, wings, offpatch
patterns p0 for pattern 0 only or pall for patterns 0 - 12
ver release date
 
For example;
  m1_onpatch_p0_2008-07-28.rmf
m1_offpatch_pall_2008-07-28.rmf

Update 2010-10-26

EPIC response files have been made available for the new SAS v10.0.0 release on the 23th April 2010. The updated files make use of the new pn and MOS redistribution matrices (see CCF release notes XMM-CCF-REL-266 and XMM-CCF-REL-267 for more information on the new redistribution matrices for pn and MOS respectively).

Update 2009-07-07

EPIC response files have been made available as a tool for the feasibility study of AO-9 proposals. The new SAS v9.0.0 release on the 18th June 2009 does not affect the generation of the Canned Response Matrices, hence those generated with SAS 8.0.0 are still valid for AO-9 (see Update 2008-09-24 for more info).

Update 2008-09-24

The following EPIC response files have been made available as a tool for the feasibility study of AO-8 proposals.
  • PN response files, updated for SAS 8.0.0 and latest CCFs, are available for all modes.

  • MOS response files, updated for SAS 8.0.0 and latest CCFs, are available for on-patch, wings of patch and off-patch positions for the full frame mode, pattern 0 and pattern 0-12, for the current epoch.
    • The MOS redistribution is uniform over the camera except for a small patch in each camera, coincident with the boresight, which shows a broadened response below 1 keV that has evolved with time. Details on the three RMF regions are given in the EPIC Status of Calibration and Data Analysis document.

Update 2007-07-17

The following EPIC response files have been made available as a tool for the feasibility study of AO-7 proposals.
  • PN response files, updated for SAS 7.1.0 and latest CCFs, are available for all modes.

  • MOS response files, updated for SAS 7.1.0 and latest CCFs, are available for on-patch, wings of patch and off-patch positions for the full frame mode, pattern 0 and pattern 0-12, for the current epoch.
    • The MOS redistribution is uniform over the camera except for a small patch in each camera, coincident with the boresight, which shows a broadened response below 1 keV that has evolved with time. Details on the three RMF regions are given in the EPIC Status of Calibration and Data Analysis document.

Update 2006-02-16

A link to all of the most recent response matrices has been made in the pipeline directory. This allows users of source spectra, produced directly by the pipeline, to access the canned matrices which are referenced in the header of these spectra.

Update 2005-12-15

No ready-made MOS redistribution matrices are being provided as of SAS 6.5.

The low energy redistribution function (RMF) of the MOS CCDs has a complex shape, in that the main photopeak has a secondary component (a shoulder) which relatively increases with decreasing energy, until, at the very lowest energies, it is the dominant component. Observations of non- or weakly-varying sources, such as the SNR 1ES0102-72 and the O star Zeta Puppis, have shown that the shape of the in-flight redistribution function changes both spatially across the detector (the change from the on-ground calibration being most pronounced at the boresight) and also temporarily with observation epoch (Read et al. 2005, ESA-SP 604).

The form of this was such that the original shoulder had now evolved into a flatter `shelf', of lower amplitude, but extending to lower energies. The bulk of the spatial change occurs within 40 arcseconds of the boresight, a region which we refer to as the "patch". A new method of deriving the RMF was constructed to account for this spatial and temporal variation. This has been incorporated into the Science Analysis Software (the SAS), such that as of SAS v6.5.0, there are now three RMF regions on each of the two MOS detectors; a "patch core" region, a "patch wings" region and an "outside patch" region. This, in combination with the 10 temporal epochs now considered in the SAS, gives rise to a total of 60 MOS RMFs in the current calibration files. For a source extracted close to the patch, rmfgen automatically constricts a PSF-(default) or flat-weighted average RMF from the three region-defined RMFs (making use, of course, of the calibration files from the correct epoch).

Since SAS 6.5, rmfgen produces RMF following the above method. No ready-made redistribution matrices are provided as of SAS 6.5 since this would require an infinite number, depending on the actual extraction region.

Note: Before SAS 6.5, the canned MOS RMFs are observing mode and observation date dependent. The files can still be found here, under the old folder, and follow the nomenclature:
  <camera>_<rev>_<mode>_<patterns>_<ver>.rmf
 
 
camera m1 for MOS-1 or m2 for MOS-2
rev The revolution number of the observation.
mode im for imaging mode or tu for timing mode.
patterns p0 for pattern 0 only or pall for patterns 0 - 12
ver version number of the release, eg; v1.2
 
For example;
  m1_360_im_pall_v1.2.rmf
m2_439_tu_p0_v1.2.rmf

Users should, in general, use the rmf with the revolution number closest to the revolution in which their observation was performed. The revolution 534 matrices are, however, an exception to this rule. In this revolution the MOS detectors were cooled, resulting in a much improved spectral response. Therefore, observations with a revolution number greater than 534 should use the revolution 534 response files but earlier revolutions must use the previous response from e.g. revolution 439.

In timing mode (tu) only supporting pattern 0 is supported.

Update 2005-12-14

PN response files for all modes have been updated for SAS 6.5.0 and latest CCFs.

Update 2004-12-03

PN response files for all modes have been updated

This release improves the agreement between the MOS and PN responses below 1 keV. For further details please refer to XMM-SOC-SRN-0183.

Update 2004-10-15

MOS response files for all modes have been updated

The timing mode response has been much improved below 1 keV where large discrepancies with model fits were previously seen.

The tail of the redistribution function has been adjusted for all modes. This particularly affects very hard sources which previously showed an unnatural deficit at low energies wher e there were no source photons.

The naming convention has changed to include the revolution number. The general description above has been modified to reflect these changes.

Update 2004-07-28

Response files for both MOS and pn have been updated.
  • pn: further adjustments of the redistribution parameters in the Partial Event Model at low energies (<600 eV) were done.
  • MOS: Observations of calibration targets confirm a significant change in the low energy redistribution characteristics of the MOS cameras with time. This change is probably due to an increase in the surface charge loss property of the CCDs which degrades the low energy resolution. Epoch dependent calibration files have been produced which reflect these changes. For detailed information see XMM-SOC-CAL-SRN-169.

Update 2003-01-29

PN response files for all modes have been updated:
  • Quantum efficiency QE (concerns all readout modes)
    New QE function is based on measurements of the thickness of the SiO2 layer on top of the CCD. This improves spectral fits around the O-edge.

  • Spectral redistribution (concerns all readout modes)
    Data from the isolated neutron star RXJ1856.5-3754 were used to adjust the redistribution parameters in the Partial Event Model at low energies (<600 eV). The parameters were tuned to make the spectral fit parameters of RXJ1856.5-3754 consistent with those obtained by the  Chandra LETG in high resolution. In particular the absorption column density agrees now with that obtained by the LETG, while before the pn value was too low.

  • Charge Transfer Inefficiency (Small Window mode)
    The CTI correction for SW mode was further adjusted at low energies to further improve the spectral fits around the O-edge. At the O-edge the events were CTI-overcorrected before.
For further information please visit the Update Details Page

Update 2002-05-28

PN response files for timing and burst mode have now been added to the repository. Due to the lack of point sources with strong emission lines the energy resolution assumed to produce the RMF files for pn timing and burst mode has not been checked over the whole energy band. Be careful when interpreting derived line widths. Lines in spectra of extended sources are expected to be broadened by CTI correction which assumes a certain position of the source on the detector.

Update 2002-04-29

A set of CCD-only redistribution matrix files (RMF) are available here. These may be used in combination with the SAS task arfgen to provide the full response for the EPIC detectors on and off axis.

They are virtually identical to the files produced by the SAS task rmfgen but can be used to save time.

It is likely that they will be updated from time to time to give the user access to the current best knowledge independently of the SAS release schedule. Changes to the RMF tend to come from improvements to generation algorithms which imply a code change. Conversely, improvements in the knowledge of the instrument effective areas (produced by arfgen) can usually be included in updates to the CCF which avoids the need for a new software release.

The MOS files use the nomenclature ****all**** and *****p0*** which mean patterns 0-12 and pattern 0 only respectively. Pattern 0 is currently the only supported pattern type for timing mode observations. In imaging mode pattern 0 spectra can be selected to improve the spectral resolution for bright sources.

The PN response matrices are available for spectra  ...
(The corresponding information has been moved to the top of the page, since it is still valid ...)

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Last update: 03-Jul-2012 by