Monte Carlo Simulator and Ancillary Response Generator of Suzaku XRT/XIS System for Spatially Extended Source Analysis
Year: 2007
Type: article
Abstract: We have developed a framework for the Monte Carlo simulations of X-Ray Telescope (XRT) and X-ray Imaging Spectrometer (XIS) on board Suzaku, mainly for the scientific analysis of spatially and spectroscopically complex celestial sources. A photon-by-photon instrumental simulator is built on the ANL platform, which has been successfully used in ASCA data analysis. The simulator has a modular structure, in which the XRT simulation is based on a ray-tracing library, while the XIS simulation utilizes a spectral “Redistribution Matrix File” (RMF), generated separately by other tools. Instrumental characteristics and calibration results [e.g., XRT geometry, reflectivity, mutual alignments, thermal shield transmission, build-up of the contamination on the XIS optical blocking filters (OBF)] are incorporated as completely as possible. Most of this information is available in the form of FITS (Flexible Image Transport System) files in the standard calibration database (CALDB). This simulator can also be utilized to generate an “Ancillary Response File” (ARF), which describes the XRT response and the amount of OBF contamination. An ARF is dependent on the spatial distribution of the celestial target and the photon accumulation region on the detector, as well as the observing conditions, such as the observation date and satellite attitude. We describe the principles of the simulator and the ARF generator, and demonstrate their performance compared with in-flight data.
Authors: Yoshitaka Ishisaki, Yoshitomo Maeda, Ryuichi Fujimoto, Masanobu Ozaki, Ken Ebisawa, Tadayuki Takahashi, Yoshihiro Ueda, Yasushi Ogasaka, Andrew Ptak, Koji Mukai, Kenji Hamaguchi, Masaharu Hirayama, Taro Kotani, Hidetoshi Kubo, Ryo Shibata, Masatoshi Ebara, Akihiro Furuzawa, Ryo Iizuka, Hirohiko Inoue, Hideyuki Mori, Shunsaku Okada, Yushi Yokoyama, Hironori Matsumoto, Hiroshi Nakajima, Hiroya Yamaguchi, Naohisa Anabuki, Noriaki Tawa, Masaaki Nagai, Satoru Katsuda, Kiyoshi Hayashida, Aya Bamba, Eric D. Miller, Kosuke Sato, Noriko Y. Yamasaki
Institutions: Tokyo Metropolitan University, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Kyoto University, Nagoya University, Johns Hopkins University, Goddard Space Flight Center, Universities Space Research Association, Astrophysics Division, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Nishi-Harima Astronomical Observatory, The University of Osaka, RIKEN, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Language: English
Subfield: Instrumentation
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2166984938