There are presented examples of a simple runs of Munipack's routines. A first example shows a long time photometry set and the second one is dedicated to a deep sky object (passed).
A sample data for both runs are available as munitut-blazar.tar.gz and munitut-bubble.tar.gz. Use command tar zxf munitut-blazar.tar.gz and tar zxf munitut-blazar.tar.gz to unpack it to a current directory. We will assume that the sample data are unpacked to /tmp directory as /tmp/munitut-blazar and /tmp/munitut-bubble.
We have a set of images, flat-fields and dark-frames for the images. Our goal is to get a light curve (a time dependence of magnitude) of the blazar. The same approach can be used for any object as a variable star, an exoplanet, etc.
Filemask | Description | Exposure time |
---|---|---|
0716_[1-9]R.fits | scientific images | 120 sec |
d120_[1-7].fits | dark-frames of scientific images | 120 sec |
f10_[1-9]R.fits | flat-fields | 10 sec |
d10_[1-9].fits | dark-frames of flat-fields | 10 sec |
As a first important step, we will create a working directory. For example, create /tmp/munitut by the command:
bash$ mkdir /tmp/munitut bash$ cd /tmp/munitut
The name of the directory is arbitrary. It is highly recommended to use any empty directory to prevent unwanted replacement of any data (especially of original images!).
We will create a mean-dark for scientific exposures. Run the command
bash$ ls /tmp/munitut-blazar/d120_*.fits | mdark @ robust=y mask=d120.fits
The asterisk marks all images begins with d120_ together with a suffix .fits. The command ls lists images throughout a pipe | to mdark utility which is set by @ to read image names from its standard input. The mdark uses robust method of mean estimation and the mean itself is stored as d120.fits.
The parameter robust=y is optional, but highly recommended. It reduces of fluency of cosmic-rays and one-image defects. On the other side, it requires more computer resources.
In principle, this step can be omitted, but it is a good practice from a statistical point of view. The output image is frequently called as the master-dark.
Original scientific images can be corrected for dark-frames by
bash$ ls /tmp/munitut-blazar/0716_*R.fits | darkbat @ dark=d120.fits mask=$
darkbat subtracts, the previously created mean-dark d120.fits, from every scientific exposure and produces new images stored in the current working directory with image names identical to original ones.
There is a tree step procedure for creating of the running mean of flats
bash$ ls /tmp/munitut-blazar/d10_*.fits | mdark @ robust=y mask=d10.fits bash$ ls /tmp/munitut-blazar/f10_*R.fits | darkbat @ dark=d10.fits mask=$ bash$ ls f10_*R.fits | aflat @ mask=autoflat.fits
The first two lines are a modification of our previously described examples (The original flat-field images are corrected about their mean-dark and stored in the current directory.) Let's look on tree line. The corrected flat-fields are scaled by its mean intensity and its dispersion to a unified output level. A robust mean is made on the uniform scaled flats and an output flat is stored as autoflat.fits. The output image is frequently called as the master-flat.
The key feature of aflat is the scaling and a robust mean of single flats. The procedure is pretty effective for short series of the twilight sky's exposures when brightness rapidly decrease. Also, a long over-night series of non-identical fields (like many blazar fields) will produce excellent results.
In analogy of dark correction, scientific images (subtracted for dark) can be corrected for flats by
bash$ ls 0716_*R.fits | flatbat @ flat=autoflat.fits mask=.
We can see that the current directory images are used. With parameter mask=. the input images are replaced. It may be potentially dangerous!
We can apply an aperture photometry on prepared images:
bash$ qmphot.pl -i 0716_*R.fits bash$ ls 0716_*R.fits | muniphot @ com=.
The qmphot.pl prepares configuration files and a running script to muniphot. The photometry itself can be executed via generated shell script or by hand as the second line shows. The run will produce of some additional files.
The routine detect all stars on images and made their aperture photometry.
Matching of images, or matching of list of stars on images, will done with
bash$ ls 0716_*R.SRT | munimatch @ ref=0716_1R.SRT
Take note on type of used files. There are not images, but a sorted list of detected stars .SRT. The reference image has been choose by random selection to 0716_1R.SRT.
It is recommended to use nicer images as a reference frame. The routine derives linear transformations between single images.
On finish, find coordinates of in inspected object together with a reference (comparison) star and run
bash$ ls 0716_*R.fits | munilist @ 256,156 258,88 > lc
The text file lc contains our measured light curve. The table with Julian times and relative magnitudes (together with estimation of residuals).