Data Analysis (Post-BCD Software)

Welcome to the Post-BCD Analysis pages

Here you will find all of the documentation and software for use with the Basic Calibrated Data (BCDs) you obtain from Spitzer. This suite of software is also known as the "Post-BCD" software, but much of it can be used with more than just Spitzer data. The information required to reduce and analyze Spitzer data is organized according to instrument, and includes a description of the data products, data caveats, calibration files, links to the reduction sofware and user guides, and example input parameter files:

What's New?

• IMPORTANT NOTES (09.22.08):
  
  1) There is an error in the APEX switch "Use_Photerr_for_SNR", new in MOPEX 18.1.5. Turn this off (set = 0) until fixed. It will default to an estimate for "SNR" based on the point-source profile (see readme/README_new_snr_option_081108.pdf). For a better estimate of point-source signal-to-noise, use an aperture uncertainty, where the aperture covers the main core of the point-source.
  
  2) There is an error in the Perl script, apex.pl, in MOPEX 18.1.5.  The error occurs when the switch "use_data_unc_for_fitted_SNR = 1" is on, and there are tiles with no data.  APEX sourcestimate will exit with a message "number of noise images less than number of tiles".  The Perl script has been fixed (Version 4.4) and is available here: apex.pl. Replace the one in your MOPEX download sub-directory /bin with the new one.
  
  3) The new APEX User List mode has a limitation when used in multi-frame mode: it does not work when there's more than 1 tile.  So when making a mosaic (either within APEX, or in a previous "mosaic" run - the latter is usually better), don't set a TILEMAX size in mosaic_coadd, or set it bigger than your mosaic, if you can.  In practice,  this means you won't be able to use apex_user_list.pl in a single pass for a large area of IRAC data (when you do APEX PRF-fitting on the stack).
  
  
• The new version of Bandmerge has been released (09.02.08). Bandmerge allows users to input ASCII tables of source fluxes and positions in several different wavebands and merge them into a single output table.


• New Point Response Funtions (PRFs) have been released for IRAC (08.21.08), and are a significant improvement over those previously released by the SSC. For true point sources, we are able to obtain agreement between fitted and aperture flux measurements at better than the 1% level. For more information, see IRAC PRF Fitting.


• The latest update to MOPEX has been released (v18.1.5; 08.21.08), with bug fixes and the inclusion of two new pipelines - APEX QA (for source subtraction) and PRF Estimate. An experimental version of User Input has also been included, allowing users to input their own source detection lists into APEX (see README_apex_user_list_081108 for more information). Please note that Solaris 8 is no longer supported - this and future updates support Solaris 10+. See the MOPEX Change Log for a full list of changes in this and previous updates.


• The SPICE User's Manual has been released in pdf format (06.23.08).


• Previous news items

Quick Links

• New Users start here
• Instructions on downloading and installing the software
• Data Reduction and Analysis Cookbooks
• MOPEX Online Manual

How to get help / report bugs

For general Spitzer help or for assistance with SSC Supported Software, check the FAQ pages or email the Spitzer Helpdesk. We endeavor to answer all questions within 1-2 days, but during busy times it may take up to 5 days to get back to you. Please note that our system does NOT autoreply. If you get a response from us right away, please be sure to read the whole message. There is likely to be a reply to your query at the bottom.

To report a bug in SSC Supported Software, please email the Spitzer Helpdesk. Please include the platform you are running (e.g. Linux RedHat/Mac OSX/Solaris), the AOR Key if you are reducing Spitzer data, a description of what you were doing at the time and the error message that was displayed (if any). If you are using a GUI version of our software, please also include the most recent log file, found in your ~/.spot directory.

For all problems/bug reports regarding Contributed Software, please email the appropriate developers, listed on the Contributed Software page.