Post BCD Software: CUBISM

I. Purpose and Description

CUBISM, The CUbe Builder for IRS Spectra Maps, is a tool for constructing spectral cubes, maps, and arbitrary aperture 1D spectral extractions from sets of mapping mode spectra taken with Spitzer's IRS spectrograph. CUBISM was developed by the SINGS team to fulfill, in part, its Legacy proposal commitments. It is optimized for non-sparse maps of extended objects, e.g. the nearby galaxy sample of SINGS, but can be used with data from any spectral mapping AOR (primarily validated for maps which are designed as suggested by the mapping HOWTO).

The SINGS IRS Team working on CUBISM:

• J.D. Smith
• Lee Armus
• Caroline Bot
• Brent Buckalew
• Danny Dale
• George Helou
• Tom Jarrett
• Helene Roussel
• Kartik Sheth

The CUBISM algorithm and implementation are described in detail in:

Smith, J. D. T., et al., Spectral Mapping Reconstruction of Extended Sources, 2007, PASP, 119.1133S

Please reference this paper for published use of the tool.

II. Download CUBISM

Note that there is residual order mismatch in the two reddest LH orders in some datasets. This is inherent in the BCDs and is not produced by CUBISM. We are currently investigating the problem.

CUBISM is currently at version 1.6. The CHANGES file outlines the changes which have been implemented in this new version.

The CUBISM software release consists of the tool, the manual, and an example data set. The tool can be downloaded as a tar ball of the source code or as a pre-compiled binary. Basic instructions for installing and running the software are provided in Section III below. Additional details can be found in the CUBISM manual.

CUBISM requires IDL v6.2 or greater. Either a licensed version of IDL OR the free IDL Virtual Machine may be used (see below).

You will be able to build cubes much faster if you have installed a C compiler. MacOSX users can install gcc directly from the install disk (under the "Optional Installs" folder), or from this website (registration required):

http://developer.apple.com/tools/download/

Full Source Distribution

The full source distribution can be run on any system from the command line in a fully licensed version of IDL.

cubism_v1.6_src.tgz (18MB)

For source distributions (only), you'll also need a recent version of the NASA AstroLib.

Generic Binary Distribution

The generic binary distribution can be run on any system, either directly from the command line in a fully licensed version of IDL, or via the free IDL virtual machine (IDLVM).

cubism_v1.6_bin.tgz (18MB)

MacOSX Cubism.app for IDLVM

For MacOSX users of the free IDL Virtual Machine (IDLVM), an alternative binary distribution is available as a conveniently bundled Cubism.app application. It is a wrapper which (upon double-clicking) loads CUBISM in the IDLVM under X11.

cubism_v1.6.dmg (20MB)

SMART USERS: If you use both SMART and CUBISM, for best results, upgrade your SMART installation to v6.2.4 or later, and ensure no older versions of SMART exist on your IDL_PATH.

III. Which calibration set should be used with which SSC IRS pipeline version?

IV. Documentation

The CUBISM manual is available as HTML online, or as a PDF File (1.6MB). The PDF is also distributed along with your CUBISM installation, available anytime from the Help->CUBISM Manual... menu.

We include an example data set that a user may use to try out CUBISM as discussed in the manual. These data are from the SINGS team for the galaxy NGC 3049 and may be downloaded from here.

The Spitzer Data Analysis Cookbooks Page now includes a more in-depth demonstration of how to reduce your IRS data with CUBISM, using LL observations of M51.

V. Installation and Running

• Full Source Distribution:

  Unpack the cubism_[].tar.gz tar file, and setup your IDL path to include the resulting irs_cubism directory, as well as the AstroLib directories. This can be accomplished (perhaps in your .login file) with:

  
  	    setenv IDL_PATH <IDL_DEFAULT>:+/path/to/cubism_dir/:+/path/to/astrolib/
  	    

  At the IDL> prompt, run:

  IDL> cubism

  If you have trouble with the colors looking strange on a 16 or 24-bit system, add:

  	    device,DECOMPOSED=0,RETAIN=2
  	    

  to your IDL startup file (whatever file the environment variable IDL_STARTUP points to).
  
  
• Generic Binary Distribution:

  The generic binary distribution contains a compiled .sav file which includes all the routines (including the AstroLib library routines) CUBISM needs to run, along with relevant calibration sets and auto-compiled C code. Simply unpack the files, and setup your IDL path to include the directory they are in (see the example provided for the full source distribution above but note that the binary distribution will unpack into a file called cubism rather than irs_cubism). This binary version can be run either under a licensed version of IDL or under the IDL Virtual Machine (IDLVM). Both come bundled together from ITT, but a license must be purchased separately.

  To run CUBISM without an IDL license, under the IDLVM, type:

  	    idl -vm=/path/to/cubism/cubism_bin/bin/cubism_vm.sav
  	    

  Note that you will not have access to the IDL command line when running in the IDLVM.

  If you do have a license, and would like access to the IDL command line while using CUBISM, start IDL and type:

  IDL> cubism_vm

  This will automatically restore and run the compiled version of CUBISM.
  
  
• MacOSX Cubism.app for IDLVM:

  Simply copy the application from the disk image, and double click the CUBISM icon, or any ".cpj" file to start CUBISM under the IDLVM.

  If your IDL is not installed in /Applications/rsi/idl or /usr/local/rsi/idl or the equivalent paths with rsi->itt, set the global environment variable IDL_DIR to point to your IDL install.

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