
	SDAST Chat Meeting # 73: Thursday 27th February 2003
	
Participants: Silvia Martinez-Nuez, Sami Maisala, Niels-Jrgen Westergaard,
	Jerme Chenevez, Carol Anne Oxborrow

Subjects Discussed: Current ISSW status
		JEM-X/ISDC Software Review
		SDAST presence at ISDC

Action Items: none


**** Logging Started : Thu Feb 27 13:06:40 MET 2003
> Hello everyone! Sorry I'm late - I've got a stinking cold and my brain's
> not working - so what else is new? END
<njw> Hello Sami and Carol Anne, Peter is no working either, but where is 
Stefan? END
<silvia> Hi everyone ! And Jerome ? END
> Jerome's disappeared somewhere, so I'll try and find him. END
> Sorry, I can't find jerome, any sign of Stefan? END
<njw> I saw him tuesday in Milano in good shape to return Wednesday - probably 
busy
<njw> with something unimportant END
<silvia> Because 3 of the members of the SDAST are not presented, should we
 cancel the chat ? END
*** jerome (~jerome@oso.dsri.dk) has joined channel #jemxadr
<njw> Hello Jerome.
<silvia> Hi, Jerome ! END
<jerome> Hello! Sorry for the delay, I am a quite wanted man today...
<jerome> END
<silvia> Well, only two left ! Sould we start ? END
<njw> I have sent a couple of emails to the SDAST group with the instrument
* njw representative cap on. Did you get them ? NED
> Sorry, I don't have Stefan's current telephone number, let's start, perhaps
> we can stick to giving everyone a status of where we're at, and we won't make
> any actual dicisions about anything since we're lacking so many SDASTers. END
> Yes, thank you NJW, they were quite informative - I'm shocked to see how much
> stuff I'm expected to do before tomorrow. END
<njw> Based  on your promises!!! END
> If wishes were fishes........end
<njw> Well - early next week will probably also do END
> So my current status: j_cor_gain 4.1 with pre-SETUP event flags will be
> delivered by the end of today. Work starts on j_dead_time_calc tomorrow.
> They've come up with yet another way of calculating dead time - this time
> based on a `live-time' calculated from the strength of the calibration spectra.
> But this really needs discussing for several reasons I won't bore you with now.
> SB also has a new method of calculating dead time for each kind of processing
> which is another possibility. 
> Improved j_prp_verify and j_cor_gain (16-bit status and new flags) will be
> tackled next week. Gain fitting and correction are generally looking good, and
> the most recent gain history table clearly shows that the slow decrease in
> gain correction has stopped, and the gain seems to have been very stable indeed
> for all anodes during the crab calibration. I hope this continues. That's all 
> from me folks. END
<njw> I can say that I'll deliver j_ima_shadowgram today for better GTI
<njw> handling and updating a parameter name. The problem with source fluxes
<njw> (Peter has seen the Crab vary a lot in the flux reported in SRCL-RES)
<njw> might be due to a somewhat incorrect correction for greyfilter in
<njw> j_ima_shadowgram. I hope to fix that next week. j_ima_src_find will
<njw> simply be delivered - it has turned out that Peter has a beta version that
<njw> works well i.e. takes misalignment into account, but it has not
<njw> been officially delivered. So much for my software END
> Sami how are you doing? END
<smaisala> Just fine. END
> Could you give some more details on your software perhaps? END
<smaisala> I've been busy of analyzing bkg and I'll update my software as soon 
I have created the new databases. END
<silvia> Sami, have you seen around the models you did, or not yet ? END
<silvia> Perdon, seen=sent  ! END
<silvia> Perdon=pardon , sorry ! END
<smaisala> Right now I'm using xspec to separate diffuse from blank field 
observations. I think I have something to show you next week. END
<silvia> Thanks Sami ! END
<njw> I have not received any models. I would appreciate even an incorrect one 
END
<njw> I have to leave you for 10-15 minutes to send an IPF file to Carl and 
Soren
<njw> I'll be back END
<silvia> Carol Anne, should we wait until Niels Joergen back ? END
<jerome> Sami, may be you could tale us about your problem with normalization 
of channels bining?
<jerome> END
> Let's just pause here for 15 minutes - I'm sure you all have other things
> running. END
<smaisala> I had to start all modelling at beginning after new IMOD files. 
After that I realized the spectrum binning normalization was incorrect.
<smaisala> The bug was in my own idl code and after that I wanted to make sure 
it won't happen again so I coded a new software which  creates xspec acceptable
 files.   
<smaisala> Now I'm analysing corrected JEMX events with xspec and I think 
xspeck is working correctly :-) END
<njw> Hi, I'm back  END
<silvia> We were waiting for you ! We took a break of 15 minutes ! I hope 
everyone is back soon ! END
<njw> In the meanwhile I can tell that Stefan has promised to update 
j_src_spectra
<njw> and j_src_lc. It is not clear that the misalignment correction for catalog
<njw> sources (user supplied) can be done for this OSA release since the ISDC
<njw> needs to move fast in creating a new function (and verify it etc.) END
> hello everyone - are we all back. Let's continue with Sami and his background
> models - more questions about background models anyone? END
<njw> Not now - probably when we get to see a sample END
<silvia> N 
<silvia> Sami, Jerome ? Could we continue the chat ? END
> What about the scripts Silvia, how are they going? END
<silvia> We delivered a new version (3.3.0) last week. 
<jerome> N
<jerome> Sorry : Yes!
<silvia> The main changes were done in the help files. We work hard to get good
 description of all the parameters and to get a good sample of examples, that 
 Masha has already used to improve her cookbook 
<silvia> We also did minor changes in the parameter files, we changed some of 
the attributes of some parameters. 
<silvia> Now, I am fixing small bugs, and I hope to deliver a new version in a 
couple of weeks. Any questions ? END
> Are there any more improvements to the scripts planned? END
<silvia> No changes on the functionality, but we need to fixed some samll bugs
 ! END
> I think there'll always be small bugs to fix! END
<silvia> Always ! END
> any more about the status of the software from anyone? END
<silvia> N
<njw> N
<jerome> N
> Okay, could you tell us about the S/w review  NJW - how are we doing in
> general terms: worse than expected or what? END
<njw> I'll refer to the mail from this morning. I don't know what we expected
<njw> but there was no doomsday threat in the air at the meeting, so I'd say 
that
<njw> we are doing OK. END
> Well that's a relief! I've read the mail, I hope everyone else has too, and
> I've noted what's expected by way of deliveries. I'm working as fast as I can.
> I supopse everyone else has their nose to the grindstone too. Anything else
> you should tell us in an unofficial sort of way NJW? END
<njw> No, I've tried to cover what I can think of. The IMOD status is also
<njw> mentioned there. END
> Yes, the IMOD situation's spelled out quite clearly there, so I think we can
> skip it now, unless any one has any questions. Questions anyone? END
<silvia> Yes, I did ! I will appreciate if you change your parameter file, 
please, send me a short e-mail with the changes. Because after your changes, 
I have to change de scripts. And I think ISDC is quite in a hurry to get a"nice"
 version of the software. END
<silvia> No questions in IMOD ! END
> That sounds like a reasonable request - I discourage the hardware guys from
<njw> To Silvia: I will! END
> asking for anything that requires different parameters or new data structures -
<silvia> Thanks Carol Anne ! END
> it makes life a lot easier. END
<silvia> And Niels Joergen ! END
<silvia> Sure, a lot easier ! END
> Any questions about scripts or IMOD group? END
<silvia> N
<njw> N
<smaisala> N
<jerome> As you wrote in your email NJW, the SPAG problem is not trivial,
<jerome> even worse than I thought last week!
<jerome> But I hope to finish soon. END
<njw> Great. In this case I think a good result is more important that 
delivering
<njw> next week. END
<jerome> Ok, agree with that. END
> If there's no more to be said, I think we should discuss the instrument
> representative question. NJW what are you suggesting exactly, and when do
> you think people need to be at ISDC? END
<njw> I suggest that one of us will go to ISDC when the GPS starts to stay 
three or
<njw> four days to analyze the JEMX data for new sources as deeply as possible.
<njw> If the source falls in the LMXB, HMXB, or gal.puls. category the spectrum
<njw> and lightcurve should be analyzed. If the the source belongs to a 
responsible
> Could you send us a list of the days when the GPSs start - and then we could
<njw> scientist he/she should be advertized. Else the source properties go to 
the
> each put ourselves down for a coupe in the coming months. END
<njw> survey catalog. All this is to be done together with Ada and Masha + ?? 
(Peter)
<njw> Yes, I intend to look up the ISOC planning and send around the list quite
<njw> soon, but htere will be an opportunity to discuss this at the JEMX cons.
<njw> meeting next week. END
<jerome> So you mean 3 or 4 days every 12 days? That is not very different than 
previously. END
<njw> that is 30% of the time in stead of 100% - I think it makes a difference 
END
<jerome> OK!
> Presumably the other institutes involved in this rotation have money to cover
> this presence at ISDC? END
<silvia> By my side, I have to talk with Victor about the expenses, but I think 
we do not have money problems ! We can talk about his next week at DSRI ! END
<njw> It will be more science oriented than instrument support END
<silvia> his=this ! END
<silvia> That sounds good NJW ! Science !!!! END
> Who exactly will be at the meeting next week: all of you? END
<njw> I will END
<silvia> I will be, together Victor from monday to thrusday at DSRI ! END
> Sami? END
<silvia> sorry, thrusday=Thursday ! END
> It'll be good to see you all. Naturally there won't be a chat next week.
> I think we'll skip the AIList this week - my head just can't handle it!
> Does anyone else have anything to discuss? END
<silvia> I am very hungry ! END 
<njw> N
<jerome> Bon appetit!
<silvia> Just a last question, have anyone check the flights to Valencia ? END
<njw> N
<jerome> N
> No, not yet I've been too busy. The last couple of weeks have been REALLY
> busy on the family front, so I'm struggling to get all my coding done -
> dreaming about Valencia seems a bit of a luxury at the moment. END
<silvia> OK, nevermind ! I was asking because our scretary are worried about 
the hotel booking ! END
<silvia> I am going to take lunch ! See you next week ! END
<silvia> Hej, Hej ! END
<njw> Alright, I'll speed up the process, bye, bye END
*** silvia has left channel #jemxadr : (silvia)
<smaisala> Bye END
*** njw has left channel #jemxadr : (njw)
> That's it for today - have a good weekend everyone! END
