Spectral Analysis Software

OSPEX - Object Spectral Analysis Executive

OSPEX provides a uniform interface suitable for the spectral analysis of data from a number of solar (or other) instruments in the X-ray and gamma-ray energy ranges.  It is suitable for any data stream that can be structured in the form of response vs. interval, where the response is usually a counting rate (spectrum) and the interval is normally an accumulation over time.

The spectrum data, together with an algorithm that relates a model input spectrum to the observed response (generally a response matrix), is amenable to analysis with OSPEX. The instrument response matrix details the probability of a photon of any energy producing a pulse in the detector of a given amplitude.

OSPEX currently handles the following types of data: RHESSI spectrum, RHESSI image cube,  FERMI GBM, FERMI LAT, YOHKOH WBS, MESSENGER, SOXS, SMART-1 XSM, Konus-Wind, SMM HXRBS, and user input.  Additional data types will be added as needed.

For RHESSI analysis, users start by creating a spectrum and response matrix FITS files using the RHESSI spectrum software.  These files are the input to OSPEX.


SPEX - Spectral Analysis Executive (No longer supported)

SPEX was written by Richard Schwartz in the early 1990's. OSPEX (above), written by Kim Tolbert in 2004, is the next generation of SPEX.   SPEX will continue to function as is, but will not be updated. SPEX handles the following types of data:  from SMM - HXRBS, GRS Gamma, GRS X1, GRS X2;  from Yohkoh - HXT, HXS, GRS, SXT;  from CGRO - BATSE SPEC, BATSE LAD; WIND TGRS; the HIREX balloon-borne Ge detector; the PIN on NEAR; RHESSI; and HXRS.