BATSE SOLAR FLARE PLOTS Kim Tolbert May 28, 1991 Revised: February 9, 1992 Revised: July 22, 1992 Flare plot data are stored for every event found in the BATSE DISCLA data that is determined to be a solar flare. These archive plot files are normally generated by the data technician immediately after she identifies and logs a flare during her daily examination of the DISCLA data. The flare plot displays the time interval containing the flare and up to a minute of background before and after the flare. Horizontal bars near the top of the plot indicate the duration of the flare and background intervals in our best judgement. The total number of counts per 2000 cm^2 (the average of the total number of counts minus background observed by the two most sunward detectors, scaled by their effective area) is printed on the plot. Vertical lines marked by `D' or `N' indicate possible crossings into spacecraft day or night. Data are plotted at the highest time resolution available with the DISCLA data - 1.024s. The count rate data displayed are generated as follows. Using data from the two most sunward detectors: 1) If any overflows occurred during the time interval, they are corrected. 2) The number of counts in Channels 0 and 1 for each detector are summed and divided by the livetime for that detector for each accumulation interval. 3) Background is subtracted for each detector separately. Background during the flare is determined by linearly interpolating between the two background regions. 4) For each detector, the background-subtracted count rate data are divided by the effective area of the detector (which depends on the angle between the detector and the sun) and multiplied by 2000 to yield units of counts / (s 2000 cm^2). 5) The count rate data from the two detectors are averaged together. Until February 14, 1992, the flare plot files were stored in Tektronix format and could be viewed only on Tektronix-capable machines. Now the plot data itself is saved so that the plots can be reconstructed and displayed on the graphics device selected by the user. The graphics devices supported for screen output are X Windows, Tektronix, and Regis, and for printer output are Tektronix and PostScript. Select Option 3 from the BATSE menu to view the archive flare plots. This program is described in detail below. Option 4 also allows access to these plots, but is less direct and less flexible. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Using the Archive Flare Plot Display Program (Option 3): On entering the program, the user is presented with a menu displaying the current settings of parameters and the available commands. The user either accepts the default value of a parameter, or changes the value by typing the first 3 letters of the parameter description, comma, the new value. When the parameters are set as desired, the user issues a command (again, the first 3 letters are sufficient). Upper or lower case may be used for input. A detailed description of the parameters and commands is given below. A. BATSE Archive Flare Plot Display Program Parameters: CHANNELS - Selects whether Channels 0 and 1 will be summed before plotting or plotted separately. Options are COMBINED or SEPARATE. Default is COMBINED. Example: CHA,SEP MULTIPLE PLOTS - Selects number of plots to draw on one page. Specify mxn where m is the number of plots across the page and n is the number of plots down the page. Keeping the same aspect ratio as a single plot (i.e. 2x2 or 3x3) will result in properly reduced plots. To clear the page before all mxn plots are drawn, type MUL,mxn again. Default is 1x1 (single plot). Example: MUL,2x2 MUL,1 CREATE PLOT FILE - Selects whether to send the plot information to a file in addition to the screen. Screen graphics is faster when no plot file is made, but a plot file is necessary if you plan to make a hardcopy of the plot or mail it to yourself. Each plot page on the screen (even if it contains multiple plots) corresponds to one plot file. The plot file is named fsplot.ps or fsplot.tek for PostScript or Tektronix plot format. (The format of the plot file depends on the printer device selected in the SelectDevices command.) Options are ENABLE or DISABLE. Default is DISABLE. Example: CRE,ENA TRIGGERTIME XAXIS - Selects whether to display seconds relative to the burst trigger time on the upper x axis (instead of universal time). The lower x axis will continue to show the universal time labels. If there were no burst trigger associated with the data being plotted, the upper x axis will show the universal time labels. Options are ENABLE or DISABLE. Default is DISABLE. Example: TRI,ENA FIDUCIAL MARK AT TRIGGERTIME - Selects whether to draw a vertical line on the plot at the time a BATSE burst trigger occurred. Options are ENABLE or DISABLE. Default is DISABLE. Example: FID,ENA EMAIL ADDRESS - Address for mailing plot file. The first time the user mails a file to himself, he is prompted for his email address. For the rest of the session, that address will be used instead of prompting the user for an address each time. To mail to a different address, reset this parameter. Example: EMA,SDAC::RICHARD B. BATSE Archive Flare Plot Display Program Commands: ARCHIVEPLOT - Draw archive flare plot(s). The user is prompted for flare(s) to plot and can specify either a single flare or a range of flares. Format for screen plot (and plot file if CREATE is ENABLED) depends on selections made in the SelectDevices command. EXIT - Exit Flare Plot Display Program. HARDPLOT - Send plot file to printer. The plot file was created only if the user set CREATE to ENABLE before issuing the ARCHIVEPLOT command. HELP - Display this help file on screen. LISTMENU - Display the menu. MAILPLOT - Mail the last plot page drawn via the ARCHIVEPLOT command. You will be prompted for your email address if you haven't already supplied it. SELECTDEVICES - Enters a menu that allows user to select screen and printer output device formats. Options for screen format are X Windows, Tektronix, and Regis. Your machine must be capable of handling the format you choose. You may select X Windows only if you supplied the display node when prompted at the beginning of this session. Options for printer format are Tektronix and PostScript. The selected format will be used for the plot file if CREATE is set to ENABLE before drawing the plot. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- (This information is stored in file BATSE$DATA:HELP_FLAREPLOT.TXT.)