Worksheet 4 - Using the EIS quicklook software (xfiles)#

The EIS quicklook software is called as:

IDL> xfiles

If you defined the $HINODE_DATA directory in Worksheet 1, then xfiles will use this as the top data directory. You then have to type in the sub-directory names to find your file ("level0/2006/12/09"). Otherwise, xfiles will assume the data files are in your current working directory.

Selecting file#

"Select data source": FITS (default)
"Start/Stop" time: change it if for narrow time-range search
"Set search filter": eis_l0_* (for EIS level-0 data); eis_l1_* (for EIS level-1 data); eis_l2_* (for EIS level-2 data)
"Search Directory": where EIS data are stored on your computer
Linux (or Mac) example: /home/user/eis_data/
Windows example: C:\eis_data\level_0
Choose EIS fits name and click "Confirm selection" button - a new widget "Xcontrol" will pop up.

Xcontrol overview#

Top-left: spectral lines list (Line ID and wavelength)
Mid-left: display mode (Detector, Browser, etc.)
Bottom-left: Calibration and moments
Top-right: information panel
Mid-right: spectral windows on CCDs
Bottom-right: pointing buttons and image (Xpos, XYcen, etc.)
The key part of xfiles is the set of five display options (‘Select display mode’) towards the middle of GUI. We go through each of these below.

Detector#

This shows images as they appear on the two EIS CCDs (full CCD). Two widget windows, for ccd0 and ccd1, will pop up.

• Choose "Zoom" and draw a box over one of spectral windows on right panel of CCD image, it will show the zoomed spectral window.
• Choose "Average along wavelength" and draw a box, it will plot the avg. intensity vs. slit position
• Choose "Average along slit" and draw a box, it will plot the avg. intensity vs. wavelength

• Drag "Exp #" to view CCD images in different exposures.
• "Plot pixel values": choose "Row plot" or "Column plot" to plot the pixel values vs. wavelength or the pixel values vs. slit position. (All lines!)

• "Colour table": change colour table for better display
• "Create Animation": to view movie for any lines on the CCDs.
• For the unit of CCD X-axis, choosing either "Pixels" or "Angstrom"
• "Real size CCD display": that real CCD size

Browser#

A large GUI pops up which is used for browsing the 3D data-cubes from narrow slit rasters. Four graphics windows show simultaneous images from different emission lines.

• Choose different lines from drop-down menus above each window.
• Left-click mouse to zoom in to image/spectrum
• Right-click mouse to zoom out from image/spectrum
• Mid-click mouse to change position in EIS FOV (image) or select another wavelength (spectrum)

• De-spike: choose "on" to do despike the data windows
• Correct orbital variation: choose "yes" to correct images for orbital variation
• How many wavelength pixels to sum: 4 options: 1, 3, 5, And 7

Spectroheliogram#

Clicking "Spectroheliogram" button to view the image on which the specific line window of all exposures are put together.

Whisker#

Clicking "Whisker" button to view a whisker image, which shows line count rates as a function of wavelength (abscissa) and exposure number - time or solar-x - (ordinate).

Intensity map#

Displays the intensity image of the specified line (using buttons on the Xcontrol GUI), where data are averaged over the line profile. A sub-wavelength region can be selected by clicking on “Define line”.

Other features#

Click "Display header" button to view the EIS fits header (including main header and bte header).

The following buttons are used to generate plots:

Xpos: fine mirror position through raster observation
XYcen: plot Y-center against X-center of EIS FOV through whole observation
Xcen: X-center of EIS FOV through whole observation
Ycen: Y-center of EIS FOV through whole observation
CCDA Temp: CCD1 MHC temperature
CCDB Temp: CCD0 much temperature

Exercise#

1. Read "eis_l1_20061209_113031.fits.gz" into xfiles
2. Find out information about this fits file, such as: slit size, exposure time, number of spectral windows, XCEN, etc.
3. View intensity map for FeXII (195), FeXV (284), HeII (256) and CaXVII (192) lines
4. View line profile for the above lines
5. View "moments" maps