Pulsar analysis
The tools in this category are gtbary, gtpphase, gtpsearch, gtpulsardb, and gtephcomp. Descriptions of these tools and links to any documentation are in the science tools section of the User Workbook.
Please edit this page to include results, issues, advice, etc., or links to these.
(4 October 2005) Following up on a comment by Jean regarding the extent to which the tools pay attention to the 'chatter' parameter, I'd like to note a minor annoyance with the pulsar tools that maybe should be a JIRA issue.
gtbary gives obscure and somewhat alarming output messages even when everything is fine. For example, gtbary is actually happy here:
Event data file name [pulsar_test.fits] : test_pulsar.fits
Spacecraft data file name [FT2.fits] :
Output file name [pulsar_test.fits] : test_pulsar.fits
True RA of point source (degrees) [98.48] :
True DEC of point source (degrees) [17.78] :
===> No barycenter correction applied to HDU 0
TIMESYS is
axBary: Using JPL Planetary Ephemeris DE-405
axBary: Using JPL Planetary Ephemeris DE-405
HDU 0 is not supposed to have any time-related information, or a specification of TIMESYS. I think that the 2 lines about axBary indicate that gtbary has gone on to process the events extension and the GTI extension. Anyway, a simple indication of success would be reassuring to the user, with detailed messages only in the case of a warning or error, or if the chatter parameter is set to 4. Right now, gtbary seems to ignore the chatter parameter entirely.
gtpphase gives no user output at all, no matter what the setting of the chatter parameter. Some indication of completion without problems would be welcome. (Seth Digel)