NAME

ndprep -- Make a neutral density filter calibration image

USAGE

ndprep filter_curve output

PARAMETERS

filter_curve

Neutral density filter curve. The directory specified by the parameter directory is prepended to this name so if a directory is specified then it should not be given here. If ? a list of filter curves in the specified directory is typed.

output

Output neutral density filter image.

w

Starting wavelength for the output image in Angstroms.

dw

Wavelength increment for the output image in Angstroms.

nw

Number of wavelength points for the output image (i.e. the size of the output image).

nspace = 0

Number of spatial points for a two dimensional image. If the value is zero then a one dimensional image is created.

logarithm = no

Use logarithmic wavelengths and intervals? If yes then the wavelengths will have the same starting and ending points and number of pixels but the wavelength intervals will be logarithmic.

flux = yes

Conserve flux when rebinning to logarithmic wavelength intervals?

dispaxis = 1

Dispersion axis for two dimensional images. Dispersion along the lines is 1 and dispersion along the columns is 2.

directory = "onedstds$ctio/"

Directory containing neutral density filter curves. This directory is prepended to the specified fiter curve file (and so must end with / or $).

DESCRIPTION

A neutral density (ND) filter curve is converted to a calibration image with the same size and wavelength range as the images to be calibrated. A list of standard neutral density curves is typed if the filter curve name is given as ?. The ND curves are text files containing wavelength and filter transmission pairs. Comments begin with #. A plot of the ND curve can be obtained using graph .

The ND curve is first interpolated to a one dimensional image of nw wavelength points with starting wavelength wO and wavelength increment dw using the task sinterp . The wavelength parameters must be in the same units as the filter curves (currently Angstroms) even if the final calibration image is to be in logarithmic wavelength intervals. If logarithmic wavelength format is specified the image is rebinned over the same wavelength range with the same number of points using the task dispcor . The rebinning may include flux conservation to account for the changing size of pixels or simply interpolate. Note that flux conservation will change the apparent shape of the ND curve.

If the number of points across the dispersion, nspace is zero then the final calibration image is one dimensional. If it is greater than zero the one dimensional ND image is expanded to the specified number of spatial points with the dispersion axis specified by the parameter dispaxis (1 = dispersion along the lines, 2 = dispersion along the columns).

EXAMPLES

To get a list of standard ND filter curves:

cl> ndprep ?

To graph the ND filter curve:

cl> graph onedstds$ctio/nd1m.100mag.dat

Naturally, if a calibration image is made then the image plotting tasks such as graph , implot , and splot may also be used.

To make a one dimensional ND calibration spectrum:

	cl> ndprep w0=4000 dw=1.2 nw=512
	Input ND filter curve:  onedstds$ctio/nd1m.100mag.dat
	Output calibration image: NDimage

To make a two dimensional ND calibration spectrum in logarithmic wavelength:

	cl> ndprep w0=4000 dw=1.2 nw=512 nspace=200 log+
	Input ND filter curve:  onedstds$ctio/nd4m.u000mag.dat
	Output calibration image: NDimage

REVISIONS

NDPREP V2.10

This task was moved from the proto package. It was originally written at CTIO for CTIO data. It's functionality is largely unchanged though it has been updated for changes in the onedspec package.

SEE ALSO

sinterp, dispcor