Description

tg_bkg makes a background file that is compatible with XSPEC. Sherpa will be able to use it, but that application can already read the arrays directly from the PHA file. The script sums the BACKGROUND_UP and BACKGROUND_DOWN columns and adjusts the scale factor keyword (BACKSCAL) accordingly. Since it is designed to keep the same format as the PHA file, i.e. the rows in both files correspond to one another, it is a more convenient way of inspecting the background.

Note that since the script updates the BACKFILE keyword, the input file must have write permission. If an output file name is not specified, the script uses the input file name with "_bkg" appended.

It is important to note that these are estimates to the background. Since they are binned adjacent to the spectrum source region, they will have a contribution from the wings of the PSF. They also have a contribution from signal aliased in chipy during the frame shift at the level of (usually) 41 ms frame shift / 3200 ms integration / 1024 rows, or 1.25e-5 times the source rate (HEG+MEG or LEG, all orders). The source count rate at that diffraction angle gets smeared during the frame shift.