APEC interface for SPEX

This example program creates an interface between ATOMDB/APEC and the SPEX user model. Using this program, the APEC model can be used within SPEX.

Dependencies

Before you start, make sure the following things are installed or set:

• Install numpy

• Install pyspextools (pip install pyspextools)

• Install pyatomdb (pip install pyatomdb) and import this into python once before use to install ATOMDB.

• Set the ATOMDB environment variable to your local ATOMDB installation (see also the ATOMDB installation instructions):

  linux:~> export ATOMDB=/path/to/my/atomdb   (bash shell)
  linux:~> setenv ATOMDB /path/to/my/atomdb   (c shell)
  

For more information about installing ATOMDB and pyatomdb see atomdb.org

Note

pyATOMDB only supports Python 3 from version 0.6.0 onwards. If you are using Python 2, you need to install an older pyATOMDB version.

Note

This example apec.py script has been updated to work with pyATOMDB 0.8.0 and above.

Usage

Use this program directly in the SPEX user model. Make the apec.py file executable before you start SPEX:

linux:~> chmod u+x apec.py

If the apec.py is located in the working directory, it can be added to the user model easily:

SPEX> par 1 1 exec av ./apec.py

If apec.py is located somewhere else, provide the full path:

SPEX> par 1 1 exec av /path/to/apec.py

The ATOMDB environment variable needs to be set to the ATOMDB installation at all times. Please note that by default, ATOMDB uses solar abundances by Anders & Grevesse (1989).

The SPEX user model also needs the number of parameters in the model. For APEC this needs to be set to 30:

SPEX> par 1 1 npar v 30

The APEC model is now ready for use. See the table below for the parameter information.

Parameters

User model parameter translation table:

Param in SPEX	Variable in script	Corresponding value and unit
p01	usr.par[0]	Normalisation (Photons m^-3 s^-1 keV^-1)
p02	usr.par[1]	Temperature (keV)
p03	usr.par[2]
p04	usr.par[3]
p05	usr.par[4]
p06	usr.par[5]	06 C
p07	usr.par[6]	07 N
p08	usr.par[7]	08 O
p09	usr.par[8]	09 F
p10	usr.par[9]	10 Ne
p11	usr.par[10]	11 Na
p12	usr.par[11]	12 Mg
p13	usr.par[12]	13 Al
p14	usr.par[13]	14 Si
p15	usr.par[14]	15 P
p16	usr.par[15]	16 S
p17	usr.par[16]	17 Cl
p18	usr.par[17]	18 Ar
p19	usr.par[18]	19 K
p20	usr.par[19]	20 Ca
p21	usr.par[20]	21 Sc
p22	usr.par[21]	22 Ti
p23	usr.par[22]	23 V
p24	usr.par[23]	24 Cr
p25	usr.par[24]	25 Mn
p26	usr.par[25]	26 Fe
p27	usr.par[26]	27 Co
p28	usr.par[27]	28 Ni
p29	usr.par[28]	29 Cu
p30	usr.par[29]	30 Zn