# Presentation: 756401

## RXTE Archive Status

- RXTE Archive Status
- HUG; 2003 February 14

- RXTE Archive Status

- Padi Boyd
- RXTE Guest Observer Facility
- Code 662, NASA/GSFC

## RXTE Still Going Strong

- Launched December 1995; PCA, HEXTE, ASM instruments essentially stable and performing well.
- Nearing 2000 publications (refereed, conference, IAUC).
- Recent Rossi Prize awarded to Kouveliotou based on RXTE results—first observational evidence of magnetars.
- Transients frequently discovered and followed up; highly flexible scheduling allowing more TOO obs than ever,
- RXTE still doing the job it was sent up to do, at a greatly reduced cost. GOs frequently use RXTE’s large collecting area to define continuum in simultaneous obs with Chandra, XMM, and soon (Cycle 8) INTEGRAL.

## Growing Popularity of RXTE GO Program

- The number of proposals received over the last 3 years is increasing with time.  Cycle 8 had second highest request for observing time since launch; 10% of Cy8 proposals came from first-time XTE PIs.

## Recent Highlights

- Streamlined, in-house RXTE production data processing, begun in Fall 2000, continues to operate smoothly. Response time to "red flags" in the processing pipeline continues to be short, with _**final production data routinely appearing in online area within eight days of observations**_.
- Online PGP-encrypted GO Data Distribution, launched in late 1999, continues. Since moving to 100% online data distribution, 3115 PI notifications have been sent for 25109 individual obsIDs.
- Improved Standard Products (net light curves, spectra, and associated analysis files from PCA and HEXTE standard modes) have now been generated for all observations through Cycle 5.  GIFs now available through Browse.

## RXTE Archive - 2002

- RXTE is a high-demand archive, dominating in terms of:
- Bytes of data requested :
- RXTE routinely about 50% total volume per year
- “Data attractiveness” in 2002 (amount of data downloaded / archive size):
- RXTE (129%)
*cf*  ROSAT (63%)
- >120,000 obsIDs; 924 GB

## XTEINDEX - XTE Target Index Catalog

- Provides concise, easily accessible tracking of RXTE observations,
- “complete observation” = proposal/target—can consist of many (in some cases dozens) observing segments,
- INTPRODS- science data from PCA Std and HEXTE Archive modes, + all housekeeping, attitude, and orbit data necessary for analysis— the RXTE Projects' recommended data product,
- MERGEDPRODS—the merged Std2 light curve from a complete observation.

- (Added to Browse in August 2002)

## Slide 7

## RXTE GOF in 2003

- Recent RXTE GOF staffing changes: **from 3.5 FTE in 2002 to 2.25 FTE in 2003**
- Lost: Smale (was 50%, will be 0%), Watanabe (was 100%, now 0%)
- Gained: Rohrbach (was 25%, now 50%)
- Unchanged: Kiddy (100%), Tripicco (25%), Boyd (50%),
- Community support responsibilities have *increased* (Phase2 budget submissions and review in Cycle 8, in addition to continuing xtehelp mail, online Web page information,overseeing processing red-flags, organizing and supporting proposal submission and Peer Review)
- Still a need for direct human involvement and time commitment, especially regarding:
- TOOs with TBD assignment
- Special handling of processing anomalies (data with gaps; data with reconstructed attitude information; OBSCAT failures; etc)

## RXTE Coming Attractions

- RA and Dec to be added to Real-time data files (March 03).  Users won’t have to add in coordinates by hand, and software such as Rex will run on Real-time data. Most PIs will be able to perform full scientific analysis with this data ~24 hours after observation.
- ASM “Channel A background” column to be added to ASM FITS light curves in archive (soon).

## Summary

- Fully-electronic proposal submissions in Cycles 7, 8 (last two years),
- Cycle 8 results public: Mid-February 2003 (on Web this week, letters to PIs with Phase2 budget instructions to follow),
- Streamlined approach to data processing, data distribution,
- New Standard Products generated for archival data up to ~end of Cycle 5,
- Streamlined RXTE products available through Browse; user-friendly and informative graphics for complete observations,
- Total RXTE papers in refereed journals: >800, stable at >150 papers/yr.