Defining High-Energy Calibration Standards: IACHEC (International Astronomical Consortium for High-Energy Calibration)

17 Apr 2012, 11:00
30m
WH1W

WH1W

Paper Session 2B

Speaker

Dr Herman Marshall (MIT Kavli Institute)

Description

The International Astronomical Consortium for High-Energy Calibration (IACHEC) aims to provide standards for high energy calibration and supervise cross-calibration between different X-ray and Gamma-ray observatories. This goal is reached through Working Groups, involving around 40 astronomers worldwide. In these Groups, IACHEC members co-operate to define calibration standards and procedures. Their scope is primarily a practical one: a set of astronomical sources, data and results (eventually published in refereed journals) will be the outcome of a co-ordinated and standardized analysis of reference sources (``high-energy standard candles''). We briefly describe here just two of the many studies undertaken by the IACHEC; a cross-calibration analysis of O and Ne line fluxes from the thermal SNR 1E0102.2-7219, and at higher energies a comparison study of a sample of cluster temperatures and fluxes. A more detailed picture of the activities of the IACHEC is available via the information portal at http://web.mit.edu/iachec/.

Primary author

Dr Herman Marshall (MIT Kavli Institute)

Co-author

Dr Matteo Guainazzi (ESAC/ESA)

Presentation materials