SWAVES Resources

This is a list of links to instrument resource pages, where both descriptions of the instruments and "How To" hints can be found.

1. Instrument/Hardware description

Instrument papers:
• Instrument Paper Bougeret et al., 2008
• Bale et al., 2008
• Cecconi et al., 2008
• technical description, what we learned after launch, tech. notes

2. Data file descriptions

• References on file formats used e.g. fits, CDF, etc.
1-minute average 'documentation' (on the STEREO Web site) STEREO/WAVES 1-minute average files One minute averages of the STEREO/WAVES data from the low (lfr) and high (hfr) frequency receivers are produced in daily files.  For each spacecraft, there are 3 files produced each day: (1) an ascii file of the lfr data (48 channels), (2) an ascii file of the hfr data (319 channels), and (3) and IDL 'sav' file that is the sum of lfr and hfr (367 channels) combined into one.  The naming convention for the files is: swaves_average_yyyymmdd_a (or b)_lfr .dat for the lfr ascii data Ahead (Behind) swaves_average_yyyymmdd_a (or b)_hfr.dat for the hfr ascii data Ahead (Behind) swaves_average_yyyymmdd_a (or b).sav for the lfr+hfr IDL version Each file contains (a) a list of the frequencies in the file (in kHz), (b) the background value used in (currently) arbitrary decibel (dB) units, (c) the 2-dimensional (# of frequencies X 1440 minutes per day) array of averages in dB above the average (i.e. value-average in dB).  Missing data is indicated by a value less than 0. The specific format for the ascii files is: (A) f9.1 for frequencies (so, 48f9.1 for lfr or 319f9.1 for hfr) (B) f8.3 for backgrounds (so, 48f8.3 or 319 f8.3) (C) f8.3 for the data with each frequency line preceded with an i4 value indicating the start minute of the averaging bin (thus, (i4,48f8.3) repeated 1440 times for lfr and (i4,319f8.3) repeated 1440 times for hfr) The IDL sav files are self-evident after the usual 'restore' command. M. Kaiser (Michael.Kaiser@nasa.gov)
• Data file calibration status, e.g. is data level 0, level 1 etc and   what are definitions of levels.
S/WAVES level 0 data is in telemetry counts.  We make no permanent level 1 file; rather this is created on the fly with the S/WAVES TMlib package (available upon request from U o Minn -- require IDL)
• Suggested method for reading data
1-minute averages are simple ASCII as documented above Level 0 data through TMlib
• Data source
All available through STEREO Web site and S/WAVES Web site (http://swaves.gsfc.nasa.gov).  Additionally, 1-minute averages are served by CDAWeb.

3. Software

• Recommended software and where to get it.
We will make dynamic spectra plotting program available (IDL).  TMlib available upon request from goetz@waves.space.umn.edu
• Alternative software?
CDAWeb has their own version of dynamic spectrum program and can create tailored plots.
• Calibration
Absolute calibration still in progress.  All values currently in relative calibration

4. Rerence Library

• User's Guide
• Software Notes
• Software Resources
• Additional science analysis topics. e.g. how to get higher level   information such as temp., density etc.

5. Contact for help

A contact email for those still having problems Roger, me, Keith Goetz goetz@waves.space.umn.edu

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Last Revised: Thursday, 22-Jan-2009 10:35:51 EST
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