Purpose and Description

The Ge Reprocessing Tools (GeRT) allow users to carry out custom offline data reduction of Spitzer MIPS-Ge (70 um and 160 um) data. Most users will find that the SSC archive products are sufficient for their needs. The GeRT is contributed software from the MIPS Instrument Support Team made available to the public to help users maximize their science returns with MIPS-Ge data. Users should be careful when processing their data offline. If used properly, the GeRT can yield enhanced data products, but users can also corrupt the quality and calibration of their data if used improperly.

The GeRT uses an offline version of the SSC pipeline to produce the basic calibrated data products (BCDs), following the algorithms derived by the MIPS Instrument Team and the MIPS Instrument Support Team (Gordon et al. 2005, PASP, 117, 503). With the GeRT, users can reprocess their data completely from scratch starting with the "raw" data from the archive or can cleanup (re-filter) the BCD products from the archive. The GeRT scripts are comprised of perl and tcsh wrappers that use copies of SSC downlink binaries and libraries. The GeRT package includes all of the calibration files (e.g., DARK, IC, PMASK) and "cdf" files (cdf's are ascii namelist files that control the way the processing is done). Expert users may find it useful to optimize the cdf files for their specific science application. The online pipelines are robust for many science applications, but observers of bright, extended regions may find that offline processing with the GeRT is helpful. The MIPS-IST encourages users of the GeRT to provide feedback (Helpdesk), so that we can improve the processing of MIPS-Ge data.

Downloading and Installing the Software

Follow these instructions for downloading and installing the GeRT.

The GeRT is available for Solaris SunOS 5.8, Linux, and Max OSX. You can also check the Gert System Requirements.

There is no automatic update system for the GeRT. When a new version is released, it will be advertised on this page. Please check back periodically.

Version 070904 is the most recent release for the Mac version of the GeRT, and contains updated binaries and calibration files that are/will be implemented for the S16/S17 version of the online MIPS pipeline. S16 changes are restricted to changes of some cal files (160 µm flux conversion factor and various SED mode calibration files). For S17, there are some changes to the Interp module to better handle erroneous stimflash minus background calculations and stimflash extrapolations.

The 060415 version of the GeRT is the most recent version for all other platforms, and uses the latest SSC S14.0.0 software version and the current online S13.2 calibration files (see MIPS data handbook for calibration details). This version of the GeRT was designed to process all types of input MIPS-Ge data, e.g., PHT, SCAN, FINE, TPM, SED, DARK, and IC data. The standard science modes (PHT, SCAN) have been tested extensively, but the other modes have yet to be fully validated. In addition, the GeRT is now independent of the MOPEX modules.

Calibration Files Update

Calibration Files Update for the GeRT: Download the gzipped tarball

As a result of the analysis of three years of calibration data, we have recently updated (May 2007) some of the MIPS Ge online pipeline (S16) calibration files (mostly SED and 160um flux conversion factor). In order to keep your GeRT installation up to date, all you have to do is to replace the following files in the cal directory of your GeRT installation with the new files. The "tarball" above contains:

MIPS160_fluxconv.tbl
MIPS70_ILCORRSED.fits
MIPS70_ILCORRSED_U.fits
MIPS70_SED_Flux_calibration.tbl
MIPS70_SEDRESP_U.fits
MIPS70_SEDRESP.fits

Getting Help

Support for the GeRT is available from the Helpdesk. You should also refer to the GeRT User's Guide, the Data Reduction and Analysis Cookbook and the Gert System Requirements.

The current GNU versions of the GeRT can carry out science BCD processing, but the calibration IC pipelines do not work on the GNU Solaris, Linux, and Mac versions yet. All pipelines should work on the Solaris--forte version. See the Gert System Requirements for more information.