Spitzer data can be downloaded from the Spitzer Heritage Archive. Table 6.1 lists the classes of data products that are available. After downloading the data from the archive, the user will end up with a directory tree, the top level of which will have the AORKEY number, prefixed by an "r". The AORKEY uniquely identifies a single Spitzer observation sequence, which is called an Astronomical Observation Request, or AOR. Within this directory, there will be one subdirectory for each module used in the AOR. The possible subdirectory names are ch0/, ch1/, ch2/ and ch3/, which correspond to the Short-Low (SL), Short-High (SH), Long-Low (LL) and Long-High (LH) modules, respectively. Peak-Up Acquisition or Imaging data, if taken, will also be found in the ch0/ subdirectory. Within each module subdirectory there may be bcd/, pbcd/, cal/, and/or raw/ subdirectories, depending on which classes of data were selected for download.
Table 6.1 Classes of Spitzer data products.
Name
Alternate Name
Alternate Name
Description
Download Directory
Event for which files are provided
Raw
The raw three dimensional data files.
raw/
spec:DCE
PUA:DCE
PUI:DCE
Calibration
Files that were used to calibrate the data.
cal/
spec:AOR
PUA:AOR
PUI:AOR
Level 1
Basic Calibrated Data
BCD
The primary calibrated data frames that emerge from the Spitzer pipeline.
bcd/
spec:DCE
PUA:DCE
PUI:DCE
Ancillary Level 1
Ancillary Basic Calibrated Data
Ancillary BCD
Additional calibrated data frames that emerge from the Spitzer pipeline.
bcd/
spec:DCE
PUA:DCE
PUI:DCE
Level 2
Post-BCD
PBCD
The primary products that come from combining individual BCDs.
pbcd/
spec:nod
PUA:N/A
PUI:AOR
Ancillary Level 2
Ancillary Post-BCD
Ancillary PBCD
Additional products that come from combining individual BCDs.
