IUE MX Browse Files

Low dispersion spectra

Each IUE Browser page consist of an HTML page and one or more gzip files containing extracted spectra. These spectra were obtained from the MXLO files provided by the IUE project.

The browse page is composed of one or two GIF images and some text. The GIF files show the original, unsmoothed fluxes > 0. Data points with quality flags < -512 are not plotted. There are two images whenever spectra were obtained through both the large and small apertures for the same image. The wavelength coverage available, of the plots and the GZIP files are listed in the table below.

SWP LWP* LWR*
Wavelength coverage 1150-1978 Å 1851-3347 Å 1851-3348 Å
Wavelengths plotted 1150-1978 Å 1851-3200 Å 1851-3200 Å
Wavelengths in GZIP files 1150-1978 Å 1851-3347 Å 1851-3348 Å
*For the long wavelength cameras, data between 3200 and 3350 Å are not shown since the instrumental response and calibrations are not very good in this region.

High dispersion spectra

This is composed of a GIF image and some text. The GIF files show a 4 point binned version of a combined order spectrum which has been placed on a uniformly spaced wavelength grid with 0.05 Å spacing for the SWP spectra and 0.1 Å for the LWP and LWR spectra. Thus, the resolution of the browser images is either 0.2 or 0.4 Å. Points with quality flags < -512 are not plotted. There is also a section of text which provides information about the observation, including the target, the time, data quality and processing information. Each IUE Browser page consist of an HTML page a gzip file containing a combined order extracted spectra. These spectra were obtained from the MXHI files provided by the IUE project. This page explains the contents of the browser files and how they were generated. The spectra shown on the high dispersion browser pages and gzipped files available for down-loading are combined order echelle data. The spectra were created using IUEDAC software to combine most of the orders available in the MXHI files to form a single, continuous spectrum. Additional long wavelength coverage is available in the full MXHI files but, because the echellograms were not centered on the IUE detector, there are large gaps in the coverage at these wavelengths and they are not included in the browse files (see Table 1).

TABLE 1

SWP LWP LWR
Complete wavelength coverage 1150-1930 Å 1845-3105 Å 1845-3105 Å
Partial wavelength coverage 1930-2198 Å 3105-3230 Å 3105-3230 Å
Wavelength coverage shown 1150-1975 Å 1900-3125 Å 1900-3125 Å
Orders shown 70-120 74-121 74-121


[ADF] The IUE browse files were conceived and originally implemented by Dr. Derck Massa, Dr. Nancy Oliversen, and Ms. Patricia Lawton, then members of the GSFC Astrophyics Data Facility (ADF) staff under direction of Dr. Michael Van Steenberg. Some modifications have been made as part of the transition to MAST maintenance.