ASTR 470 Lab 06: Instrument selection for a transient

Lectures 11-12 ยท high-energy data activity

Objectives

Materials and setup

Use Python 3, the supplied mission_specs.csv, and the source documentation named below. The supplied record is clearly labeled in data/README.md. Record file hash, row count, columns, units, processing state, and provenance level.

Computed check: S/N = 14.142 The Poisson expression assumes independent counts and a stable background estimate.

Procedure

  1. Inspect the file and make a schema table before filtering or fitting.
  2. Reproduce the baseline calculation with units and an independent hand-derived formula.
  3. Apply the activity-specific task: select an instrument for a burst using bandpass, response, localization, and reaction-time constraints.
  4. Perform one perturbation or alternative-model test and report the direction of change.
  5. Write a caption that identifies data, transformation, inference, uncertainty, and limitation.

Measurement and analysis record

RecordRequired entry
InputFile, source, release or access date, columns, units, and provenance level.
ModelEquation, parameter values, boundary conditions, and approximation.
UncertaintyStatistical term plus calibration, distance, response, or model sensitivity.
ValidationIndependent recomputation, limiting-case check, and comparison direction.

Deliverables and assessment

Submit code or notebook, provenance manifest, one labeled figure or table, a 700-word methods memo, and a revision note. Full credit requires traceable input, correct units, explicit assumptions, uncertainty treatment, and a specific limitation. Resubmission with a change log is encouraged.

Sources and provenance

Compare Chandra, NICER, Swift, and Fermi official specifications; do not treat bands as sensitivity curves. Reference anchor: Official Chandra, NICER, Swift, and Fermi pages listed in reference-log.md.. Level-1 mission facts are listed separately from level-2 literature/object parameters and level-3 teaching records.