Radial and elliptical profiles of Image Data

Create and Read Fits Image Data

Download the sample data: 1838 (ACIS-S, G21.5-0.9)

unix% download_chandra_obsid 1838 

This repeats the data creation step of the imaging thread, which should be read for an explanation of the steps.

unix% punlearn dmcopy
unix% dmcopy \
      "acisf01838_repro_evt2.fits[sky=box(4059.25,4235.75,521.5,431.5)][bin x=::2,y=::2]" \
      image2.fits

After starting Sherpa, we load in both the radial-profile code and the utility routines, then the data (the from ... import line only has to be called once per session):

sherpa> from sherpa_contrib.all import *
sherpa> load_image("image2.fits")

An error message of

ImportError: No module named sherpa_contrib

means that the CIAO contributed scripts package has not been installed or is out of date.

We then set up the coordinate system we use for the fit, along with the statistic and optimization method:

sherpa> set_coord("physical")
sherpa> set_stat("cash")
sherpa> set_method("simplex")

We can review the current choices for these settings using the following commands or with the show_method and show_stat commands:

sherpa> get_coord()
        'physical'
sherpa> get_stat_name()
        'cash'
sherpa> get_method_name()
        'neldermead'

We finish this section by restricting the region to be fitted:

sherpa> notice2d("circle(4060.32,4239.84,108)")
dataset 1: Field() -> Circle(4060.32,4239.84,108)

Initial fit to the data: Gaussian plus constant

We start with a single Gaussian component to represent the bulk of the emission, and restrict the range of the parameters to values appropriate to this dataset. We use values somewhat more restrictive than used in the original thread, the component name src rather than g1, and take advantage of the guess routine to set sensible limits on the parameter values:

sherpa> set_source(gauss2d.src)
sherpa> print(src)
gauss2d.src
   Param        Type          Value          Min          Max      Units
   -----        ----          -----          ---          ---      -----
   src.fwhm     thawed           10  1.17549e-38  3.40282e+38
   src.xpos     thawed            0 -3.40282e+38  3.40282e+38
   src.ypos     thawed            0 -3.40282e+38  3.40282e+38
   src.ellip    frozen            0            0        0.999
   src.theta    frozen            0     -6.28319      6.28319    radians
   src.ampl     thawed            1 -3.40282e+38  3.40282e+38

sherpa> guess(src)
sherpa> print(src)
gauss2d.src
   Param        Type          Value          Min          Max      Units
   -----        ----          -----          ---          ---      -----
   src.fwhm     thawed            4        0.004         4000           
   src.xpos     thawed       4061.5       3953.5       4167.5           
   src.ypos     thawed       4240.5       4132.5       4346.5           
   src.ellip    frozen            0            0        0.999           
   src.theta    frozen            0     -6.28319      6.28319    radians
   src.ampl     thawed          309        0.309       309000           

sherpa> set_par(src.fwhm, min=0.1, max=300, val=20)
sherpa> set_par(src.ampl, min=0.1, max=1000, val=20)

The last two sets of lines could also have been written:

sherpa> src.fwhm = 20
sherpa> src.fwhm.min = 0.1
sherpa> src.fwhm.max = 300

sherpa> src.ampl = 20
sherpa> src.ampl.min = 0.1
sherpa> src.ampl.max = 1000

The current source model definition may be displayed:

sherpa> show_model()
Model: 1
gauss2d.src
   Param        Type          Value          Min          Max      Units
   -----        ----          -----          ---          ---      -----
   src.fwhm     thawed           20          0.1          300           
   src.xpos     thawed       4061.5       3953.5       4167.5           
   src.ypos     thawed       4240.5       4132.5       4346.5           
   src.ellip    frozen            0            0        0.999           
   src.theta    frozen            0     -6.28319      6.28319    radians
   src.ampl     thawed           20          0.1         1000           

We now create our first radial plot of the data using the prof_data command:

sherpa> prof_data()
sherpa> plt.xscale('log')
sherpa> plt.yscale('log')

The resulting plot is shown in Figure 1:

Figure 1: Initial radial profile of the data

Figure 1: Initial radial profile of the data

The plot shows the radial profile of the data, using the current model values to define the profile center: in this case src.xpos and src.ypos. These values are displayed in the top-right of the plot as x₀ and y₀. The profile shows that a single component is unlikely to be sufficient to adequately describe the profile.

As no arguments were given to prof_data, the profile was generated using the bin width of the data (so in this case 2 physical pixels), and extends from \(r=0\) to the maximum radius of the data (in this case close to 110 sky pixels).

Note that the errors are calculated using the equation \(\mathrm{error} = 1 + \sqrt{N + 0.75}\) where \(N\) is the number of counts in a bin (and then normalized by the bin area).

We decide to include a background component before fitting, and so add in a constant model to the source expression. The value of the background model was estimated from Figure 1; this suggests a level of 0.05 counts per physical pixel. However, since the data has been binned by 2 in each direction (the cdelt field is 2), then we need to use a value of \(2 \times 2 \times 0.05\), as shown below:

sherpa> print(get_data().sky)
physical
 crval    = [3798.5,4019.5]
 crpix    = [0.5,0.5]
 cdelt    = [2.,2.]

sherpa> set_source(src + const2d.bgnd)
sherpa> bgnd.c0 = 0.2
sherpa> bgnd.c0.max = 100

The prof_fit command will produce a radial profile of the fit overlain on the data (similar to how plot_fit works). Before making this call we change the plot preferences so that both axes are drawn with log-scaling. We use the optional label argument of prof_fit to turn off display of the labels that show the profile center. The result is Figure 2.

sherpa> get_data_prof_prefs()["xlog"] = True
sherpa> get_data_prof_prefs()["ylog"] = True
sherpa> prof_fit(label=False)

Figure 2: Initial radial profile of the model

Figure 2: Initial radial profile of the model

The red line shows the radial profile of the current model. Since there has been no fit, the model does not describe the emission very well.

As the label argument was set to False, no labels appear in the top-right of this plot.

It is obvious, from Figure 2, that the width of the Gaussian is too small. A value roughly twice the current size would be a better fit, so we change the src.fwhm value before our first fit.

sherpa> src.fwhm = src.fwhm.val * 2
sherpa> fit()
Dataset               = 1
Method                = neldermead
Statistic             = cash
Initial fit statistic = -31319
Final fit statistic   = -49874.8 at function evaluation 496
Data points           = 9166
Degrees of freedom    = 9161
Change in statistic   = 18555.9
   src.fwhm       57.7364     
   src.xpos       4062        
   src.ypos       4241.4      
   src.ampl       23.6894     
   bgnd.c0        0.27316     

Note that we had to say "src.fwhm.val * 2" rather than "src.fwhm * 2" in the assignment operator. If we did not include the trailing ".val" to get at the numeric value of the parameter, Sherpa would have tried to create a parameter link to itself, which would have failed with the following error message:

ParameterError: requested parameter link creates a cyclic reference

We now use the prof_fit_resid and image_fit commands to see how well the model fits the data. The output of the prof_fit_resid command is shown in Figure 3.

sherpa> image_fit()
sherpa> prof_fit_resid()
sherpa> plt.savefig('prof-src+bgnd-fit.png')

Figure 3: A Gaussian plus constant fit to the data

Figure 3: A Gaussian plus constant fit to the data

The top plot shows the data (circles) and best-fit model (red line), whilst the bottom plot shows the residuals—measured as (data - model)—of this fit. Note that the residuals are not normalized by the area of each annulus.

The y-axis of the top plot in Figure 3 is drawn with a logarithmic-scale since we earlier set the data plot preference for ylog to True. The x-axis has remained with a linear-scale because the preference for the residual plot has overridden the data setting. We change the x-axis preferences for both styles of residual plot (resid and delchi) so that future such plots (e.g. Figure 5) will have their x-axis drawn with a log-scale:

sherpa> get_resid_prof_prefs()["xlog"] = True
sherpa> get_delchi_prof_prefs()["xlog"] = True

Adding a Gaussian to model the core emission

We now add a second Gaussian component to represent the core emission.

sherpa> set_source(bgnd + src + gauss2d.core)
sherpa> guess(core)
sherpa> set_par(core.fwhm, 10, 0.1, 100)
sherpa> set_par(core.ampl, 100, 0.1, 1000)
sherpa> prof_fit(model=src)

The model profile now looks like Figure 4. Since the model expression now contains two components with xpos and ypos parameters we have to say which one should be used to define the profile center; in this case we choose the src component by adding model=src to the argumemt list of prof_fit. If no model had been specified the call would have failed with the error message:

ValueError: Multiple xpos parameters in source expression:
        ((const2d.bgnd + gauss2d.src) + gauss2d.core)

Figure 4: Adding a second Gaussian component

Figure 4: Adding a second Gaussian component

The second Gaussian component (core) has been added to try and describe the emission in the core of the object. The initial parameters we guessed are not ideal but are close enough to begin the fit.

As there are now two model components with a center—src and core—we have to decide which one should be used to define the profile center. In this case we chose the src component by saying model=src in the call to prof_fit.

We now fit the whole model. In the original thread only the core component, g2, is fit at this stage, but the results are similar. We then plot the fit results together with the residuals in two windows: Figure 5, where the residuals are measured as (data-model) and Figure 6, where they are measured as (data-model)/error.

sherpa> fit()
Dataset               = 1
Method                = neldermead
Statistic             = cash
Initial fit statistic = -54106.4
Final fit statistic   = -55919.2 at function evaluation 1351
Data points           = 9166
Degrees of freedom    = 9157
Change in statistic   = 1812.83
   bgnd.c0        0.200978    
   src.fwhm       64.1228     
   src.xpos       4062.23     
   src.ypos       4241.83     
   src.ampl       17.3896     
   core.fwhm      6.50002     
   core.xpos      4062.35     
   core.ypos      4239.62     
   core.ampl      232.574     

sherpa> prof_fit_resid(model=src, group_counts=200)

Figure 5: Residuals (in counts) about the fit

Figure 5: Residuals (in counts) about the fit

The addition of the core component produces a much better fit to the source emission. Note however, that this is a radial profile, so image_resid should still be used to look for differences that may be hidden by the radial averaging.

The group_counts option was used to change the radial binning; after calculating the bins using the default values—e.g. the same as used to create the earlier plots—the data is grouped together until each new radial group contains at least 200 counts. Since the source emission is high in the core regions this only affects the profile at large radii in this example. The 2D fit result is not affected by the grouping scheme set in in prof_fit; the grouping scheme in the function is just to rebin the generated profile that is plotted.

sherpa> prof_fit_delchi(model=src, group_counts=200)

Figure 6: Residuals (normalized by the error) about the fit

Figure 6: Residuals (normalized by the error) about the fit

This shows a similar plot to Figure 5 but the residuals have been normalized by their errors.

Using elliptical models

Up until now the models have been circularly-symmetric (i.e. the ellipticity of the components has been zero). We now see what happens if we let the core emission be elliptical:

sherpa> thaw(core)
sherpa> core.ellip = 0.1
sherpa> core.theta = 1
sherpa> fit()
Dataset               = 1
Method                = neldermead
Statistic             = cash
Initial fit statistic = -55969.3
Final fit statistic   = -56099.7 at function evaluation 1196
Data points           = 9166
Degrees of freedom    = 9155
Change in statistic   = 130.36
   bgnd.c0        0.199319    
   src.fwhm       64.2921     
   src.xpos       4062.24     
   src.ypos       4241.84     
   src.ampl       17.2504     
   core.fwhm      8.02733     
   core.xpos      4062.29     
   core.ypos      4239.61     
   core.ellip     0.330437    
   core.theta     0.809444    
   core.ampl      233.588     

sherpa> prof_fit(model=core, group_counts=200)

Note

Since the range of the theta parameter of the models now defaults to \(-2\pi\) to \(2\pi\), rather than having a lower limit of 0, the theta parameter often does not need to be changed before starting a fit.

In earlier versions of CIAO (<4.6) this thread suggested setting

core.theta = 1

before the fit; changing this value before a fit can often be a sensible choice, as with any other parameter, to avoid getting trapped in local minima.

The resulting plot is shown in Figure 7.

Figure 7: Elliptical profile

Figure 7: Elliptical profile

Since the model used to define the profile—core—has a non-zero ellipticity then the annuli used to create this profile are elliptical. The values used for the ellipticity and position angle are included in the labels in the top-right of the plot.

You can override any of the component values used to define the profile: in the following we use the position of the core component but ignore the model's ellipticity, and use circular annuli instead. The result is shown in Figure 8.

sherpa> prof_fit(model=core, group_counts=200, ellip=0)

Figure 8: overriding the ellipticity

Figure 8: overriding the ellipticity

The same profile center is used as in Figure 7 but the ellipticity has been overridden, and set to 0, by use of the ellip argument to prof_fit.

Overlays and data access

In this section we shall highlight some of the other features of the profiles package:

• plot preferences
• plot overlays
• data access

sherpa> print(get_data_prof_prefs())
{'xerrorbars': False, 'yerrorbars': True, 'ecolor': None, 'capsize': None, 'barsabove': False, 'xlog': True, 'ylog': True, 'linestyle': '', 'drawstyle': 'default', 'color': None, 'alpha': None, 'marker': 'o', 'markerfacecolor': 'none', 'markersize': 4, 'linecolor': None}

sherpa> get_data_prof_prefs()["markerfacecolor"] = "green"

sherpa> p = get_data_prof_prefs()
sherpa> p["markerfacecolor"] = "green"
sherpa> p["ecolor"] = "blue"

sherpa> prof_data(model=core)
sherpa> prof_model(model=core, overplot=True)

sherpa> prof_fit(model=core)
sherpa> prof_fit(2, model=core, overplot=True)

Scripting It

The commands used to run this thread may be saved in a text file such as fit.py, which can then be executed as a script: %run -i fit.py. Alternatively, the Sherpa session can be saved to a binary file with the save command (restored with the restore command), or to an editable ASCII file with save_all.

The Sherpa script command may be used to save everything typed on the command line in a Sherpa session:

sherpa> script(filename="sherpa.log", clobber=False)

(Note that restoring a Sherpa session from such a file could be problematic since it may include syntax errors, unwanted fitting trials, et cetera.)