IDL User's Guide for LASCO and EIT Data at NRL

IDL Procedures Overview

wlister.pro	Generate list of LASCO or EIT images based on search criteria: IDL> list_of_fits_files = wlister()
make_gifs.pro	Generate GIF files like the Realtime movies from a list of FITS files: IDL> make_gifs,list_of_fits_files [,/pict,/tiff, ...]
lasco_readfits.pro	Read in EIT or LASCO or MK4 FITS file and puts header into a LASCO structure: IDL> img = lasco_readfits(fitsname, hdr)
make_image_[c2\|c3\|eit].pro	Generate a pretty image like the Realtime movies. Inputs from lasco_readfits; outputs an array. IDL> prettyimg = make_image_c2(img, hdr [,/nologo, /fixgaps, ...])
mk_img.pro	Generate a pretty image with more options; outputs an array. IDL> prettyimg = mk_img(fits_filename [...])
wscc_mkmovie.pro	Generate movies of LASCO or EIT data: IDL> wscc_mkmovie [, list_of_fits_files] (requires SECCHI SolarSoft library)
eit_prep.pro	Read in EIT files and apply calibration (degridding, etc.): IDL> eit_prep, fitsname, hdrout, imageout, /RESP, /NRL, /FLOAT, /FILTER, FILL=fltarr(32,32) (requires EIT Solarsoft library)
sqdb.pro	Generate list of LASCO or EIT images from SYBASE database (requires database server permission and SECCHI SSW library): IDL> a_structure = sqdb('lasco',query) -or- a_structure = qdb()
scc_playmovie.pro	Run an MVI-format movie: IDL> scc_playmovie [, filename.mvi]
scc_playmoviem.pro	Run MVI-format movie for analysis (such as generating height-time profiles): IDL> scc_playmoviem [, filename.mvi]
reduce_level_1.pro	Convert a LASCO Level 0.5 FITS file into a Level 1 (calibrated) FITS file: IDL> reduce_level_1, fitsname
image_profiles.pro	Image analysis tool: IDL> image_profiles, fitsname -or- IDL> image_profiles, img, hdr
which.pro	Find source file for an IDL procedure: IDL> which,'procedurename
doc_library.pro	List procedure documentation: IDL> doc_library, 'procedurename

There is a catalog of LASCO IDL procedures that, though out of date, could be helpful.
All of the LASCO and EIT IDL procedures are part of the Solarsoft Library (SSW).
The NRL SECCHI Movie Tools guide is also relevant.

Environment

In order to set up your environment, you will need to source the proper setup file. At NRL, this file is at /net/cronus/opt/nrl_ssw_setup. Otherwise, appropriate setup files are at $SSW/soho/lasco/setup/ and $SSW/site/setup/ . Make sure that you source nrl_ssw_setup AFTER sourcing /net/cronus/opt/localcshrc in your personal .tcshrc file. (You may also run this command at your command line.)

Some of the important environment variables and directories at NRL are defined below. These are set in /net/cronus/opt/setup.nrl_lasco_env:

$MONTHLY_IMAGES	Location of monthly minimum images for C2 and C3. Used by getbkgimg.pro.
$LZ_IMG/level_05	Location of the LASCO and EIT data (final)
$QL_IMG/level_05	Location of the LASCO and EIT data (quicklook)
$MVIS/daily/yyyy_mm	Daily .mvi movies for C1, C2, C3, EIT_195
$MVIS/daily/c1/yyyy_mm	Subset of C1 MVIs from MPAe
$MVIS/yyyy_mm	Assorted movies which have been generated for special events, etc.
$POLDIR	Location of computed %P and PB images for C2 and C3

SSW at NRL

As of 2004.09.01 at NRL, the following SSW IDL libraries are maintained: eit lasco cds sumer mdi sxt trace hessi spartan soon nso lapalma ethz nrh binaries chianti spex xray vdem lparl ana stereo bcs hxt wbs batse goes ztools xrp uvsp hxrbs cp grs hxis acrim norh celias cepac costep uvcs eis pfss. The following SSW Databases are maintained: cgro/batse, soho/[eit,sumer], GOES particle, TRACE, NOAA active regions, and GOES X-ray. The SSW libraries and databases are updated daily M-F.

To include a given library in your SSW IDL session, add the instrument name(s) to your SSW session before starting IDL:

% setssw instr1 [instr2 instr3 ...instrN]
This may also be defined in your .tcshrc AFTER sourcing the setup file.

Using ACE data

Here are some more resources:

There are daily MPEG movies available via the LASCO website.
Please see the Data Archive section of the LASCO home page for Guidelines for LASCO data use and availability, LASCO Data Products, LASCO Processing Levels.
For Carrington maps, calibration info, operations data (including pointing info), please see the Science Information section of the LASCO homepage.
Documentation on the LASCO instrument, flight software, the MVI format, other IDL libraries, commanding, operations and database
CME Catalog at Catholic University
SOHO WWW Server Roadmap
SOHO Ancillary Data

Please send comments or questions on this page or using LASCO data or SSW at NRL to the NRL SSW Administrator.

This page last modified July 6, 2012 by NBR.