eSASS derives its heritage mainly from the ROSAT and XMM-Newton data analysis packages. This is also the case for its name:

• SASS Standard Analysis Software System (ROSAT pipeline processing software)
• EXSAS EXtended Scientific Analysis System (ROSAT interactive data analysis software)
• SAS Science Analysis System (XMM-Newton pipeline and interactive data analysis software)

Drawing from the above acronyms eSASS might thus stand for:

• extended Science Analysis Software System

In another line of reasoning, we started out to refer to the eROSITA data analysis software as eROSITA-SASS (with SASS referring to the ROSAT term), which eventually was shortened to eSASS. This also nicely fits with eRASS, another eROSITA acronym, which stands for eROSITA All-Sky Survey, referring back to the RASS (ROSAT All-Sky Survey). It is important to note that while ROSAT provided two different software packages for the pipeline (SASS) and interactive (EXSAS) data analysis, both functions are combined in one package in eSASS. The "Standard" for the first "S" in SASS is not appropriate for eSASS and it was replaced with "Science". As the "e" in this case refer to eROSITA, it's probably best to think of eSASS as standing for:

• eROSITA Science Analysis Software System

Go to this page for for details.

You will be able to run eSASS tasks at the command prompt after you executed one of the following setup scripts:

or

eSASS makes use of the HEASARC CALDB framework to manage the eROSITA calibration files. This is handled automatically by the eSASS setup script.

This is a relatively frequent error message which occurs in the following situations:

1. Your command line call is not correct. Please make sure you entered all required command line parameters in the correct spelling. Array parameters require string quotes. Use FTOOLS command plist for a list of all task parameters.
2. You recently switched to a different eSASS release version. It is possible that the command line of the task in question has changed. Please adjust your scripts and delete the .par file of the task in question from the pfiles directory in your home directory.
3. For whatever reason, the .par file of the task in question in the pfiles directory in your home directory may be garbled. Please delete it. It will be automatically recreated once you call the task again.
4. The contents of the PFILES environment variable may not be correct (for whatever reason). In this case, the PIL error will occur with each eSASS task you call. The PFILES variable needs to start with the full path of the pfiles directory in your home directory followed by a semicolon. The .par directory of the eSASS release you are using as well as the pfiles directories of any other FTOOLS based tools you may have installed should be listed after the semicolon. The PFILES environment variable should normally be set correctly by the eSASS setup script.

This error is harmless and it has no impact on the task processing.

Most of the image's size is comprised of the other extensions in the image file (approximately 63 different tables). Please have a look at the evtool task documentation to disable such behaviour.

2024-02-23: Spectra in source products were modified to fix RESPFILE, ANCRFILE and BACKFILE keywords, as they previously they pointed to files which did not exist. Source products were also added for the 106150 and 017150 skytiles, which were excluded by accident. If you previously mirrored the source products using the mirroring script before 2024-02-23, please rerun it again to get the new product versions (dated 2024-02-22 and 2024-02-23).

Please refer to this page for further information.

Please refer to this page for further information.