3.4.2 Use of Low-8 Images in Optical Data


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3.4.2 Use of Low-8 Images in Optical Data

 

For X-ray images the error introduced by the SXT data compression is less than counting statistics so the compression from 12-bit (out of the CCD camera) to 8-bit numbers loses little information. For aspect images the errors in counting statistics are far less than the data compression errors. In order to obtain the best statistical precision, the aspect images were often taken in both low-8-bit and compressed data modes separately. These are combined to provide full 12-bit precision through the use of the program RESTORE_LOW8. This procedure works best if the two exposures are close together in time to minizize the effects of spacecraft pointing drift and jitter.


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