Get data

Redback provides a simple interface to getting data from the open access, Swift, and BATSE catalogs, in different formats. We will soon add an interface to get data from the Zwicky Transient Facility, and LASAIR.

  • Swift: Prompt, X-ray afterglow [counts, flux, flux density]

  • Open access catalog: Supernova, kilonova, tidal disruption event [photometry]

  • BATSE: Prompt [count rate]

For example, downloading the X-ray afterglow of GRB 070809 is as simple as

GRB = '070809'

data = redback.get_data.get_bat_xrt_afterglow_data_from_swift(grb=GRB, data_mode="flux")

Or downloading the flux_density/magnitude data of the kilonova at2017gfo

kne = 'at2017gfo'

data = redback.get_data.get_kilonova_data_from_open_transient_catalog_data(transient=kne)

Both these commands return the data, in a pandas dataframe. They also save the raw and processed data in a sensible way. In particular, the kilonova data will be saved to kilonova/at2017gfo/ and the afterglow will be saved to afterglow/GRB070809/flux/.

Please look at the API or the examples to see how we can get other data.

Basic processing and metadata

We do some basic processing to the raw data to make the files homogenous and save them in a homogenous format. We also get metadata about the transient, such as redshift, start time, photon index etc from publically available sources. Users can also provide this metadata themselves.

Private data or simulated data

We do not have to use data from the above catalogs for fitting. Redback can be used on private data or on simulated data. You can see this in the documentation here. We have also written an example demonstrating this here as well.

Simulating your own data

We will soon add an automated interace to simulating data in specific bands/frequencies/flux/luminosity using the in built redback models. For now, users can use any redback model as functions, pass in parameters or a dictionary of parameters, and create their own simulated data. See Models documentation.