XMM-Newton Science Analysis System


boxdetect (edetect-1.4.1) [xmmsas_20230412_1735-21.0.0]

Description

This task is similar to eboxdetect in that it detects sources by comparing counts in a sliding square box with the expectation value due solely to background. In fact the basic algorithm has been copied from eboxdetect. The differences between the two tasks are as follows:

1. boxdetect has no XMM dependence, so can be applied to single or mosaiced images from any source. The XMM dependence of eboxdetect arises because eboxdetect corrects source counts for PSF loss outside the square detection box and also calculates original source flux. boxdetect does not do this.

2. boxdetect is designed to work in conjunction with imweightadd and thus provides the ability to search for sources in weighted-sum images. This allows deeper detection when the spectrum of the source is known.

3. boxdetect employs essentially the same confusion-detection algorithm as eboxdetect, except that the dependence on source order has been removed.

See the imweightadd documentation for a description of the source detection algorithm.