rgsfluxer combines any collection of spectrum files generated by rgsspectrum to produce a single fluxed spectrum. The fluxed spectrum should not be used as the starting point for any serious analysis of the data because it neglects the redistribution of monochromatic response into the dispersion channels. A spectral fitting package, such as XSPEC, should be used for quantitative analysis of the raw spectra. Nevertheless, rgsfluxer is an extremely effective tool for visualizing the data free from the peculiarities of the instrument. This is especially so because of its ability to combine the data from both cameras into a single spectrum, thus eliminating many of the gaps between functioning detectors.
Each raw spectrum is fluxed using the effective area calculated from its corresponding response matrix. Since version 1.9, rgsfluxer also accepts as input parameter an ARF file created by rgsrmfgen and a resdistributiuon matrix created by the same task. The user has to make sure that the rgsfluxer is not being used with and ARF file AND a resditribution matrix which contains the effective area.
Ideally, each spectrum should be paired with a response matrix computed specifically for it, but that is in no way required. It is only required that each spectrum be paired with a response matrix of the same reflection order. Using a response matrix computed with fewer than 500 incident energy bins is not recommended, and it is left entirely to the user to assess the advisability of combining dissimilar spectra.
