SWAP dark current update - special care needed for 2022 science data

The dark current estimate that is used in the calibration of SWAP images has been updated. The new calibration file is applied in the routine production of SWAP LV1 files starting today. 

This calibration file is also made public through the IDL disctirbution and is valid from the start of 2022. However, on the P2SC servers, images acquired in 2022 (and early 2023) will not be reprocessed and remain calibrated with the old estimates. Information on which calibration is used for a specific LV1 file can be found in the HISTORY fits keyword.

Users interested in data from 2022 and early 2023 are encouraged to perform their own calibration from LV0 to LV1 files using the IDL routines that are provided. 

More info on our data analysis software can be hound here. There is also a tutorial accessible through this page. If you have any questions regarding the calibration procedure, please don't hesitate to contact us.

This dark current analysis also allowed us to confirm that the SWAP instrument is in excellent health and does not show significant degradation, even after 14 years in orbit!