Introduction

This document describes the reduction of GNIRS cross-dispersed (XD) data with the XDGNIRS pipeline. The pipeline, which was created for the reduction of spectra of bright, extended galaxies (see Mason et al. 2015, ApJS, 217, 13), can take a list of science and calibration files, identify the file types, reduce the data, and output a flux-calibrated 1D spectrum, with various degrees of manual intervention as desired by the user. The XDGNIRS pipeline was written to handle data acquired using the popular 32 l/mm cross-dispersed GNIRS mode in the configuration outlined in The Reduction Steps. In addition, it has been generalized to accept data taken without nodding off the slit to a blank sky. The pipeline may work with other cross-dispersed configurations (e.g., AO observations using the long camera and 10 l/mm grating), but this has not been properly tested.

This manual is intended for two audiences: people with GNIRS XD data who might like to try using it to reduce their data and Gemini staff evaluating the use of the code to produce automated “quick-look” reductions of queue data. All potential users are encouraged to familiarise themselves with the reduction of the test data set (illustrated in this manual) before attempting to run the pipeline on other data. We provide a series of additional test datasets with different quality and possible solutions to common issues encountered during data reduction.

The basic architecture of XDGNIRS was set up by Omaira González-Martín. Rachel Mason completed, tested, and documented the code with input from Emma Hogan, Tom Geballe, Andrew McNichols, Alberto Rodríguez-Ardila, Daniel Ruschel Dutra, Jen Miller, and Michael Pohlen. OGM is the author of the “REDCAN” IDL pipeline for the reduction of mid-IR imaging and spectroscopy from CANARICAM on the GTC (González-Martín et al. 2013, A&A, 553, 35).

For the current version of XDGNIRS (v3.0), the US NGO staff members were responsible for updating, testing, and performing science verification in the code. The following sections provide details on installation, requirements, and troubleshooting.