Overview

A summary of the tools and scripts available in ctools is presented in the figure below. The tools are grouped according to functionality, and arranged according to the typical usage in a workflow. According to our naming convention, tools starting with the letters ct are implemented as C++ executables, and tools starting with the letters cs are implemented as Python scripts.

The scripts :ref:`csiactdata`, :ref:`csiactobs`, :ref:`csfindobs` and :ref:`csiactcopy` support access to IACT data, and in particular the H.E.S.S. data in FITS format, provided that the user has the appropriate access rights. :ref:`cscaldb` inspects the calibration database that is installed on the user's computer and informs about the available :ref:`instrument response functions <glossary_irf>`.

The scripts :ref:`csobs2caldb` and :ref:`csroot2caldb` generate response databases from existing observations or ROOT files. :ref:`csobsdef` generates :ref:`observation definition files <glossary_obsdef>` from information provided in an ASCII file in csv format, and :ref:`ctobssim` simulates events for one or several observations based on an input model that describes the gamma-ray sources and the irreducable particle background.

:ref:`csobsinfo` inspects an :ref:`observation definition file <glossary_obsdef>` and :ref:`csobsselect` allows the selection of a subset of observations based on pointing direction and observing dates.

:ref:`ctselect` selects events from one or several observations based on reconstructed event direction, energy and trigger time.

The tools :ref:`ctbin`, :ref:`ctexpcube`, :ref:`ctpsfcube`, :ref:`ctedispcube` and :ref:`ctbkgcube` perform the binning of the event data and the computation of the response cubes that are needed for a stacked binned analysis. :ref:`ctcubemask` enables the masking of individual bins from a binned analysis. :ref:`csphagen` prepares the PHA, ARF and RMF files for an On/Off analysis, and :ref:`csebins` generates custom energy binnings for all binning tools.

:ref:`csbkgmodel` prepares a standard background model for the analysis of IACT data that was validated on H.E.S.S. data. :ref:`csmodelinfo` inspects any given :ref:`model definition file <glossary_moddef>`, :ref:`csmodelselect` selects sources from a :ref:`model definition file <glossary_moddef>`, :ref:`csmodelmerge` merges several :ref:`model definition files <glossary_moddef>` into a single one, and :ref:`csmodelsois` extracts sources of interest from a :ref:`model definition file <glossary_moddef>` and replaces the remaining sources by a diffuse map cube.

:ref:`ctskymap` generates sky maps from the data and :ref:`cssrcdetect` detects sources in the sky map and writes them into a :ref:`model definition file <glossary_moddef>`. :ref:`csscs` spatially separates source components based on their spectra.

:ref:`csspec` generates a spectrum and :ref:`ctbutterfly` computes a butterfly diagram for a given gamma-ray source.

:ref:`cslightcrv` generate a light curve and :ref:`csphasecrv` a phase curve for a source. :ref:`ctphase` computes for each event the phase for a periodic source, based on a simple phase model. :ref:`ctprob` computes for each event the probability that it arises from a specific model component. :ref:`ctfindvar` searches for time variable sources using an On/Off method in the time domain.

:ref:`ctlike` is the workhorse of ctools and performs a maximum likelihood estimation of model parameters. In case that a source is not significantly detected, :ref:`ctulimit` will allow to assess its upper flux limit. :ref:`cterror` computes parameter errors from the likelihood profile, coping also with asymmetric uncertainites. :ref:`cttsmap` generates a test statistic map, and :ref:`ctmodel` computes the expected model cube for a given :ref:`model definition file <glossary_moddef>`. :ref:`csresmap` generates a residual map and :ref:`csresspec` a residual spectrum to allow assessing of the model fit quality.

Finally a number of utilities exist. csinfo checks whether the software is properly installed, :ref:`cstsmapsplit` splits the test statistic computation in multiple jobs and :ref:`cstsmapmerge` merges the resulting maps into a single test statistic map, csworkflow implements a workflow manager for analysis pipelines, :ref:`cstsdist` generates a test statistic distribution and :ref:`cspull` computes the pull distribution of model parameters for a given source based on simulations, :ref:`cssens` computes the array sensitivity, :ref:`ctmapcube` transforms any source model into a map cube, and :ref:`csviscube` computes a visibility map of the sky from a given array site.