This is release 2.0.0 of the atomdb IDL software. 

This software uses the ATOMDB to create spectra, look up atomdb data
for emission lines in the ATOMDB, and to extract ionization balance data.
To install it, two system variables must be set:

ATOMDB must point to the top directory of the ATOMDB release; this is 
the directory that contains the file apec_linelist.fits amongst others.

ATOMDB_IDL must point to the directory containing this README file. 

To initialize the software, execute the command:
IDL> @init_atomdb_idl

This will compile all the procedures needed and define all the structures
used.  If you use attempt to use the procedures without calling this
routine first, the structures will not be defined and the routines will not 
work.

To test the software, use:
IDL> @init_atomdb_idl
IDL> @test_atomdb_idl
which will read in some data files and calculate the spectrum of a 10 MK
plasma, plotted as spectrum.ps.  This can be compared to spectrum_cmp.ps
(which was created using ATOMDB v1.3; there might be small changes if a 
different version of ATOMDB is used).  

It will also calculate an ionization population, and give the comparison value.

If you have any problems with this software, please contact the ATOMDB
developers, Nancy Brickhouse (nbrickhouse@cfa.harvard.edu) or Randall
Smith (rsmith@cfa.harvard.edu)


