The TESS mission has several data products ranging from the TESS input catalog to a catalog of planet candidates. Here we give an overview of what information is in each data product, how it is produced and how the data is formatted.
TESS obtains time-series photometry at two different cadences with a baseline ranging from 3 weeks out to a year. An overview of the primary science products are shown above. The entire set of CCDs for each TESS sector are downloaded every 30-minutes, these are known as the Full Frame Images (FFIs). Selected sections of sky are also downloaded at a 2-minute cadence. The pixel time series are stored as target pixel files and aperture photometry is performed to create a flux time series which are stored in light curve files. Those flux time series are then searched for signals consistent with a transiting planet, known as a Threshold Crossing Event (TCE). The TCEs, as well as signals found by searching the FFIs, are turned into TESS Objects of Interest (TOIs) when the data is sufficiently consistent with a transit.
Description of Primary TESS Data Products.
- TESS Input Catalog (TIC): Catalog of stars used by the TESS mission to select targets to download at short cadence. The TIC is available through the MAST portal and via the API.
- Full Frame Images (FFI):
- Target Pixel Files (.tp.fits): These files contain a time series of the raw and calibrated pixels downloaded at the 2-minute cadence.
- Light Curve Files (.lc.fits): These files contain the simple aperture photometry flux time series derived from the calibrated short-cadence pixels. It also contains a co-trended light curve that attempts to preserve astrophysics.