read the data with the idl routine read_slice.pro in the directory. Example: IDL>file='slice_0029.dat' IDL>read_slice,file,nph,nth,time,ph,lat,br,bth,bph,vr,vth,vph the data read in are: nph: dimension in phi nth: dimension in latitude time: time in sec ph(nph): phi grid location (in rad) lat(nth): latitude grid location (in rad) br(nph,nth): Br in G bth(nph,nth): Bth in G (positive southward) bph(nph,nth): Bph in G vr(nph,nth): Vr in cm/s vth(nph,nth): Vth in cm/s (positive southward) vph(nph,nth): Vph in cm/s I have written 15 snapshots at 12 hour intervals, tracking an area centered on the emerging region (relative to a rotation rate of 477 nhz), with data (Br, Bth, Bph, Vr, Vth, Vph) written on a phi-latitude grid of about 30 degree (or about 400 Mm) widths.