Transcript Virtual Observatory Current trends and development

Virtual Observatory 
Current trends and development
Xiaowei Liu
Peking University
University College London
University College London & Peking University
Topics
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(Practical) Efforts towards a VO (sci., tech.)
European activities and reaction to the concept
of VOs
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SRM - conferences on VOs
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Data-mining (a common problem)
University College London & Peking University
➔ Archive
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Research proposals
Legacy Archive Research proposals (cycle 11)
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The project should perform a homogeneous analysis of a welldefined subset of data in the HST Archive.
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The main goal should be to provide a homogeneous set of
calibrated data and/or ancillary data products (catalogs,
software tools, web interfaces etc.) to the scientific community.
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The results of the project should enable a variety of new and
important types of scientific investigations.
University College London & Peking University
University College London & Peking University
Infrared Space Observatory (ISO)
ISO carried out 26000 observations
during its 28 months lifetime.
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First look
Whole archive
downloaded
twice!
University College London & Peking University
ESO VLT
Approaching space-borne obs.
mode:
➢Standardisation of data taking
➢ Service observations
➢ P2PP - Observation blocks
University College London & Peking University
University College London & Peking University
Trends and conclusions
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Large data set from space borne mission,
Standardisation of ground-based observations
and systematically data archiving
 Data-mining becomes a very important
aspect of research
 New sciences possible  VOs
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National Virtual Observatory
Graphics from US NVO project
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Astrovirtel An European Project
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Approved Astrovirtel proposals
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First significant discovery based on Astrovirtel
First discovered by Millis R., Elliot J. L.,
Wasserman L H., NOAO PR01-10, 2 July 2001,
with an estimated R = 960 km.
Latest estimate using Astrovirtel yields:
d = 43 AU, R = 1200 km (Hahn G, et al., ESO PR
23 Aug. 2001)
University College London & Peking University
Astrophysical Virtual Observatory
Proposal submitted to EC in February 2001
Consortium: ESO, ESA/ST-ECF, CDS Strassbourg, terapix IAP Paris,
Astrogrid UK, Jodrell Bank
AVO Science Working Group
➢ Activities - AVO science
Piero Benvenuti (ST-ECF)
Email: [email protected]
- Archive interoperability
Deadline: September 21st 2001
- Technological infrastructure
➢ Phase A - Realistic test bed for GRID-type distributed infrastructures
- Address and verify against existing archive for:
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Quality and availability of calib. pipelines & calib. data
Characterisation of the PSF or seeing over the filed of the images
Limiting magnitudes and surface brightness
Photometrical conditions, astrometry characterisation
- Analysis tools for large distributed data set
- Policy: Open on-line facility or
Controlled infrastructure with dedicated funds or
specialised assistance, selection via standard
"Call for proposals"
- Phase B design
University College London & Peking University
UK PPARC -Long Term Science Review
University College London & Peking University
University College London & Peking University
University College London & Peking University
AstroGrid project
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developed during LTSR
proposal to PPARC October 2000
three year project
one year Phase A study
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community consultation
science requirements analysis
benchmark tests
pilot database federations
• we need use-cases....
Andy Lawrence
NAM 2001
Cambridge
Phase B - preliminary
• uniform AstroGrid interface
• data-mining machines connected in grid
• tool for simultaneous browsing
– plus advanced visualisation, links to spectra etc.
• tools for advanced database analysis
– advanced querying, mixture fitting, statistical manipulations etc.
• tools for on-line data analysis
– statistics, model fitting
• system for uploading code
Andy Lawrence
NAM 2001
Cambridge
Conferences on Virtual Observatories
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VOs of the Future (SRM for NVO) (Caltech, Pasadena, June 13 - 16, 2000)
- Explore the possibilities for new astronomy with large digital sky surveys
- Define the technical needs and the mandate for the future NVO (GVO)
Overviews of existing efforts; New science with a VO; Hardware & network;
Statistics & data mining; Data format & visualization, archive interoperability;
Education & public outreach
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Mining the Sky (MPA/ESO/MPE Garching, German, July 31 - August 4, 2000)
- Numerical and statistical analysis of large astronomical datasets
- Large-scale computer simulations
- Data mining
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Astronomical Data Analysis Software & Systems X
(SAO, Boston, November 12-15, 2000)
- Astronomy technologies; Sky surveys; Public outreach
- Software development history, methodologies & technologies
- Science data pipelines; IRAF, DS9, AIPS++, FITS, IDL, Linux, Cobra
University College London & Peking University
Conferences on Virtual Observatories
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Theoretical Data in Virtual Observatories (Tucson, Mar. 20-21, 2001)
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New Astrophysics and Cosmology with a Virtual Observatory
Science with Wide-Field Survey Telescopes
(Aspen Center for Physics, May 27-June 10, 2001)
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Statistical Challenges in Modern Astronomy III
(Penn State, July 18-21, 2001)
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SPIE 46th Ann. Meeting, Conf. 4477 on Astron. Data Analysis
(San Diego, July 29-August 3, 2001)
- Data Mining: Sky Survey Data Analysis, Detection, Classification
- Data Modeling, Background Estimation, Cosmic Ray Removal, ...
- Data Analysis and Statistical Methods
- Image Compression, Databases, Information Retrieval,...
- Virtual Observatory, Computational Grids
- Autonomous Agents, Distributed Computing Environments,...
University College London & Peking University
Conferences on Virtual Observatories
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Joint European and National Astronomical Meeting
Joint Discussion 2: Virtual Observatory
(Munich, September 10-15, 2001)
- What is a virtual observatory?
- Why do we need a virtual observatory?
- Virtual Observatory activities in Europe, JAPAN, and USA
- Oral and Poster Contributions
- General Discussion
University College London & Peking University
University College London & Peking University
University College London & Peking University
University College London & Peking University
University College London & Peking University
Virtual Observatories - New Opportunity, New Challenge
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The ever-increasing amount of high-quality scientific data
stored in various astronomical archives is becoming a `source'
that can be utilised by research teams in an equivalent fashion
to observing with a `physical' telescope at a ground or spacebased observatory
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"Observatory": A connected and interoperating set of astron. archives
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"Telescopes": Network of archives
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"Instruments": Suite of software tools to query and analyse the data
Case for a Chinese National Virtual Observatory
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Unavoidable
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Observations driven and oriented, more balanced researches
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Fast track, Cost-effective
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SRM or SWG
University College London & Peking University