HR: 1330h
AN: U22A-0012    [PDF]
TI: The Virtual Solar Observatory -- the Why, What, How and Where
AU: * Hill, F
EM: fhill@noao.edu
AF: National Solar Observatory, PO Box 26732, Tucson, AZ 85726-6732 United States
AU: Bogart, R S
EM: rbogart@spd.aas.org
AF: Stanford University, CSSA HEPL Annex A202, Stanford, CA 94305-4085 United States
AU: Davey, A
EM: adavey@spd.aas.org
AF: Montana State University, Physics Dept. PO Box 172840, Bozeman, MT 59717-3840 United States
AU: Dimitoglou, G
EM: gdimitoglou@spd.aas.org
AF: NASA/GSFC, Solar Physics Branch Code 682.3, Greenbelt, MD 20771 United States
AU: Gurman, J B
EM: jgurman@spd.aas.org
AF: NASA/GSFC, Solar Physics Branch Code 682.3, Greenbelt, MD 20771 United States
AU: Martens, P C
EM: pmartens@spd.aas.org
AF: Montana State University, Physics Dept. PO Box 172840, Bozeman, MT 59717-3840 United States
AU: Tian, K
EM: ktian@spd.aas.org
AF: Stanford University, CSSA HEPL Annex A202, Stanford, CA 94305-4085 United States
AU: Wampler, S
EM: swampler@noao.edu
AF: National Solar Observatory, PO Box 26732, Tucson, AZ 85726-6732 United States
AB: Observational solar physics almost always involves the comparison of several data sets obtained by different instruments and stored in a variety of archives. Currently a researcher must laboriously locate the relevant archives, search them with idiosyncratic interfaces, and retrieve the data by a number of methods. The VSO is a tool to streamline this process by providing a single unified interface and search tool for solar archives. Eventually this will be supplemented by distributed computing tools which will enable queries based on data itself, in addition to standard queries on metadata. The VSO will enable a new class of solar research -- large-scale correlative statistical studies on many data sets, thereby facilitating space weather studies. An example of a use case is a helioseismic study of the subsurface structure of cornal hole boundaries and possible predictive links between the solar interior and the solar wind. An intital prototype has been built linking archives at GSFC, Stanford, MSU, and NSO. This prototype has been constructed using a combination of XML, SOAP, and Perl technologies, and a beta release is available now. The initial set of archives will soon be expanded to include archives at HAO, NGDC, and selected NOAA feature and event catalogues. In the next 2 years, additonal service providers will be added, the user interface will be fully developed, and distributed computing tools will be initiated.
UR: http://umbra.nascom.nasa.gov/vso/
DE: 7599 General or miscellaneous
DE: 9820 Techniques applicable in three or more fields
SC: U
MN: 2003 Fall Meeting