SH54C-01 INVITED 

Using Virtual Observatories for Data-Model Comparisons

* Ridley, A (ridley@umich.edu), University of Michigan, Center for Space Environment Modeling Space Research Building, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2143, United States De Zeeuw, D (darrens@umich.edu), University of Michigan, Center for Space Environment Modeling Space Research Building, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2143, United States

Global models of the geospace environment allow researchers to better understand how the environment behaves under different conditions. In order to trust whether the model is accurate, it is crucial to compare the model results to data - i.e., validate the model. Also, models are very good at placing measurements into a global context, so the data can be better understood. With the advent of Virtural Observatories, it will become much easier to conduct data-model comparisons. This is because the model results will have similar descriptors as the data, and reside in model repositories (similar to data repositories), allowing the data and the model results to be cross-linked. In this presentation, we will describe our efforts on creating an environment in which data and models can be easily compared. We will provide real-world examples of how this can be used to better understand the geospace environment, and out progress in realizing the goal of creating such an environment.

SH54C-02 

Enabling Science with the Virtual ITM Observatory

* Morrison, D (daniel.morrison@jhuapl.edu), Johns Hopkins Univ Applied Physics Lab, 11100 Johns Hopkins Rd., Laurel, MD 20723, United States Weiss, M (michele.weiss@jhuapl.edu), Johns Hopkins Univ Applied Physics Lab, 11100 Johns Hopkins Rd., Laurel, MD 20723, United States Immer, L (lis.immer@jhuapl.edu), Johns Hopkins Univ Applied Physics Lab, 11100 Johns Hopkins Rd., Laurel, MD 20723, United States Holder, R (robert.holder@jhuapl.edu), Johns Hopkins Univ Applied Physics Lab, 11100 Johns Hopkins Rd., Laurel, MD 20723, United States Barnes, R (robin.barnes@jhuapl.edu), Johns Hopkins Univ Applied Physics Lab, 11100 Johns Hopkins Rd., Laurel, MD 20723, United States Colclough, C (chris.colclough@jhuapl.edu), Johns Hopkins Univ Applied Physics Lab, 11100 Johns Hopkins Rd., Laurel, MD 20723, United States Potter, M (matt.potter@jhuapl.edu), Johns Hopkins Univ Applied Physics Lab, 11100 Johns Hopkins Rd., Laurel, MD 20723, United States Daley, R (rose.daley@jhuapl.edu), Johns Hopkins Univ Applied Physics Lab, 11100 Johns Hopkins Rd., Laurel, MD 20723, United States Hashemian, M (Mohammed.Hashemian@jhuapl.edu), Johns Hopkins Univ Applied Physics Lab, 11100 Johns Hopkins Rd., Laurel, MD 20723, United States Nylund, S (stu.nylund@jhuapl.edu), Johns Hopkins Univ Applied Physics Lab, 11100 Johns Hopkins Rd., Laurel, MD 20723, United States Yee, S (sam.yee@jhuapl.edu), Johns Hopkins Univ Applied Physics Lab, 11100 Johns Hopkins Rd., Laurel, MD 20723, United States Talaat, E (elsayed.talaat@jhuapl.edu), Johns Hopkins Univ Applied Physics Lab, 11100 Johns Hopkins Rd., Laurel, MD 20723, United States Russell, J (james.russell@hampton.edu), Hampton University, Center for Atmospheric Sciences, Hampton, VA 23668, United States Heelis, R (heelis@utdallas.edu), Univ. Texas at Dallas, Box 830688, Richardson, TX 75083, United States Kozyra, J (jukozyra@engin.umich.edu), Univ. of Michigan, 2455 Hayward St., Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States Bilitza, D (bilitza@pop600.gsfc.nasa.gov), NASA GSFC, Goddard Spaceflight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771, United States McGuire, R (robert.e.mcguire@nasa.gov), NASA GSFC, Goddard Spaceflight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771, United States Candey, R (Robert.M.Candey@gsfc.nasa.gov), NASA GSFC, Goddard Spaceflight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771, United States Fox, P (pfox@ucar.edu), HAO/NCAR, P.O. Box 3000, Boulder, CO 80307, United States

While a Virtual Observatory can be thought of as a software system that provides uniform access to multiple data sets, it can also be considered a system that allows the user to create a virtual observing system dedicated to the individual's research interests. This latter approach is the goal of the Virtual ITM Observatory (VITMO) which has now reached operational status. The design of the Virtual ITM Observatory (VITMO) was developed out of a series of use cases for ITM science data analysis. To enhance the capability of the scientist in studying the ITM region and its response to energetic inputs as a system, the need was shown for an ability to approach problems using coordinated observations. This systems approach required the Virtual ITM Observatory to allow the user to locate data files that overlap in time and space, creating a virtual satellite to make coordinated observations of phenomena. VITMO provides tools to take the drudgery out of locating simultaneous overlapping datasets from multiple satellites and satellite-ground site conjunctions. Many of these tools are integrated into the search system allowing the user to find files automatically when certain geophysical conditions are present, a satellite observes a region at the same time a ground based radar system is operating, or other conditions are met. These and future enhanced capabilities such as selecting data sets for study based on model/data comparisons will be presented. Also included, will be examples of how these capabilities allow the scientist to perform "what-if" based searches of data for analysis and a discussion of the types of scientific analysis that may be feasible through the VITMO. VITMO can be found at http://vitmo.jhuapl.edu/. http://vitmo.jhuapl.edu

SH54C-03 INVITED 

Integrating Cluster Data into the VO Infrastructure

* Richards, P J (P.J.Richards@rl.ac.uk), Science and Technology Facilities Council, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot, OX11 0QX, United Kingdom Perry, C H (C.H.Perry@rl.ac.uk), Science and Technology Facilities Council, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot, OX11 0QX, United Kingdom

The UK Cluster Data Centre (UKCDC) has provided access to Cluster data products since the launch of the Cluster spacecraft in 2000. In keeping with the aim of providing the widest possible access to the Space Physics community, the UKCDC has participated in several projects to advance the interoperability of their data holdings within the emerging international VO infrastructure. These activities include AstroGrid in the UK, ESA's SpaceGrid and participation in the NASA led Space Physics Archive Search and Extract (SPASE) Consortium. Although, as demonstrated by SpaceGrid, the technology exists to build the VO infrastructure, the main obstacle to progress has been the absence of a metadata standard used by Data Centres and other data providers. The Cluster Active Archive (CAA), which is providing an archive of Cluster high resolution data, has a comprehensive metadata dictionary which is used to describe all Cluster data products. The UKCDC is ingesting into the CAA the summary and primary data products being used during the mission for event monitoring. As part of this activity, the CAA metadata is also being translated into SPASE metadata and the UKCDC is in the process of building a SPASE registry of the data products available at the UKCDC and also data access services developed according to the SPASE standards. The experience gained as the SPASE standard matures will form the basis for building a SPASE registry and services for access to the Cluster archive.

SH54C-04 

ViRBO, The Virtual Radiation Belt Observatory

* Weigel, R S (rweigel@gmu.edu), George Mason University, 4400 University Drive, Fairfax, VA 22030, United States Kihn, E (Eric.Kihn@noaa.gov), National Geophysical Data Center, 325 Broadway, Boulder, CO 80305, United States Baker, D N (baker@lasp.colorado.edu), University of Colorado/Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, 1234 Innovation Drive, Boulder, CO 80303, United States Friedel, R (friedel@lanl.gov), Los Alamos National Laboratory, Space and Atmospheric Sciences (ISR-1), Los Alamos, NM 87545, United States Green, J (Janet.Green@noaa.gov), Space Environment Center, 325 Broadway, Boulder, CO 80305, United States Bourdarie, S (Sebastien.Bourdarie@onecert.fr), ONERA-Centre de Toulouse/DESP, BP 74025 2, Avenue Edouard Belin, Toulouse Cedex 4, 31055, France Faden, J (faden@cottagesystems.com), Cottage Systems, 840 S. Summit St., Iowa City, IA 52240, United States Zhizhin, M (jjn@wdcb.ru), Geophysical Center, Russian Academy of Sciences, 3 Molodezhnaya, Moscow, 119296, Russian Federation

The Virtual Radiation Belt Observatory (ViRBO) has synthesized a large collection of data and tools relevant to radiation belt science including instrument data, scientist-contributed model data, and analysis software. Instrument data from the SAMPEX, GOES, POES, LANL GEO, Polar, and GPS satellites are all available from a common interface. Scientist-contributed model data include that of the radiation belt content index, a geostationary plasma reanalysis time series, and a four-decade-long set of time series of key inputs to empirical magnetic field models. Data that were not previously publicly available or that have been made available at increased resolution include instrument data from HEO, CRRES, SCATHA, OV1-19, ICO, S3-3, and OV3-3. The ViRBO web portal uses applications in the VxOware software package to allow other virtual observatories to search its catalog and access its metadata and data. The VxOware code base also includes features for facilitating scientific communication such as the ability for users to receive updates when a data item has been changed or has been updated, a forum for hosting and archiving presentations from scientific meetings, and features that allow users to contribute data and comment on a data items. http://virbo.org

SH54C-05 INVITED 

Extending the Virtual Solar Observatory (VSO) to Incorporate Data Analysis Capabilities

* Zarro, D (zarro@grace.nascom.nasa.gov), Adnet Systems, Inc., 7515 Mission Dr Suite A1C1, Lanham, MD 20706, United States Csillaghy, A (andre.csillaghy@fhnw.ch), University of Applied Sciences, Steinackerstrasse 5, Windisch, 5210, Switzerland Dennis, B (bdennis@pop600.gsfc.nasa.gov), NASA/GSFC, Code 671.0, Greenbelt, MD 20771, United States Schwartz, R (Richard.A.Schwartz@nasa.gov), Catholic University of America, 620 Michigan Ave NE, Washington, DC 20064, United States Tolbert, K (atolbert@pop600.gsfc.nasa.gov), RSIS, 1651 Old Meadow Rd, McLean, VA 22102, United States

I will review our current activities to extend the data analysis capability of the VSO by incorporating generic analysis tools to compare data from different observatories. These tools were developed originally as part of the RHESSI software package, an object-oriented graphical user interface written in the Interactive Data Language (IDL). They support the display and analysis of solar observations in a variety of formats (lightcurves, images, spectra, and spectrograms) and different wavelengths (X-ray, radio, and optical). Combining the VSO with generic analysis tools extends the capability of the VSO by enabling users to efficiently query, browse, download, and jointly analyze multi-instrument datasets within a unified software environment. I will present examples of how these generic analysis tools can be applied to the scientific analysis of heliophysics datasets available through the VSO, particularly to newer observations from the STEREO and Hinode missions.

SH54C-06 

Integration of event lists for ICMEs and associated phenomena

* Reinard, A (alysha.reinard@noaa.gov), University of Colorado/NOAA, NOAA/SEC Mail Code W/NP92 325 S Broadway St., Boulder, CO 80305, United States Szabo, A (adam.szabo@nasa.gov), GSFC, Heliospheric Physics Laboratory Code 672 NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771, United States

Though CMEs and their interplanetary counterparts (ICMEs) have been observed for decades and are clearly different aspects of the same phenomenon, it has been difficult to determine the precise relationship between observations on the solar disk and in the heliosphere, due to the time and distance separating the observations. In addition, the boundaries of individual ICME events are not well determined, with different methods for identifying ICME plasma returning different boundaries. Studies of these quantities will benefit from a comprehensive list of CME/ICME related parameters. The scientific objective of this VxO project is to combine the often disparate lists of ICME boundaries and of CME- related quantities in the heliosphere and at the Sun into a searchable catalog under the auspices of the Virtual Heliospheric Observatory. The resulting catalog will facilitate in-depth comparisons between the different methods used for ICME boundary selection, and may, in turn, improve the determination of those boundaries, as well as shed light on the heliospheric processes which give rise to complex ICME boundaries. In addition, a full understanding of the nature of and relationship between CME-related quantities in the heliosphere (such as shocks and enhanced composition) and at the Sun (such as flares and dimmings) will provide constraints for mechanisms of CME initiation and propagation. We present the progress made so far on this effort as well as results from a concurrent scientific study of ICME/CME comparisons.

SH54C-07 

Geotail Solar Wind 1-Min Field and Plasma Data at Geotail and at the Bow Shock Nose, 1995-2005

* King, J H (jking@mail630.gsfc.nasa.gov), Perot Systems and NASA/GSFC, Mail Code 672 NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771, United States Papitashvili, N E (natasha@mail630.gsfc.nasa.gov), Perot Systems and NASA/GSFC, Mail Code 672 NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771, United States

We announce the availability of, and describe, a 1-min resolution, solar wind-only Geotail magnetic field and plasma data set for 1995 to 2005. The data are as observed by the U. Tokyo MGF magnetometer and the U. Iowa CPI plasma analyzer at the location of Geotail and as shifted to the nose of the Earth's bow shock. The shifting is based on the Weimer minimum variance and crossed-product algorithms and is described at http://omniweb.gsfc.nasa.gov/html/sc_merge_data1.html. The unshifted and shifted data are both available in ASCII via ftp from nssdcftp and, with subset, list and graphical display capability, from FTPBrowser. The unshifted data are at http://ftpbrowser.gsfc.nasa.gov/geotail_min_merge.html. The shifted data are available, along with similarly shifted ACE, Wind and IMP 8 data, at http://omniweb.gsfc.nasa.gov/form/sc_merge_min1.html. Comparisons of Geotail and other data will be given. The new Geotail solar wind data sets enhance multi-point studies of solar wind structures on scales up to a few 100 Re and will, in coming months, enhance solar wind - magnetosphere coupling studies by making the solar wind variation record of the 1-min and 5-min OMNI data sets yet more gap-free. The work has been supported by a VxO Data Services Upgrade grant.

Author(s) (2007), Title, Eos Trans. AGU, 88(52), Fall Meet. Suppl., Abstract #####-##.