Second User Tools Prototype Release to DS2

This is the DS4 user tools prototype release 2 to DS2 (deliverable DS4-03). Follow the links to the respective download and documentation pages. See also the VOTech baseline release.

Context and Overview

The task of the Design Study 4 is best described as designing and prototyping the instrumentation of a virtual telescope. The telescope assembly rests on the foundation of the EURO-VO Facility Centre http://www.euro-vo.org/ which provides scientific guidance and user support. In metaphorical terms FC is pointing the instruments at observational targets in the digital sky. The vaults of the EURO-VO Data Centre Alliance (DCA) are the roams that await their exploration by archival researchers. A further similarity to a real observatory is the set of various types of instruments complementing each other. Research and development on the advancement of VO instrumentation is coordinated by the EURO-VO Technology Centre (TC). The common instrument platform is the topic of the DS3 Infrastructure. It provides the framework for interoperating data mining techniques (DS6), resource discovery methods (DS5) and finally the specialized user tools (DS4) which are the subject of this software release.

Software Components

Below a set of software components specifically prototyped as part of this study. It is a summary with pointers to specific documentation. For interdependencies and contextual information please refer to the DS4 study report.

VirGO-Plugin

The VirGO-PlugIn to Stellarium is a VO enabled planetarium tool. A number of VO interfaces have been integrated as part of the VOTECH project. This version is hooked up to the ESO Science Archive Facility.

• download VirGO bundled with Stellarium

Footprint Library

This footprint Java library implements the corresponding IVOA Note titled Footprint Overlay Specification.

• download page

Magnitude to Flux Conversion Service

This on-line service supports the conversion of magnitudes to physical flux values by applying instrumental transmission curves.

• on-line service

RESTFul Filter service

• on-line service

Theoretical Data Web Portals

The ITVO (Italian Theoretical Virtual Obserrvatory) is creating a distributed archive of data for cosmological simulations:

• ITVO@Trieste
• ITVO@Catania
• ITVO@Bologna

And one new relational database and web portal for stellar evolution models data:

• BaSTI (A Bag for Stellar Tracks and Isochrones)

SSA Ranking Prototype

A prototype system for ranking query result sets as proposed in this IVOA note.

• installation instructions

IDL library to control Aladin

A set of IDL functions allowing to control Aladin from an IDL script has been released.

• Aladin/IDL Wiki page

Aladin v5

Aladin 5 includes some new features developed in the frame of VOTech, notably the support of instrument footprints display and the VO Tool controller. Look at this page for more details.

Some software modules were already part of the baseline release from March 2007 which entails all DSes.

-- MarkusDolensky - 07 Mar 2008