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“The VO in Australia” Melbourne Nov. 28/29 2002. What is the AVO? How did it develop - Grid computing – particle physics Current status of International VO projects (http://www.ivoa.net) Role for Australian Astronomy? Opportunities & challenges. What is the Virtual Observatory?.
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“The VO in Australia” Melbourne Nov. 28/29 2002 • What is the AVO? • How did it develop - Grid computing – particle physics • Current status of International VO projects (http://www.ivoa.net) • Role for Australian Astronomy? • Opportunities & challenges Virtual Molonglo Observatory
What is the Virtual Observatory? • NOT one project or the Web • Distributed CPU – AVO, NVO, ASTROGRID • Distributed data – images, catalogues, spectra, simulations & models • Distributed software – assorted acronyms • Resource broker, road map, nodes Virtual Molonglo Observatory
What’s it all about? Grid computing deals with coordinated resource sharing and problem solving in dynamic, multi-institutional virtual organisations. The resources are compute power, software, data and collaboration tools. Virtual Molonglo Observatory
Some statistics on doubling times • Computing power (Moore’s law): 18 mths • Bandwidth (Nielsen’s law): 20 mths • Data archive size: 12 mths • Number of websites: 9 mths Virtual Molonglo Observatory
Challenges & responses • Slow CPU growth distributed computing • Limited BW information hierarchies • Limited storage distributed data • Data diversity interoperability • SOLUTION: GRID COMPUTING Virtual Molonglo Observatory
Technical Update • Big commitment in Europe & USA • Wide applications – business & science • VO-compliance & VO-table • Issues of access, security, universal querator, resource broker Virtual Molonglo Observatory
Role of Australian Astronomy • Workshop focus on data and tools • Examples of current possibilities • Challenges and opportunities Virtual Molonglo Observatory
Functional Requirements: A First Draft • Immediate processing of data from sensors (all s) • Formats for raw data in sensor databases • Transparent access to all databases • Correlation of data sets across databases • Facilitation and acceleration of the scientific • method using all databases AVO Project Management Gavin Thoms 27 November 2002 Virtual Molonglo Observatory
1. AAO & the IVOA - Strategy • Build/continue alliances with key groups • Assist in development of VO standards • Build VO-compliance into data & products • Facilitate development of analysis tools Virtual Molonglo Observatory
The Way forward: ARC grant for 2003 (1.5FTE@AAO) • Incorporate 2dF survey into VO-table (milestone: demo at IAU GA) • Integrate 2dF spectra & catalogue server (milestone: end 2003) • VO-compliance for 6dF from start (milestone: April 2003) • Route map for AAO VO-compliance (milestone: end 2003) Virtual Molonglo Observatory
2. Contribution from the Molonglo Observatory • Image availability - data calibration & quality • Source catalogues – integrity and interpretation • What is raw data? Case study at 408 MHz Virtual Molonglo Observatory
Response Classification with a Decision Tree Blue ellipses - Sources Red ellipses - Artefacts Virtual Molonglo Observatory
Current data pipeline • Automated observations • Manual transport of data (CDs) to Sydney • Customised analysis software programs • Image archive & source catalogue • Processed data back to Molonglo & Web • Resource intensive Virtual Molonglo Observatory
3. Machine Learning techniques • Goal – multiwavelength correlations • Problem – database mismatches • Traditional methods – closest position & other information Virtual Molonglo Observatory
(B) (A) Y X RADIO: HIPASS 21cm surveyOPTICAL: SuperCOSMOS 10 arc min error diameter The correlation problem: which is the radio source? Virtual Molonglo Observatory
Use Machine Learning • Data vectors from catalogues • Radio: RA, Dec, velocity, velocity width, flux • Optical: (RA, Dec, B,R,I mags, shape)N • Training sets • Optical counterparts with measured velocities • Machine learning • Support Vector Machine • Use all parameters for the classification: new physics? • Quadratic programming problem, so unique solutions Virtual Molonglo Observatory
4. Future: direct image analysis • Handwritten postcode recognition • US Postal Service database: each digit 16×16 pixels • 7,300 training patterns, 2,000 test patterns • Classifier % Error • Decision tree 16.2 • 5-layer neural net 5.1 • Support vector machine 4.1 • Human 2.5 • Direct analysis of optical pixel data? • Established for morphological galaxy classification • Too many pixels for radio identification problems? Virtual Molonglo Observatory
5. Example element of e-Astronomy Australia Build a pipeline processor (running aips++) to process radio synthesis data from ATCA archive on the fly • User can choose parameters of image • Field centre • Field size • Optimise algorithm for science question being asked • Can use latest version of calibration algorithm • Expert users can tweak parameters Virtual Molonglo Observatory
Goals of e-Astronomy Australia • Survey and archive data from Australian telescopes available to all IVO users • Prospects to put full ATCA archive online • Set up datagrid and compute grid to give Australian astronomers access to IVO resources • Help develop techniques, protocols, etc for the IVO Virtual Molonglo Observatory
6. Tools – new and used • FITS – successful data format – keep? • Astronomy co-ordinate systems – several in use – IAU working group • VOtable – flexibility, greater complexity, incorporate current protocols Virtual Molonglo Observatory
7. New multicolour Survey • Imaging survey with Great Melbourne Telescope • A TRAGEDY! Virtual Molonglo Observatory
Discussion: paradigm for a small country • Identify strengths or special roles in the international context • Identify any major international partners gains from the involvement • Identify gains for the small country from involvement in the project • Identify a realistic niche for a significant contribution • If any of 1- 4 are missing, withdraw! Virtual Molonglo Observatory
Challenges & Opportunities • Continue training of future astronomers • Need resources to maintain and upgrade databases & fund future instruments • Cross-discipline collaborations • Maintain role in observational science • FIND A NICHE! Virtual Molonglo Observatory
Where to now? • LIEF grant for 1 year – new grants? • Raise visibility in Europe, USA programs • Cross discipline links – herbarium, medical centre, particle physics • Identify areas of contribution to international VO – spectroscopy? • http://www.aus-vo.org (David Barnes) Virtual Molonglo Observatory
Conclusions GOAL: To develop tools, data and organisational structures to facilitate international collaborations and individual research on multidimensional archives operating as a VO. Virtual Molonglo Observatory