143 research outputs found
Heliophysics Event Knowledgebase for the Solar Dynamics Observatory and Beyond
The immense volume of data generated by the suite of instruments on SDO
requires new tools for efficient identifying and accessing data that is most
relevant to research investigations. We have developed the Heliophysics Events
Knowledgebase (HEK) to fill this need. The HEK system combines automated data
mining using feature-detection methods and high-performance visualization
systems for data markup. In addition, web services and clients are provided for
searching the resulting metadata, reviewing results, and efficiently accessing
the data. We review these components and present examples of their use with SDO
data.Comment: 17 pages, 4 figure
Visualization, Exploration and Data Analysis of Complex Astrophysical Data
In this paper we show how advanced visualization tools can help the
researcher in investigating and extracting information from data. The focus is
on VisIVO, a novel open source graphics application, which blends high
performance multidimensional visualization techniques and up-to-date
technologies to cooperate with other applications and to access remote,
distributed data archives. VisIVO supports the standards defined by the
International Virtual Observatory Alliance in order to make it interoperable
with VO data repositories. The paper describes the basic technical details and
features of the software and it dedicates a large section to show how VisIVO
can be used in several scientific cases.Comment: 32 pages, 15 figures, accepted by PAS
Beyond XSPEC: Towards Highly Configurable Analysis
We present a quantitative comparison between software features of the defacto
standard X-ray spectral analysis tool, XSPEC, and ISIS, the Interactive
Spectral Interpretation System. Our emphasis is on customized analysis, with
ISIS offered as a strong example of configurable software. While noting that
XSPEC has been of immense value to astronomers, and that its scientific core is
moderately extensible--most commonly via the inclusion of user contributed
"local models"--we identify a series of limitations with its use beyond
conventional spectral modeling. We argue that from the viewpoint of the
astronomical user, the XSPEC internal structure presents a Black Box Problem,
with many of its important features hidden from the top-level interface, thus
discouraging user customization. Drawing from examples in custom modeling,
numerical analysis, parallel computation, visualization, data management, and
automated code generation, we show how a numerically scriptable, modular, and
extensible analysis platform such as ISIS facilitates many forms of advanced
astrophysical inquiry.Comment: Accepted by PASP, for July 2008 (15 pages
Visualization techniques to aid in the analysis of multi-spectral astrophysical data sets
The goal of this project was to support the scientific analysis of multi-spectral astrophysical data by means of scientific visualization. Scientific visualization offers its greatest value if it is not used as a method separate or alternative to other data analysis methods but rather in addition to these methods. Together with quantitative analysis of data, such as offered by statistical analysis, image or signal processing, visualization attempts to explore all information inherent in astrophysical data in the most effective way. Data visualization is one aspect of data analysis. Our taxonomy as developed in Section 2 includes identification and access to existing information, preprocessing and quantitative analysis of data, visual representation and the user interface as major components to the software environment of astrophysical data analysis. In pursuing our goal to provide methods and tools for scientific visualization of multi-spectral astrophysical data, we therefore looked at scientific data analysis as one whole process, adding visualization tools to an already existing environment and integrating the various components that define a scientific data analysis environment. As long as the software development process of each component is separate from all other components, users of data analysis software are constantly interrupted in their scientific work in order to convert from one data format to another, or to move from one storage medium to another, or to switch from one user interface to another. We also took an in-depth look at scientific visualization and its underlying concepts, current visualization systems, their contributions, and their shortcomings. The role of data visualization is to stimulate mental processes different from quantitative data analysis, such as the perception of spatial relationships or the discovery of patterns or anomalies while browsing through large data sets. Visualization often leads to an intuitive understanding of the meaning of data values and their relationships by sacrificing accuracy in interpreting the data values. In order to be accurate in the interpretation, data values need to be measured, computed on, and compared to theoretical or empirical models (quantitative analysis). If visualization software hampers quantitative analysis (which happens with some commercial visualization products), its use is greatly diminished for astrophysical data analysis. The software system STAR (Scientific Toolkit for Astrophysical Research) was developed as a prototype during the course of the project to better understand the pragmatic concerns raised in the project. STAR led to a better understanding on the importance of collaboration between astrophysicists and computer scientists
Visualizing Astrophysical N-body Systems
I begin with a brief history of N-body simulation and visualization and then
go on to describe various methods for creating images and animations of modern
simulations in cosmology and galactic dynamics. These techniques are
incorporated into a specialized particle visualization software library called
MYRIAD that is designed to render images within large parallel N-body
simulations as they run. I present several case studies that explore the
application of these methods to animations of star clusters, interacting
galaxies and cosmological structure formation.Comment: 25 pages, accepted in the New Journal of Physics for upcoming Focus
issue on Visualization in Physics. Accompanying animations including a free
bittorrent download of the DVD GRAVITAS are available at
http://www.galaxydynamics.org/gravitas.htm
OSIRIS.FRAMEWORK: an integrated tool for modeling astrophysical and laboratory plasmas
We describe the osiris.framework [1], a general purpose, three-dimensional, fully relativistic, massively parallel, object oriented particle-in-cell code for the numerical simulation of astrophysical and laboratory plasmas, complemented by a set of specially designed visualization tools [2]. Developed in Fortran 95, the code runs on multiple platforms (Cray T3E, IBM SP, Beowulf, Mac clusters) and can be easily ported to new ones. Details on the code’s capabilities are given. We discuss the object-oriented design of the code, the encapsulation of system dependent code and the parallelization of the algorithms involved. We also discuss the implementation of communications as a boundary condition problem and also load balancing, as well as other key characteristics of the code, such as the moving window, open-space and thermal bath boundaries, arbitrary domain decomposition, 1D (cartesian), 2D (cartesian and cylindrical) and 3D geometry, ion sub-cycling, tunnel and impact ionization and diagnostics. Finally results from three-dimensional simulations are presented, in connection with the data analysis and visualization infrastructure developed to post-process the scalar and vector results from PIC simulations
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