A1S2WP6
Goals of WP 6: Data dissemination
The SOTERIA project is characterized by a large offer and demand of space weather data: many participants provide observations (ground-based and space-born, see the inventory), but also require a large variety of data to successfully complete their work packages. In addition, an outward information flow exists in the form of completed science results (example 1, example 2) and public outreach. An efficient organization of these information flows justifies the present dedicated work-package: WP6 provides support for the logistical problems of data accessibility within the SOTERIA community.
‘Open data policy’ and ‘pragmatism’ are our guiding principles. Within the consortium we strongly believe in an open data policy: science flourishes best when all scientists enjoy maximal, free access to high quality data. All the data produced within the present consortium will therefore be freely available to the international science community. Clearly, observational data requires additional, specialized expertise to analyse the data properly. This expert information is found within an instrument PI team, who should be properly acknowledged/referred for providing the data.
Virtual Observatories (VOs) are the libraries of space science in the internet era. The access to the resulting distributed datasets (every institute serves his own data) will be organized in the present work-package with the help of Virtual Observatory (VO) technology. It is NOT the goal of this project to develop such technology. We will rather use available technology by joining collectively (as a consortium) to one of the existing virtual observatories. By making a studied choice for the strongest VO, with the whole consortium at once, we will help the community adopting faster a common de-facto standard.
However, user requirements for data access go beyond the state-of-the- art VOs that only offer downloading of science data products through end-less drop-down menus. We will develop additional data access tools that allow an intuitive, interactive access to virtual observatories. If Solar VOs can be compared to Geographic Information Systems (GIS), then we will develop the equivalent of ‘Google Earth’ for solar images: a user interface that allows to view and combine a variety of solar images, together with overlays of observed events and features, as well as various types of metadata such as coordinate systems. A dedicated online database of observed and studied events will be set up that contains e.g. Sphinx/LYRA flares, SWAP CMEs and other SOTERIA features (e.g. Debrecen sunspots).
WP6 will also provide the framework for communications of the scientific achievements of the SOTERIA projects both within SOTERIA, within the wider the science community as well as to the general public.
The efficient exploitation of space weather data archives requires also training of researchers, especially young post-docs, to teach them how to use the new technical possibilities. These teaching will take the form of a workshop/summer school. In addition, these training will be complemented by adequate documentation. The space weather community does at the moment not have an online repository to exchange and archive technical or reference documentation. We will develop a repository where end- users inside and outside the SOTERIA consortium can upload their technical documents, reference documents, standards or research papers.
Finally, we want to communicate our results to the European general public through outreach activities. These will take the form of a “Solar European Week” in 2010 and dedicated planetarium shows that build upon the solar images in the SOTERIA databases. Special full dome movies (produced in WP3) of STEREO, SOHO and Hinode observations will be used for this planetarium show.
WP6 deliverables
- A1D6.1 Space Weather Document Repository (ROB)
- A1D6.2 Virtual Observatory Action Plan (ROB)
- A1D6.3 Online SOTERIA data service via VO (ROB)
- A1D6.4 Online publ. VUV and MUV spectrum (CNRS)
- A1D6.5 Online publ. chemical composition (PMOD-WRC)
- A1D6.6 Capacity building workshop (ROB)
- A1D6.7 Open source solar image viewer (ROB)
- A1D6.8 Online event and feature database (UNIGRAZ)
- A1D6.9 Solar Week & planetarium show (UGEO)
