Structure of the Science Documentation for Workbench

This document describes the current structure of the science documentation for Workbench 2007.1 so that I may assess the conversion of the documentation to VoExplorer.

Science Introduction

Describes the purpose of AstroGrid. Mentions the Workbench as the main interface to the VO and describes the key components of the:

• Astroscope - what data is available
• Helioscope - what solar system data is available
• Task launcher - query databases and run applications

Links to Getting Started and provides some information for using AstroGrid to retrieve solar system data.

Getting Started

Briefly introduces Java and Java Web start as a means to launch the workbench (includes a screen-capture of the workbench). Explains how to get an AstroGrid account and how to get further help.

Links to the VOExplorer Java Webstart file and to Running the Workbench

Running the Workbench

This page provides further information on Java (and how to install it on the different platforms) and other methods for installing/running the workbench.

Introduction: Data Access

"This page gives an introduction to data access using AstroGrid services". There is a section on this page which introduces the available datasets, describing how the astroscope and helioscope can be used to discover data while the task launcher can be used to query a specific data set (ADQL). A second section on the page links to some data access examples: Data Access Worksheet, UKIDSS Catalogue Access Worksheet, Merlin Imager and Cone Search Examples.

Data Access Worksheet

This is a step-by-step worksheet demonstrating how to retrieve and visualise astronomical images, spectra and catalogue data using AstroGrid. The demonstration initially focusses on using the AstroScope to search for data, followed by using PLASTIC applications to view the data. Following the simple example, the page discusses using the Task Launcher to run an ADQL query and briefly mentions inserting these queries into the workflow builder.

UKIDSS Catalogue Access Worksheet

There is actually no material on this page but there is a link to a draft copy on the wiki which briefly goes through using the Task Launcher to access UKIDSS data.

Merlin Imager

The Merlin Imager page introduces how to use the task launcher to run the merlin imager and how to observe these resulting images in a PLASTIC application such as Aladdin.

Cone Search Examples

This page just provides two web links which are used to test whether the IRAS PSC and 2MASS catalogues are working. They do not use the workbench application.

Introduction: Data Analysis

The page introduces using AstroGrid VO tools for analysing data. Under the Available Tools section, there are a list of applications which are available through the Task Launcher. There is a section on the page titled Data Analysis: Examples which lists Catalogue Crossmatch and Extracting Objects from Images, only the former actually has a link.

Catalogue Crossmatch

This page briefly describes using the STILTS cross-match tool through the task launcher.

Science Examples: Cosmology

This page will eventually show some examples of using AstroGrid for cosmology but currently there is very little material on the page.

Science Examples: Galaxies

AstroGrid examples related to galaxies. There are case studies and tutorials. Under case studies there is a single case study regarding multi-wavelength images and catalogues of the 3C295 cluster. Under tutorials there is information on how to query the SDSS catalogue and the Spitzer-SWIRE catalogues.

Multi-wavelength Images

This case study uses both the task launcher and the astroscope. The task launcher is used to launch the merlin imager to create interferometric images of the 3C295 region. The Astroscope is then used to find images and catalogues around 3C295. The various files are sent to Aladdin for analysis/comparison.

Using AstroGrid to query the SDSS Catalogue

This page introduces ADQL for querying the SDSS catalogue. It only links to a page about the task launcher and doesn't actually discuss provide any information about it.

SWIRE Catalogues

This page only describes the tables that are available and does not provide any information on how to query them.

Science Examples: Stars

AstroGrid examples related to stellar astrophysics. Under Example Cases there is "AU Mic Spectral Line Fitting" and under Stars: Tutorials there is IPHAS galactic plane survey and Carlsberg Meridian Catalogue 14.

AU Mic Spectral Line Fitting

This examples case describes how to find spectra of the star AU Mic using the AstroScope and then send these data to the PLASTIC application SPLAT. In introducing the AstroScope, some brief information about the Workbench.

IPHAS Galactic Plane Survey

This page explains how to query the IPHAS catalogue through the task launcher. Most of the page is concerned about the actual tables in the catalogues and examples ADQL queries, there is little mention of the task launcher.

Carlsberg Merdian Catalogue 14

This page describes performing a cone search of the CMC14 catalogue. Both the task launcher and the AstroScope are discussed, including screenshots of both.

Science Examples: Solar System

AstroGrid examples related to solar system studies. There are three sections to the page, tutorials, helioscope and CTIP model. Tutorials has links under it for Hinode EIS data access, Querying the Solar Event Catalogue, VOTada: CHIANTI on AstroGrid and RHESSI data access. The Helioscope section introduces the Helioscope tool and provides links to the Helioscope documentation. The CTIP model section introduces the CTIP model and provides a link to the CTIP help page - it also has a link to the Workbench Java Web Start.

Hinode EIS Data Access

This page describes how to access the Hinode EIS data through AstroGrid. The page initially describes how to access the data through the helioscope but it then goes into running ADQL queries through the task launcher using the query builder.

Solar Event Catalogue

This page describes how to access the Solar Event Catalogue with AstroGrid through two examples. The first example describes querying the solar x-ray flares list through the Task Launcher/Query Builder and then viewing the results in Topcat. The second examples describes a similar query of the TRACE observations.

VOTADA: Chianti on AstroGrid

This page describes accessing the CHIANTI atomic database through the Task Launcher (including a screenshot). The examples mentions the query builder (to build the ADQL query), the Lookout (for monitoring the job) and then launching the results through topcat.

RHESSI Data

This page describes accessing the RHESSI data on AstroGrid, using the Task Launcher and Query Builder to run an ADQL query of the database (the Lookout is also mentioned). These data are then viewed in Topcat.

CTIP Help Page

This page describes running the CTIP model through AstroGrid. It describes the two science workflow modes that are available and what the two modes actually do. It also describes monitoring the progress of the workflows with the VO Lookout.

Scripting with AstroGrid

This page describes the scripting/programming methods that are available for accessing the Virtual Observatory through AstroGrid. There is a section on scripting with Python, including a link to Using AstroGrid from Python. There is also a section on the workflow engine/builder, with links to Introduction to the Workflow Builder, Introduction to the VO Lookout and Introduction to the MySpace Browser. There is a further sub-section to the workflow engine/builder that introduces science workflows and has links to Introduction to Science Workflows and Status of the Science Workflows. All these links are to documentation pages which are available in the Documentation section.

Miscellaneous Tutorials

This page contains some additional tutorials on AstroGrid which don't quite fit elsewhere.

Converting ASCII Source Lists to VOTABLE Format

This page describes how to use Topcat to convert an ASCII table into VOTABLE format.

Documentation

This is the main documentation page for how to access the Virtual Observatory Services. The page is split into two main sections, the AstroGrid Workbench and Scripting, with a third providing a link to some Workbench movies. The AstroGrid Workbench section is further (kind of) split into Data Discovery, Data Analysis and System Services (with an additional link to Helper Applications).

Data Discovery

This page describes what can be used to explore or query data in the VO (and strictly speaking lists the applications which are visible under the Data Discovery tab of the Workbench. It describes and has links to the documentation of the AstroScope, the HelioScope, the Task Launcher and the Query Builder.

AstroScope

This page describes what the AstroScope does and how to use it (including selecting nodes and sending the data to a helper application).

HelioScope

This page describes the Helioscope and how it can be used to access solar system data.

Task Launcher

This page describes what the task launcher is and how to use it, including information related to the query builder.

Data Analysis

This page describes the functions that are available under the Data Analysis tab on the workbench. It provides links to the Task Launcher, Science Workflows, the Workflow Builder and MySpace.

Science Workflows

This page describes what the science workflows actually are what ones are available.

Workflow Builder

This page provides a very brief introduction to the workflow builder and some of the functions that can be included in a workflow.

MySpace

This page describes what the MySpace browser is and what can be done with it (such as saving files from MySpace).

System Services

This page lists the functions that available under the System Service tab on the Workbench. There are links to Lookout, MySpace and Resources.

Lookout

This page describes the VO Lookout and how it is used to monitor the progress of jobs running on AstroGrid. The page refers to the Task Launcher.

Resources

This page describes the resource browser which is used to search for resources available through AstroGrid (but not query them).

Helper Applications

This page briefly describes the helper applications that can be used with AstroGrid and provides links to the appropriate pages.

AstroGrid Services from Python

This page describes the python scripting for AstroGrid.

Astro Runtime

This page describes what the astro-runtime is and how to access it.

Demo Movies

This page links to demo movies of AstroGrid functionality (the workbench).

-- DuganWitherick - 09 Aug 2007