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Collaborative Analytics for Astrophysics Explorations

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Springer Handbook of Automation

Part of the book series: Springer Handbooks ((SHB))

Abstract

Many of todayʼs important scientific breakthroughs are made by large, interdisciplinary collaborations of scientists working in geographically distributed locations, producing and collecting vast and complex datasets. Experimental astrophysics, in particular, has recently become a data-intensive science after many decades of relative data poverty. These large-scale science projects require software tools that support not only insight into complex data but collaborative science discovery. Such projects do not easily lend themselves to fully automated solutions, requiring hybrid human–automation systems that facilitate scientist input at key points throughout the data analysis and scientific discovery process. This chapter presents some of the issues to consider when developing such software tools, and describes Sunfall, a collaborative visual analytics system developed for the Nearby Supernova Factory, an international astrophysics experiment and the largest data volume supernova search currently in operation. Sunfall utilizes novel interactive visualization and analysis techniques to facilitate deeper scientific insight into complex, noisy, high-dimensional, high-volume, time-critical data. The system combines novel image-processing algorithms, statistical analysis, and machine learning with highly interactive visual interfaces to enable collaborative, user-driven scientific exploration of supernova image and spectral data. Sunfall is currently in operation at the Nearby Supernova Factory; it is the first visual analytics system in production use at a major astrophysics project. The chapter concludes with a set of guidelines and lessons learned about developing software to support scientific collaborations.

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Abbreviations

CCD:

charge-coupled device

DFT:

discrete Fourier transform

ESSENCE:

Equation of State: Supernovae Trace Cosmic Expansion

FFT:

fast Fourier transform

FTE:

flight technical error

FTE:

full-time equivalent

GUI:

graphic user interface

HPSS:

High-Performance Storage System

HPWREN:

High-Performance Wireless Research and Education Network

IDL:

Interactive Data Language

IRAF:

Image Reduction and Analysis Facility

JDEM:

Joint Dark Energy Mission

LBNL:

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

LSST:

Large Synoptic Survey Telescope

NEAT:

Near-Earth Asteroid Tracking Program

NERSC:

National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center

PC:

personal computer

PCI:

Peripheral Component Interconnect

PDSF:

Parallel Distributed Systems Facility

SDSS:

Sloan Digital Sky Survey II

SDSS:

spatial decision support system

SN:

supernova

SNIFS:

Supernova Integral Field Spectrograph

SNLS:

Supernova Legacy Survey

SNfactory:

Nearby Supernova Factory

SQL:

structured query language

SSH:

secure shell

Sunfall:

Supernova Factory Assembly Line

TCS:

telescope control system

VNC:

virtual network computing

WIM:

World-In-Miniatur

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Computational Research Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, One Cyclotron Road, MS 50B-2239, 94720, Berkeley, CA, USA

    Cecilia R. Aragon PhD

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  1. Cecilia R. Aragon PhD
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Correspondence to Cecilia R. Aragon PhD .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. PRISM Center, and School of Industrial Engineering, Purdue University, 315 N. Grant Street, 47907, West Lafayette, IN, USA

    Shimon Y. Nof

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© 2009 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Aragon, C.R. (2009). Collaborative Analytics for Astrophysics Explorations. In: Nof, S. (eds) Springer Handbook of Automation. Springer Handbooks. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-78831-7_93

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-78831-7_93

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-540-78830-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-540-78831-7

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