This Archive includes the observations in K-band (18 - 26 GHz) of the DSS-63 antenna taken during 2006.
The system is prepared for future extensions to other ranges, in particular the Q-band (40 - 50 GHz) and
Ka-band (32 GHz) and forms part of a pioneering work developed through a collaboration between the AMIGA
group (IAA-CSIC) and LAEX
(CAB / INTA-CSIC ) for the integration of radio astronomical archives in the
Virtual Observatory.
Antenna
The "Madrid Deep Space Communication Complex" (MDSCC), located in Robledo de Chavela (Madrid),
is one of three stations of the NASA Deep Space Network (DSN).
The DSS-63 (70m of diameter) is the biggest antenna in the MDSCC. Due to international agreements,
5 % of its operation time is used for radio astronomical observations in K-band (from 18 to 26 GHz).
This band includes very interesting features like H2O masers , metastable NH3 lines, methanol and CCS
among others.
Implementation
The archive system has been built according the following schema:
Database: The database has been designed following the VO-compliant RADAMS Data Model.
Data ingestion: The database was populated with information from the FITS headers as well as from the observing logs. Data was ingested in the database using Python scripts (Datafillers).
Web interface: The system design was driven by the concept of delivering science-ready data to the user in a simple and efficient way.
Search:
The query to the archive is made by means of a web-based fill-in form which permits queries
driven by object name or coordinates and radius. Searches can be filtered by different criteria like observing date, range of frequencies/velocities and name of the spectral line. Searches are
case-independent, and wildcards (%) are permitted.
Result from search.
Functionalities:
Multidownload: Data in FITS format can be retrieved in groups. For multiple retrieval it is
possible to include or exclude individual datasets. Multiple download generates a file in ZIP
format.
FITS Header/ Data preview: An interactive plot of the spectra as well as a visualization of
the associated FITS header is generated by clicking on the corresponding link. Zoom views can be generated by dragging the mouse on the spectrum and click on the Zoom button. The data can be visualized in tabular form by click the Show data button. The colour,
shape of the points and the link between them can also be customized.
VO interface: A SSA (Simple Spectral Access) service has been developed for the DSS-63 Archive. Through this service, a client searches for available spectra that match certain client-specified criteria using a HTTP GET request. The response is a table (in VOTable format) describing the available data, including metadata and access references (implemented as URLs) for retrieving them.
Credits
Project Management:
Lourdes Verdes-Montenegro, AMIGA Principal Investigator.
