RUSSIAN ACADEMY OF SCIENCES Institute of Informatics Problems Special Astrophysical Observatory IPI RAN SAO RAN Institute of Astronomy INASAN Information Infrastructure of the Russian Virtual Observatory (RVO) (Second edition) Briukhov D.O., Kalinichenko L.A., Zakharov V.N. (IPI RAN) Panchuk V.E., Vitkovsky V.V., Zhelenkova O.P. (SAO RAN) Dluzhnevskaya O.B., Malkov O.Yu., Kovaleva D.A. (INASAN) Moscow 2005 Briukhov D.O., Kalinichenko L.A., Zakharov V.N., Panchuk V.E., Vitkovsky V.V., Zhelenkova O.P., Dluzhnevskaya O.B., Malkov O.Yu., Kovaleva D.A. Information Infrastructure of the Russian Virtual Observatory (RVO). (Second edition). M.:IPI RAN, 2005. – 173 p. – ISBN 5-902030-12-9. This publication is the final report of the project supported by the Russian Foundation for Basic Research, grant № 04-07-90083, dedicated to the analysis of the Russian Virtual Observatory information infrastructure (RVOII) as one of the first steps in achieving the objectives of RVO. RVOII is aimed at representation of information in various problem domains of astronomy to support scientific research. The report also contains: analysis of different kinds of astronomical information resources; analysis of the modeling, technological and architectural recommendations of the IVOA; analysis of correspondence and sufficiency of the IVOA standards for the identified RVO activities; analysis of existing components that can be re-used for RVOII implementation. Based on the analysis performed, the information architecture of RVO has been defined. For specialists in astronomy and information technologies. Эта публикация представляет аванпроект информационной инфраструктуры Российской виртуальной обсерватории (РВОИИ), разработанный при поддержке Российского Фонда Фундаментальных Исследований, грант № 04-07-90083. РВОИИ ориентирована на представление информации в различных проблемных областях астрономии для поддержки научных исследований. Аванпроект содержит также: анализ разнообразных видов астрономических информационных ресурсов; анализ технологических и архитектурных рекомендаций IVOA; анализ соответствия и достаточности стандартов IVOA для различных видов деятельности РВО; анализ существующих компонентов, которые можно использовать при реализации РВОИИ. На основании проведенного анализа, разработана информационная архитектура РВО. Для специалистов в областях астрономии и информационных технологий. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT: Institute of Informatics Problems RAS 44-2 Vavilov str., Moscow, 119333, Russian Federation Tel. 7 095 3324933 E-mail: [email protected] ISBN 5-902030-12-9 © Institute of Informatics Problems RAS, 2005 3 Preface The first edition of the RVO Information Infrastructure (RVOII) project has been published in February 2005 as a result of joint effort of the Special Astrophysical Observatory of RAS (SAO RAS) and the Institute of Informatics Problems of RAS (IPI RAS) supported by the Russian Foundation for Basic Research (RFBR), grant № 04-07-90083. After distribution of limited number of the report copies it appeared that there is an interest of the International community to it. In particular, IVOA expressed an interest that an electronic copy of the report should be made publicly available. On the other hand, it revealed that it is strongly desirable to include the Centre of Astronomical Data (CAD) of the Institute of Astronomy of RAS (INASAN) into the group of the project participants taking into account the active role of CAD at the initial phase of formulating the RVO idea and representing RVO in IVOA as its member. It revealed also that in time of completing the RVOII report, CAD has prepared a separate document on the RVO project. After both documents were completed, their analysis has shown that the CAD document contains important considerations complementary to the first edition of the RVOII report. These observations motivated the three organizations (SAO RAS, INASAN and IPI RAS) to consolidate their efforts and to prepare the second edition of the report by inclusion into the first edition of the RVOII project of additional considerations from the CAD document. During this unification it was decided to exclude any specific organizational and planning issues the discussion of which will follow publishing of the second edition. Comparing to the first edition of the report, the second edition: • contains extended list of the Russian Astronomical Resources; it was decided also to move this list from the survey part of the report to the part where specific information on the RVOII project has been concentrated; • significantly extends a section of the report devoted to the Data Centre of INASAN; • is published as a joint work of three organizations – SAO RAS, INASAN and IPI RAS. 4 Table of contents 1 Introduction .............................................................................................. 8 2 Objectives of the RVO project................................................................ 10 3 Representation of problem domains in natural sciences in information systems ............................................................................................................. 13 4 World-wide Information Resources in Astronomy................................. 17 4.1 Optical surveys and catalogs......................................................... 17 4.2 Infrared and radio range surveys................................................... 20 4.3 Archives of observations............................................................... 21 4.3.1 Data centers .............................................................................. 23 4.4 Surveys and Robotic Telescopes................................................... 25 5 Analysis of Projects of Virtual Observatories......................................... 28 5.1 NVO.............................................................................................. 28 5.2 EURO-VO..................................................................................... 32 5.3 AstroGrid ...................................................................................... 37 5.4 IVOA............................................................................................. 40 6 Information Infrastructure Forming Standards ....................................... 42 6.1 OAI Protocol for Metadata Harvesting ......................................... 42 6.2 Web Services................................................................................. 43 6.3 Grid ............................................................................................... 43 6.4 OGSA-DAI Architecture............................................................... 45 6.5 WSRF............................................................................................ 47 7 Classes of astrophysical problems for VO.............................................. 48 7.1 Class of problems solvable applying database search technique... 48 7.2 Classes of general problems for VO.............................................. 51 7.3 Theoretical research and VO......................................................... 55 7.4 Co-existence of theoretical and observational archives and services in VO ....................................................................................................... 58 8 Virtual observatory architecture according to IVOA.............................. 63 8.1 VO architecture overview ............................................................. 64 8.2 Data Modeling............................................................................... 66 8.2.1 A unified domain model for astronomy, for use in the Virtual Observatory ............................................................................................ 66 8.2.2 Data model for quantity............................................................ 68 8.2.3 IVOA Observation data model................................................. 68 5 8.2.4 Simple Spectral Data Model .....................................................69 8.2.5 Simulation Data Model.............................................................69 8.3 Unified Content Descriptors (UCD)..............................................70 8.4 Metadata Registries for VO...........................................................71 8.4.1 Resource Metadata for the Virtual Observatory .......................71 8.4.2 IVOA Metadata Registry Interface...........................................73 8.5 VOTable Format Definition ..........................................................74 8.6 Data Access Layer.........................................................................74 8.6.1 DAL Architecture .....................................................................74 8.6.2 Simple Image Access Protocol Specification ...........................76 8.6.3 Simple Spectral Access Specification.......................................77 8.7 IVOA Query Language..................................................................78 8.7.1 IVOA SkyNode Interface .........................................................78 8.7.2 Astronomical Data Query Language (ADQL)..........................79 8.7.3 VO Query Language.................................................................81 9 Russian Astronomical Resources ............................................................82 9.1 Special Astrophysical Observatory of RAS (SAO RAS) ..............83 9.2 Sternberg Astronomical Institute of the Moscow State University (SAI MSU)...................................................................................................85