Software Solving computationally intensive data-rich astrophysics and other problems using grid and cloud computing

Applications Database
Supporting
Applications Database
Supporting
Applications Database
Supporting
Applications Database
Supporting
Applications Database
Supporting

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Name:Solving computationally intensive data-rich astrophysics and other problems using grid and cloud computing

Description:Ground based searches for transiting exoplanets require high precision differential photometry. A key requirement of this technique is the presence of suitable reference stars, spectrally similar and in the same field of view as the target star. The Scientific Computing Group in ITT Dublin, in collaboration with BCOLabs at Cork institute of Technology (CIT) and Grid-Ireland (TCD), is developing software that datamines large astronomical catalogues to enable high precision differential photometric studies of large numbers of stars for smaller planets via the transit method.
In this project, the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) DR7 catalogue has been downloaded onto the Grid Ireland network. Each of the 400,000 fields of this catalogue has been optimised to facilitate targeted searches. A newly developed algorithm, designated the Locus Algorithm, determines both the optimum pointing for each target , i.e. the pointing in RA and Dec. that includes the best reference stars for each target; and also grades each target on the criterion of the number and quality of its reference stars. The output of this analysis will be a new catalogue whose entries contain an optimised pointing (field) and rank for each of the 370 million point sources contained in SDSS. The new catalogue will be published for use by the astronomical community.
Two uses are envisaged for the software and output catalogues generated. Firstly, the new catalogue can act as input into large-scale robotic searches for smaller exoplanets. Secondly, individual observatories (including serious amateur astronomers) can avail of subsets of the catalogue for specific exoplanet searches.

Abstract:Ground based searches for transiting exoplanets require high precision differential photometry. A key requirement of this technique is the presence of suitable reference stars, spectrally similar and in the same field of view as the target star. The Scientific Computing Group in ITT Dublin, in collaboration with BCOLabs at Cork institute of Technology (CIT) and Grid-Ireland (TCD), is developing software that datamines large astronomical catalogues to enable high precision differential photometric studies of large numbers of stars for smaller planets via the transit method.<br/> In this project, the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) DR7 catalogue has been downloaded onto the Grid Ireland network. Each of the 400,000 fields of this catalogue has been optimised to facilitate targeted searches. A newly developed algorithm, designated the Locus Algorithm, determines both the optimum pointing for each target , i.e. the pointing in RA and Dec. that includes the best reference stars for each target; and also grades each target on the criterion of the number and quality of its reference stars. The output of this analysis will be a new catalogue whose entries contain an optimised pointing (field) and rank for each of the 370 million point sources contained in SDSS. The new catalogue will be published for use by the astronomical community.<br/> Two uses are envisaged for the software and output catalogues generated. Firstly, the new catalogue can act as input into large-scale robotic searches for smaller exoplanets. Secondly, individual observatories (including serious amateur astronomers) can avail of subsets of the catalogue for specific exoplanet searches.