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Building and Implementing a Virtual Sun-Solar System (Great) Observatory (VS3O)
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| We propose to build on the success of the Virtual Space Physics Observatory (VSPO) and related efforts to realize the potential of Virtual Observatories to unite data and service providers in the Sun-Solar System domains into a new "Great Observatory," VS3O. Current plans at NASA and in the international, multi-agency Sun-Solar System Connection community include making data easily available from all missions relevant to the global problem of the effects of solar plasma dynamics on the Earth and other planets. To accomplish this, Virtual Observatories register data products and services from disparate providers using a common language that allows searching and use in a uniform way. Subfields may be organized along the lines of the now operational Virtual Solar Observatory, but more is needed to realize the full potential of these systems. We will solve the following critical problems in implementing VS3O: (1) developing a suite of software to allow resource providers to easily transform whatever system they have for accessing their data into a service for VOs; (2) providing an API and useful visual and other (e.g., IDL) front-ends to the system; (3) building on current efforts to provide a "mission independent data layer" to allow wide ranges of data and models to be dealt with uniformly; (4) integrating the independently developed "higher order query" service along with subsetting and other services we will develop into VS3O; (5) incorporating parallelism as needed to make the VS3O responsive to large numbers of complex queries; (6) developing community outreach, feedback, and oversight mechanisms that assure broad participation and high utility; and (7) beginning efforts to incorporate the resulting Observatory into public and educational outreach. This system will be flexible, extensible by others, and will greatly aid in doing focused research projects as well as facilitating large-scale research efforts. We will develop operational modules for various functions that will also serve as prototypes for others to use the VS3O in currently unforeseen ways. The PI and team we have assembled has strong connections to most of the current efforts in this area and has a proven track record of fundamental accomplishments. |
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