VISTA science exploitation

随着Vista和WFCAM开创性的近红外(NIR)观测设施的出现，以及欧洲空间观测组织成员提供的详细后续行动的机会，英国的观测天文学处于有利地位。天文学的重大进步一直在很大程度上依赖于从射电到光学再到X射线波长的天空测量，而深度近红外测量的新时代是这一进程的最新阶段。这也是英国在剑桥和爱丁堡勘测单位中拥有实质性领先地位和必要的专业知识来利用这一宽域天文学进步的地方。认识到这一点的好处，ESO现在也大力致力于通过VST和Vista望远镜进行公共调查，并更广泛地开发经过专业处理和存档的科学数据产品。在现代，广域数字测量相机产生的海量数据远远超出了非专业天文学家的资源能力和分析技能。对观测数据进行系统的管道处理、校准和遗留精选是端到端综合观测战略的基本要求，也是全球虚拟天文台的重要组成部分。Vista数据流系统(VDFS)的开发旨在通过访问多TB数据存储系统、专家流水线处理系统和科学用户支持，为这种数据雪崩提供最佳的人体工程学解决方案。继续开发VDFS处理和分析管道不仅现在将使英国天文学界受益，而且将通过进一步发展基础设施来分析来自这些设施的数据，在超大望远镜和无线电平方千米阵列的时代也将是相关的。这项标准拨款建议是为了争取资源，以完成VDFS的全面开发，从而为英国领导的Vista公共调查提供完全整合的数据处理支持。这还包括进行数据处理和存储数据产品所需的操作设备。通过在CASU已经取得的巨大进步的基础上再接再厉，这将使将大量Vista数据转换为完全校准的科学就绪产品的问题能够实现具有成本效益的最佳解决方案，该产品已经成熟可供开发。

Observational astronomy in the UK is in a strong position with the advent of the pioneering near-infrared (NIR) survey facilities of VISTA and WFCAM and the opportunities for detailed followup provided by membership of ESO. Significant advances in astronomy have always relied heavily on surveys of the sky from radio, through optical to X-ray wavelengths and the new era of deep NIR surveys is the latest stage in this progression. It is also one where the UK has both a substantial lead and the requisite expertise in the Cambridge and Edinburgh survey units to exploit this advance in wide field astronomy. Recognising the benefits of this, ESO are now also heavily committed to public surveys through the VST and VISTA telescopes and to wider exploitation of expertly processed and archived science data products. In the modern era wide-field digital survey cameras produce enormous volumes of data that are way beyond the resource capacity and analysis skills of non-specialist astronomers. Systematic pipeline processing, calibration and legacy curation of observational data are a fundamental requirement of an end-to-end integrated observing strategy and a crucial component of a global Virtual Observatory. The Vista Data Flow System (VDFS) has been developed to allow an optimal ergonomic solution to this avalanche of data, through access to multi-Tbyte data storage systems, expert pipeline processing systems and science user support. Continuing development of the VDFS processing and analysis pipelines will not only benefit the UK astronomy community now, but will also be relevant in the era of Extremely Large Telescopes and the radio Square Kilometer Array, by further developing the infrastructure to analyse the data from these facilities. This standard grant proposal is a bid for resource to complete the full development of the VDFS and thereby provide fully integrated data processing support for the UK-led VISTA public surveys. This also includes the operational equipment necessary to carry out the data processing and store the data products. By building on the tremendous advances already made at CASU this will enable a cost-effective and optimal solution to the problem of converting the enormous quantities of VISTA data to fully calibrated science-ready products ripe for exploitation.