International Virtual Observatory Alliance Technical Specifications

The technical specifications defined by the IVOA (International Virtual Observatory Alliance) enable interoperability between and the integration of astronomical archives across the world into an international virtual observatory. They include several data models that act as metadata schemas for particular data types: for example, photometry data, simulation data, space-time coordinates, spectral lines data, spectral data, observational data, and the physical parameter space of astronomical datasets.

These data models are under active development by the IVOA Data Modelling Working Group.

Additional recommendations have been made for metadata concepts and terms necessary for the discovery and the use of astronomical data collections and services.

Related Vocabularies	Units in the Virtual Observatory Unified Content Descriptors The Unified Content Descriptors 1+ controlled vocabulary Vocabularies in the Virtual Observatory
Specification	IVOA Photometry Data Model (PhotDM) – for photometry filters, photometric systems, magnitude systems and zero points Simulation Data Model (SimDM) – for numerical computer simulations of astrophysical systems Space-Time Coordinate (STC) Metadata for the Virtual Observatory Astronomical Dataset Characterization Data Model (CharDM) – for physical parameter space of observed or simulated astronomical data sets Astronomical Dataset Characterization Data Model (CharDM) complements and new features Simple Spectral Lines Data Model – for spectral line transitions IVOA Spectrum Data Model – for spectrophotometric datasets with spectral and temporal coordinates and associated metadata (first version) IVOA Spectral Data Model – for spectrophotometric datasets with spectral and temporal coordinates and associated metadata (second version) Observation Data Model Core Components (ObsCoreDM)
Standard's website	http://ivoa.net/documents/

Extensions

Resource Metadata for the Virtual Observatory

Defines metadata terms and concepts necessary for discovery and use of astronomical data collections and services.

The extension is based on Dublin Core, but with astronomy-specific extensions. Resource Metadata are collected in resource "registries" that are populated and synchronized using the OAI-PMH (Protocol for Metadata Handling). Version 1.12, March 2007. Developed and maintained by IVOA Resource Registry Working Group and NVO Metadata Working Group

Tools

GAVO DaCHS - Data Center Helper Suite: The software that underlies the German Astrophysical Virtual Observatory (GAVO), packaged so that it can be used to set up other Virtual Observatory-compliant data centres.
Saada: A tool for publishing astronomical data files as online databases suitable for integration into the international Virtual Observatory.

Use Cases

Aus-VO - Australian Virtual Observatory: An initiative to provide a distributed, uniform interface to the data archives of Australia's major astronomical observatories, and to archives of astrophysical simulations, as part of the international Virtual Observatory.
Euro-VO - European Virtual Observatory: A project to integrate and enable data analysis techniques over the astronomical archives of Europe, as part of the international Virtual Observatory.
US Virtual Astronomical Observatory: An initiative to integrate astronomical archives and provide associated research capabilities in the United States as part of the international Virtual Observatory.

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International Virtual Observatory Alliance Technical Specifications

Extensions

Tools

Use Cases