Introduction to AMDA

The plasma objects studied in space physics consist of gigantic systems characterised by multiscale dynamics and fast, long range couplings between key regions. For studying such systems, it is necessary to perform integrated multi-point/multi-instrument analysis in case and statistical studies. In particular the ISTP program, the CLUSTER, THEMIS and MMS missions have been defined for facing this requirement.

Integrated analysis of multi-point and multi-instrument data means that the researcher has to:

  • find interesting cases
  • when some cases have been found, find and extract the data of interest
  • when the data are collected, treat them (formatting, bad point filtering, resampling, data merging)
  • visualise combined (i.e. coming from various sets) data
  • perform calculation and apply various specific tools on the data

Depending on the heterogeneity of the data and their sources, scientists may spend a lot of energy and time for searching, finding, treating and preparing the data before even starting scientific analysis. In order to help the users to faster reach the data analysis and interpretation step, the CDPP has developped AMDA with the following goals:

The service provides functionalities for

  • performing automated search of events, producing time-tables. This tool scans the content of the data and automatically tests mathematical criteria edited by the user
  • performing semi-automated search of events, producing time-tables. This tool allows the user to browse the data she/he selected by sequentially producing a figure he has predefined
  • performing automated and semi-automated characterisation of events, producing catalogues (time-tables + statistical parameters)
  • extracting sub-database from an input time-table
  • performing basic data treatment (formatting, bad point filtering, re-sampling, data merging, ) in order to provide to the user data ready to use with her/his favourite software

These tools can be applied on large amount of data (including multi-mission/multi-instrument datasets).

The data are either physically resident in the AMDA database or remotely accessed from remote sites via web-services (CDAWeb, THEMIS).

Simulation results and analytical models (some of them run in real time) are also accessible (either locally or remotely).

The service can be reached and used from other sites according to the Virtual Observatory paradigm. (SAMP and EPN-TAP protocols are enabled, VOTables are commonly used).

AMDA is developed on the basis of an existing DD SYSTEM (Andrey Fedorov, IRAP). AMDA is provided by the Centre de Données de la Physique des Plasmas (CDPP) supported by CNRS, CNES, Observatoire de Paris and Université Paul Sabatier, Toulouse. French ANR, EU and ESA projects have supported part of the developments.


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