The Virtual Observatory and distributed computing

Principal contact: N. A. Walton (naw@ast.cam.ac.uk )

Organisers: C. Arviset (ESAC, ESA), P. Padovani (ESO), N. Walton (IoA Cambridge, UK)

Significant new software systems are being deployed across Europe to meet the challenges presented by current and planned astronomical missions and research projects. This session will allow for updates on systems covering emerging Virtual Observatory systems (e.g. The Euro-VO), advanced data pipe-lining and management systems designed to support the scientific exploitation of new missions from ESA and ESO, use of distributed compute grids to support e.g. numerical simulations, and significant new astronomy applications for use on the "desktop".

Those with new systems, examples of research enabled by access to powerful compute infrastructures, or members from astronomy missions with challenging new requirements are encouraged to contribute to this session, either through talks or poster presentations.

The session will be of interest to a wide cross section of astronomy users, from cosmologists to solar-terrestrial physicists.

Scientific Programme

Wednesday 22nd April
11:00	VO and GRID in the Context of ESA Science Archives	Christophe Arviset
11:25	Astronomer- Steered Pipelines for Access to Radio Interferometry Data using VO Techniques	Anita Richards
11:45	VOSpec: a VO Spectral Analysis Tool	Deborah Baines
12:00	Data Publishing and Science: The European Virtual Observatory Data Centre Alliance	Jonathan Tedds
12:15	Bulgarian Virtual Observatory: Link to Astroinformatics	Milcho Tsvetkov
Wednesday 22nd April
14:00	Improving Ease-of-Access to Virtual Observatories using Web Based Visualization Tools	Jonathan Fay
14:25	Virtual Observatory Activities at ESO	Fernando Comeron
14:50	Cambridge Astronomical Survey Unit: Providing Data Products for the VO	Eduardo Gonzalez-Solares
15:05	Cloud Cosmology	Thomas Kitching
15:20	VAMDC: Virtual Atomic and Molecular Data Centre	Nicholas Walton