Automated Data Analysis in Astronomy

The collection of astronomical data predates by many centuries the invention of the telescope, and since then has grown exponentially, particularly over the last few decades. The result is catalogues and databases comprising billions of objects and many billions of corresponding data. The challenge is to extract meaningful information from these catalogs and databases-information that contributes both to the body of astronomical knowledge and to planning new research. Automation and current data analysis techniques are the keys to meeting that challenge, and this book is the key to understanding and incorporating these methods into your research. Automated Data Analysis in Astronomy provides an up-to-date overview of modern astronomical catalogs and databases, data analysis techniques, and important forthcoming surveys. Culled from a recent IUCAA-hosted meeting, the papers in this book were contributed by experts from around the world and explore topics such as various automated detection and classification methods, principal component analysis, and artificial neural networks, including their implementation in several real-world studies. Analyzing the huge amounts of data generated by astronomical studies requires concepts and techniques from disciplines beyond the typical astronomy curriculum. This book presents the opportunity for astronomy students to build some of the background they'll need and learn how teams at some of the leading observatories around the world turn raw data into useful, accessible information.

Table of Contents:
Preface Large Astronomical Catalogues, O. Malkov ACE: Astronomical Cataloging Environment, F.G. Valdes World Centres for Astronomical Data, O. Dluzhnevskaya MASCOT: A Multi-Wavelength All-Sky Catalogue for Support to Observations with Ground and Space-Based Telescopes, O. Malkov An Introduction to Artificial Neural Networks, C.A.L. Bailer-Jones, R. Gupta, H.P. Singh Principal Component Analysis and its Application To Stellar Spectra, H.P. Singh, C.A.L. Bailer-Jones, R. Gupta Automated Stellar Classification for Large Surveys: A Review of Methods and Results, C.A.L. Bailer-Jones Automated Detection, Extraction and Classification of Low Dispersion Objective Prism Spectra in Star-Forming Regions of SMC, E. Bratsolis Automated Classification of IRAS Sources, R. Gupta, K. Volk, S. Kwok, H.P. Singh Bayesian Approach for Star-Galaxy Classification, N.S. Philip, K. B. Joseph, A. Kembhavi, Y. Wadadekar Testing the Automated Classification of the Second Guide Star Catalogues, R.L. Smart, V.G. Laidler, G. Hawkings, R.L. White, A. Zacchei, M.B. Lattanzi, B. McLean Slitless Spectroscopy and ANN Based Automated Analysis, R. Gupta, V.F. Polcarao, H.P. Singh Predicting Dynamics through Artificial Neural Networks, B. Biswal, H.P. Singh, R. Gupta Primary Event Direction Reconstruction With Wide-Angle Cerenkov Detector Array Using Artificial Neural Networks, V.K. Dhar, A.L. Tckoo, R. Koul, C.L. Bhat Weierstrass Transform and the Analysis of Noisy Signals, J. Pérez, J. Núñez Digital Imaging Techniques for Solar Magnetic and Velocity Fields, A. Ambastha Auto Search for Nonlinear Behaviour in Light Curves of Variable Stars, M.K. Das, H.P. Singh, B. Ramachandran, E. Saikia, P. Narang, B. Biswal, S.K. Gupta, S. Joshi Automated Data Acquisition and Analysis System for the UPSO Three Channel Fast Photometer, S.K. Gupta, S. Joshi, V. Girish, Ram Sara, B.N. Ashoka, S. Seetha, H.P. Singh, M.K. Das An Onine Photometric Data Acquisityion and Analysis Facility at Japal-Rangapur Observatory, P. Vivekananda Rao, J. Rukmini The Inner Milky Way from Near and Mid-IR Surveys, S. Ganesh, K.S. Baliyan, U.C. Joshi, G. simon, A. Omont, M. Schultheis Characteristics of PRL's IR Camera and Image Analysis Procedures, U.C. Joshi, S. Ganesh, L.S. Baliyan, A.B. Shah, N.M. Vadher Photometry with NICNOS-3 Array Detector from M. Abu IR Observatory, K.S. Baliyan, K. Sanchawala, S. Ganesh, U.C. Joshi, C.R. Shah The Indian Astronomical Observatory's 2m Telescope ot Hanle: remote Observations and data Analysis Pipeline, G.C. Anupama Fractal Structure of Molecular Clouds, S. Datta Virtual Observatory of the Future, A. Mahabal, G. Djogovski, R. Brunner The UVIT Automated Pipeline, J. Murthy Digitized Palomar Observatory Sky Survey, A. Mahabal, S.G. Djorgovski, R. Gal, S. Odewahn, R.R. de Carvalho, the DPOSS Team Survey of Surveys, A. Kembhavi The Reduction of CCD Mosaic Data, F.G. Valdes Reduction of Imaging Polarimetry Images, A.K. Sen, R. Gupta, A.M. Ramaprakash, S.M. Tandon Workshop Summary Author Index