9. Suzaku Database and Archives

9.1 Suzaku Databases

The Suzaku team at ISAS, the Suzaku GOF, and the HEASARC will maintain a set of databases both for internal and external purposes. Internal databases are stored on secure machines for scheduling, satellite operation, and data processing purposes. They are maintained at ISAS within the framework of observation database (ODB) and copies are made available to, e.g., the processing pipeline at GSFC, as appropriate.

Public databases are provided for external users, including both GOs and archive users, so they can obtain public information and archival data. The latter will be the responsibility of the HEASARC, where the original will be kept, and can be accessed using the ``Browse'' interface. By inputting target names or coordinates, Browse users can seek specific information in the databases and retrieve archival data for the desired targets. ISAS PLAIN center will copy the public Suzaku databases from the HEASARC and make them accessible through their own interface. The primary Suzaku database within Browse is known as suzamaster.

9.1.1 Proposal Database

US GO proposals are submitted to and recorded at GSFC, while ISAS handles Japanese proposals separately. Both US and Japanese proposals are submitted electronically through RPS and all the accepted proposals are put in the proposal database. Such databases are used in the proposal review processes and the review results are recorded. The entire electronic records for accepted targets become part of the ODB. Accepted proposals are considered to enter the public domain, and the abstracts and target information for accepted targets are included in the suzamaster database. This allows Browse users to check if objects of interest have been already observed with Suzaku, for example.

9.1.2 Observation Database

The ODB is in fact a set of databases, containing proposal information, observation plans, observation logs, and processing logs. The ODB includes information necessary for the satellite operation, hence access is strictly controlled.

Each GO observation, IOC observation, TOO observation and calibration observation is given a unique sequence number, which is used as the primary key in the ODB. The ODB also includes such items as dates and time of the observation, instrument modes and pointing directions . At ISAS, the scheduling and command generation software access the ODB to to construct observation schedule and to construct operation commands.

After observations have been performed, the ODB is used to check the completion of the observations at ISAS, and the observation logs are made and stored. Status of data processing are also recorded in the ODB, so that it is readily seen if the telemetry data are received and archived at ISAS, gone through the Stage 1 and 2 processing, and shipped to GSFC (section 6.1).

9.1.3 Processing Database

The Suzaku processing pipeline uses an internal database to track the status of data processing. Starting with the input from the ODB, the processing logs are entered into the processing database and then results are sent back to the ODB.

The processing date is used to determine the public release date of GO observations.

9.2 Suzaku Archives

9.2.1 Policy and Responsibilities

All Suzaku data taken with XIS and HXD (including the WAM gamma-ray burst data; section 2.1.7) are made public after the proprietary period.

The High Energy Astrophysics Science Archive Research Center, HEASARC, which belongs to OGIP, supports multi-mission X-ray and gamma-ray archival research. The Suzaku GOF is responsible for delivering processed Suzaku data to the HEASARC. The HEASARC will then maintain the archives, while the Suzaku GOF will support archival research while the mission is active. At the end of the mission, the HEASARC takes over the archival user support responsibility.

9.2.2 Contents

The outputs of the pipeline processing are immediately delivered to the HEASARC kept encrypted until the end of the proprietary periods, when the data are decrypted.

The products produced in the pipeline processing will be put in subdirectories of each observation sequence.

9.2.3 Archival Access

The Suzaku data are placed in the HEASARC anonymous ftp area directory,
ftp://heasarc.gsfc.nasa.gov/suzaku/data. There will be no restriction on the data access so that any user may access and retrieve the data through anonymous FTP.

The data will be sorted by sequence numbers, and users may directly go to the desired directories if they know the sequence numbers. However, we anticipate that most users will access the archives through the Browse interface by inputting source names or coordinates (section ).