The HEASARC Database System

This document describes the catalog and archive systems of NASA's High Energy Astrophysics Science Archive Research Center (HEASARC). The HEASARC maintains astronomy data and relevant catalog information for a variety or NASA and non-NASA high energy astronomy missions. These data are stored in the HEASARC archive and are indexed by HEASARC catalog data. The HEASARC also maintains catalogs of object information for objects observed at in the high energy domains, and many other catalogs of interest to its users.

This document discusses the organization of these archives and catalogs, including the metadata used to describe them, mechanisms for creating, accessing and updating catalogs, the association of catalogs and archive data, and software tools that may be used to describe them.

Note that as far as possible all information relating to the specific HEASARC implementation of the database, i.e., the location of given software and the details for the current underlying database system is given in the appendices.

• Introduction and Historical Background
• HEASARC Catalog Organization and Metadata
• HEASARC Conventions for the Naming of Table Parameters
• HEASARC Conventions for Virtual Parameters
• Accessing the HEASARC Database and Metadata
• Building and Modifying HEASARC Tables
• TDAT File Structure
• Software Application Programming Interfaces

• Appendix A: Database Table Import and Export Software
• Appendix B: Client/Server Software
• Appendix C: Utility Applications