GENEVAC: An Application for Calculating, Viewing and Storing

Gamma-ray Burst Data

Sam StaffordThe Ohio State University

Department of Physics

GRB Temporal Analysis WorkshopLos Alamos, NM

August 29-31, 2011

Overview

• Summary of GENEVAC application• Live Demo• HTML output• Possible extensions

Motivation

• Over 5,000 bursts recorded since 1970’s• Multiple instrument sources; numerous observable

parameters• Need for versatile, modular platform• Common, user-readable format for GRB data to

facilitate multiple analyses:– Lightcurves and spectra (prompt, afterglow)– Neutrino emission– Lags– Variability

• Database of GRB object data• Graphical program for parameter calculation

and plotting:• Light curve• Electromagnetic spectra• Neutrino spectra

• Modular design / extensibility• Lag / variability• Afterglow

GENEVACGamma-ray-burst Electromagnetic and Neutrino

Emission Viewer And Calculator

Graphical User Interface

• Gamma-ray lightcurves – Multiple energy-band display– User-selectable bin size– Background subtraction (polynomial regression)– Drag-and-release zoom– Breakout-window feature on graph displays• Facilitates larger display / easier navigation• Enhanced display controls

Graphical User Interface

• Gamma-ray and neutrino parameters – Parameters can be calculated or entered manually– Up to four simultaneous models– Pre-programmed and User-definable models – Electromagnetic and neutrino energy spectrum

displays– Detector effective area and event rate– Error bars supported in calculations and plots– Graph data can be exported to table

• Read/write to GRB object database

GENEVAC Database

• Stored in user-readable format• Simple keyword structure, can be entered manually

or from the GENEVAC screens.• Designed for multiple instrument data sources

(currently supports BATSE, Swift/BAT, HETE; extensible to Fermi, etc.)

• Currently populated with >70 long bursts from BATSE catalog

• Batch conversion process from native instrument data structure to GENEVAC database

GENEVAC Database

Partial list of valid database keywords:• OBJECT_ID• INSTRUMENT_ID• TRIGGER_NUMBER• RIGHT_ASCENSION• DECLINATION• PEAK_LUMINOSITY• JET_ANGLE• T90_DURATION• BREAK_ENERGY• REDSHIFT• LORENTZ_BOOST

GENEVAC Demo

HTML Output

• Object index page• Individual GRB data page:– Parameter table– Light curves– Electromagnetic and neutrino spectra– Detector effective area– Event counts

Design Considerations• Modular design

– Most functions can be called in batch mode as well as in screen display– Allows separation of components among multiple servers if needed

• Interface-centered design– Allows delegation of computation-intensive tasks– Allows alternate GUI modules (e.g., web client)

• Written in Java™ 6.0, using Java™ Swing GUI utilities (well-known, mature industry standard; short development cycle)

• Object-oriented programming model• Designed to run on any computer with a Java Runtime

Environment (JRE). • Web-based version under consideration

Architecture

GRB Calculation Model

GRB Data Model

Graphical User Interface Lightcurves Parameters Spectra

HTML Utilities

Static web pagesLibraries Data types BG subtraction Utilities

Database Parameter files Temporal data

Externally-defined formalisms(in development)

Web client(proposed)

Future Initiatives

• Afterglow analysis• Additional instruments (e.g. Fermi)• Spectral lag (Cross-correlation function, pulse

fit)• Variability analysis (wavelet, FFT)• Web client• Usability enhancements (e.g., undo stack)

Summary• Database of GRB object data• Graphical program for calculating parameters:

• Lightcurve• Electromagnetic spectra• Neutrino spectra

• HTML output– Object index table– Spectrum, event rate plots

• Modular, extensible design– Web client– Afterglow– Variability analysis