Documentation: What we might do in an ideal world Ian McCrea

Purpose of this talk Current Status –The EISCAT web site is a repository for various interesting bits of EISCAT documentation… –Some features of the system (e.g. EROS, GUISDAP) are quite well documented –But, the information is not really organised so that an average user can find his way around and get a sense of what EISCAT is about –Some of the best documentation (e.g. Jussi’s EROS material) is not even on the official site –This is a personal view of how we could do better and bring together the things that an average user might want to know…….

First Questions… What should you already know ? –Assume basic familiarity, with unix, shell, pipes, matlab. –Any on-line tutorials ? Introduction to Incoherent Scatter Theory –What is incoherent scatter – what determines spectral shape ? –Where can I find out more about the theory ? Introduction to Radar Operations –Different types of experiment –CP/SP/AA, hours per year, –National allocations, –How to apply for time

The Hardware Technical details of the radars –Principles of IS Radars –How the data are formed, constraints on measurement etc A guide to the hardware –Which bits are which ? –What do they do ? –Which parts are under our control ? Other instruments –What other equipment exists on the sites ? –How can these things help me ? –How can I find the data ?

The Global IS Community Other IS Radars –Links to other IS radars around the world –Some of the history… –Contacts etc. The Madrigal Archive –What is the madrigal archive ? –What data does it contain ? –What is the data format ? –What tools exist ? –How can I download the data ? –What programs exist to plot the data ?

Introducing the EISCAT Data Basic introduction to EISCAT data –Philosophy behind EISCAT data-taking –Explanation of lag profiles etc. –Explanation of data types and data formats Experiments –Modulation schemes available – advantages, disadvantages and uses of each. –Examples of experiment data. –Experiment database – what kinds of experiment already exist on the system ?

Experiments and Scheduling Submitting Experiments –How to get your experiments scheduled. –How time allocations work. –What to do if you are not from an EISCAT country. –Scheduling procedure and deadlines. Schedules and Forward-Looks –What are the current and future schedules ? –What’s coming up in the future ? –How much time has been used so far this year ?

Developing Experiments How to write experiments –Details of ELAN/EROS and TLAN, –Program structure, command syntax etc –Explanation of a given experiment System Constraints –Things to be aware of – what the system can and cannot do –Things the system will stop you doing. –What you need to know yourself Testing Experiments –Using the EROS simulator –What to check for, what the results mean. –Testing experiments without the transmitter

Running Experiments Simple campaign guide –What to do when you get to the site –Running experiments –Setting up and monitoring RTG and real-time analysis, maintaining the log, –What to watch out for and how to fix things. Practical tips for living and working at the sites. –How to get hold of people out of hours, and when to do it. (NHS Direct for the radar). The Virtual Whiteboard –What kind of state are the systems in now ? –What problems do we know about –What work-arounds are in place ? –What do users need to know ?

Computers and User software Computers at EISCAT –What computers exist ? –Which ones can I use ? –Where are data stored ? –Where is the software located ? –How can I log on etc. –Where else could I get an id and some space (e.g. machines at RAL) Software Guide –What user programs exist at EISCAT ? –How can they be used ? –What interfaces exist ?

Recording Data…. Taking Data… –Where do the data go during an experiment ? –What is the structure of raw data files ? –What do the various arrays contain ? –What is in the parameter block ? –What is in the status bits ? EISCAT Raw Data Archives –What/where is the Kiruna archive ? –How is it structured ? –How are data added to the archive ? –What kinds of data are archived ? –How do I check the data holdings ? –How can I download data ?

Integrating and Cleaning Integrating Data –Why should I integrate data ? –What kinds of integration can be done and why would I want to do this ? –What software exists to integrate data ? –Why kind of control do I have ? –Can I “dis-integrate” the data, e.g. to strip out time-slices ? Cleaning Data –Why do I need to clean the data ? –What kinds of things need to be removed ? –How can I do it ? –What kind of control do I have ?

Analysing the Data Analysing Data –Philosophy of data analysis – what do we do when we analyse data ? –What assumptions do we need to make ? –How much flexibility do we have ? –What analysis software is available ? GUISDAP –Where is GUISDAP ? –How can I access it ? –What functionality is available and how can it be invoked ? –What kinds of variables are under our control ? –Examples of various kinds of analysis ? –What problems can happen, how can we recognise them and what can we do ? –What other documentation is available ?

Non-GUISDAP What other kinds of data does EISCAT record, other than ion line data (plasma lines, IPS etc) ? How can I work with these data ? How much processing can one do on these types of data ? What kinds of plotting programs exist ? What about the ion-line data which GUISDAP doesn’t like (D-region, NEIALs, non-thermals etc)

Analysed Data Analysed data –What is the structure of the analysed data ? –Where do the analysed data go ? –How can I plot the matlab format analysed data ? –How does matlab analysed data get into madrigal ? The Madrigal Archive –What is the madrigal archive ? –What data does it contain ? –What is the data format ? –What tools exist ? –How can I download the data ? –What programs exist to plot the data ?

Derived parameters Velocity Combination, etc. –What derived parameters can I get from EISCAT data ? –What assumptions does this involve ? –How can I combine velocities into vectors ? –How can I calculate derived parameters like Joule heating rates, conductivies etc ? –What else can I do with analysed data – and what software exists to allow me to do it ?

Plotting and Working with Data Plotting Data –What tools exist for plotting the raw and analysed data ? –How can I use them ? –What kinds of plots can I make ? Working with different kinds of data –How can I get various kinds of data into my favourite software (matlab, idl, fortran, C) ? –What utilities exist to help me with this ?

The After-Sales Service Who can help me if I get stuck ? Who are the EISCAT staff and what are their specialist areas ? How can I contact them ? How much help is reasonable to expect ? Who else in the user community is interested in the same things as me ?

What Else ?? News and Information –What is happening in the Association ? –How is the design study going ? –When and where are the next meetings and training courses ? –What’s happening with the IPY ? Documents –Publication list, –Technical reports, annual reports, other official documents, manuals etc. –Links to relevant reports elsewhere.. –Parts of this material could also be linked appropriately from elsewhere.

What Else ?? Self-Training –Course materials, on-line tutorial material etc. The Users Pages –Somewhere for the users to leave feedback, or add more material –Wiki/forum type site. –Could be a free-for-all, but would need an EISCAT administrator to get things onto the main site.