SAMP connectivity

The Herschel Science Archive makes use of the SAMP Web Profile (Javascript library) to interoperate with other astronomy tools, via the SAMP protocol.

SAMP (see the IVOA Standard and additional material) is a messaging protocol that enables astronomy software tools to interoperate and communicate.

SAMP Web Profile allows web applications to interoperate and communicate with SAMP-capable desktop-based tools such as Aladin, Topcat or VOSpec. Standalone Browse Products (cubes, images and spectra) can be directly sent to these VO tools (without being locally retrieved) making use of the SAMP protocol, for visualization and analysis.

Launch one or more of the following software tools to interoperate with the Herschel Science Archive User Interface:

• (http://aladin.u-strasbg.fr/java/download/aladin.jnlp): Interactive software sky atlas which allows users to visualize digitized astronomical images and superimpose entries from astronomical catalogues or databases. (Recommended for PACS and SPIRE Photometric observations)



• (http://esavo.esac.esa.int/webstart/VOSpec.jnlp): A multi-wavelength spectral analysis tool with access to spectra, theoretical models and atomic and molecular line databases registered in the VO. (Recommended for PACS Spectroscopic observations)



• (http://www.stsci.edu/institute/software_hardware/specview/download): Specview, like VOSpec is a multi-wavelength spectral analysis tool with access to spectra, theoretical models and atomic and molecular line databases. It also allows users to read multi-extension FITS files, which is recommended for SPIRE Pointing Spectroscopic observations.



• (http://cassis.irap.omp.eu/?page=installation): A different multi-wavelength spectral analysis tool which also allows access to spectra, theoretical models and atomic and molecular line databases, recommended for HIFI 1D spectra.




• (http://ds9.si.edu/site/Download.html): An astronomical imaging and data visualization application. It supports FITS images and binary tables, multiple frame buffers, region manipulation and many scale algorithms and colormaps. (Recommended for cubes, as found in HIFI Mapping and SPIRE Raster observations)



• (http://www.cosmos.esa.int/web/herschel/hipe-download): The Herschel Interactive Processing Environment, developed specifically for working with Herschel data of any kind, including retrieving data products, interactive analysis, plotting of data and data manipulation.

In order to communicate between applications, SAMP makes use of a broker service for routing SAMP Messages (Hub application). This service is automatically provided by the above VO tools, with the exception of DS9.

If an SAMP Hub service is not running on your system, the HSA web interface will provide a prompt in order to start one. Then you must allow the interface to connect to this service and start your chosen VO tool, which will then be automatically connected.