A USER'S GUIDE TO UVCS/SOHO

Section 3
GETTING INVOLVED


email We welcome correspondence concerning the possibility that data from the UVCS/SOHO instrument might be useful in a wide range of research programs.

The following outline summarizes the general stages in either planning new observations, or in using UVCS data.


* CONTACTING US


* DO THE OBSERVATIONS EXIST?


* OBSERVE WITH UVCS


* ANALYSIS OF DATA

UVCS/SOHO data is processed in three major steps:

  1. Spectral Data Files are read by the UVCS Display and Analysis Software (DAS) package, and can be calibrated in wavelength and intensity, in addition to being corrected for image distortion, detector flat-field, and dark counts.

  2. Processed Spectral Data Files are then corrected to separate instrumental from astronomical sources. In intensity, disk-scattered stray light and interplanetary emission are removed. In wavelength, instrumental broadening, point spread functions, and intrinsic quantization errors are removed.

  3. Science Data Files are then analyzed by comparing with results of theoretical radiative-transfer codes. This ``empirical modeling'' provides densities, abundances, and velocity distribution parameters.

Continual support from the UVCS team will be provided in the form of publically-available software packages for all three steps, as well as online Self-Guided Tutorials.


* UVCS AND SOHO MEETINGS

In addition to presenting results at general meetings (e.g., AAS, AGU), we encourage all users of UVCS/SOHO data to participate in the SOHO Workshops and the UVCS Science Meetings.

Several of these meetings were held in the New England area:

(See also the listing of SOHO Meetings and Events on the SOHO WWW Page.)


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