Long Term Preservation of Data Analysis Software at the NASA/IPAC Infrared Science Archive

Harry Teplitz (IPAC/Caltech)

Abstract

The NASA/IPAC Infrared Science Archive (IRSA) curates both data and analysis tools from NASA's infrared missions. As part of our prime mission, we provide long term access to mission-specific software from projects such as IRAS and Spitzer. I will review the efforts by IRSA (and within the greater IPAC before that) to keep the IRAS and Spitzer software tools current and available. Data analysis tools are a vital part of the Spitzer Heritage Archive. The IRAS tools HIRES and SCANPI have been in continual use since the 1980's. Scanpi offers a factor of 2–5 gain in sensitivity over the IRAS Point Source Catalog by performing 1D scan averaging of raw survey data at specified arbitrary position. In 2007 SCANPI was completely modernized, with major code revisions. HIRES returns IRAS survey images with higher resolution than the IRAS Sky Survey Atlas (ISSA). We are currently undertaking a modest revision to the tool to ensure continued reliability. In the next two years, the US Planck Data Center plans to adapt both tools for use with Planck data, and deliver them to IRSA for long term curation.

Slides in PDF format

Paper ID: I12