[vsnet-chat 1527] Renewal of PIXY system and the documents

[Seiichi Yoshida <seiichi@muraoka.info.waseda.ac.jp>]

MISAO Project Announce Mail (Dec. 27, 1998)

Hello. I am Seiichi Yoshida working on the MISAO project.

Today the new version of the automatic image examination system PIXY
is released. And the WWW pages of the PIXY system are renewed.

The PIXY system has been modified on a large scale in November and
December. The main modifications are as follows.

- Establishment of PXF file format to save the examination result.
- Modification so that all processes, such as identification with
  known variable stars, work based on the PXF file.
- All processes, such as identification with known variable stars,
  are intensively controlled by misao.pixy.Pixy.
- Programs on identification and construction of identification
  database are also included in the open package.
- Establishment of batch file format for image examination (which
  enables to examine several images at one time).

In the old version, both the midway progress and the examination
results were output into one file (log file). After examination by the
PIXY system, the results of identification with known variable stars
were output in another format into DAT file.

In this version, PXF file format is established, to be the base of all 
processes related to the PIXY system. Examining an image by the PIXY
system, only the results are saved in the PXF file. In addition, the
identification works based on the PXF file, and the results of
identification is also saved in the PXF file.

The user can also save the midway progress into .log file as in the
old version. It is usually not in need. However, when the image
examination cannot work well and you would like to ask me the reason,
please save the midway progress in .log file.

In the old version, the image examination process by the PIXY system
and the identification process with known variable stars are
completely independent. However, all processes are intensively
controlled by one program misao.pixy.Pixy in this version. Selecting
the process are done by the option. When running the PIXY system with
no option as:

  java misao.pixy.Pixy

the list of acceptable options are printed.

Options:
-arg <arguments>                      Run PIXY with parameters in arguments.
-batch <batch file>                   Run PIXY with parameters in batch file.
-console                              Run PIXY setting parameters in Q&A style.
-diff <pxf file1> <pxf file2>         Output difference between two images.
-identify <pxf file> [<check file>]   Identification with known variable stars.
-review <pxf file> [<image>]          Review PIXY with a PXF file.
-test detect                          Run PIXY to check raw detected stars.
-test matching                        Run PIXY to check data used for matching.

Identification programs with known variable stars were not put open in 
the public before. But now they are included in the open package. At
the same time, the programs to construct the identification database
are also included in the package. You can add such public catalogs as
GCVS2000, IRAS PSC, etc., which are available via WWW, into the
identification database.

Now that the usage of the PIXY system, the file format, and so on are
changed on a large scale, the WWW pages on the PIXY system are
renewed. Documents are filled up. They are available at the PIXY
system's home page:

  http://vsnet.info.waseda.ac.jp/muraoka/members/seiichi/misao/pixy/

Here shows you only the index. The package of these documents is also
available. 

                [o] First Step
                        * Snapshot
                        * Download
                        * Install
                        * Tutorial
                [o] Reference Guide
                        * Running PIXY
                        * Input Parameters
                        * PXF File Format
                        * GUI
                        * Package
                [o] Additional Applications
                        * Catalog Viewer
                        * Image Viewer
                        * Distance
                [o] Others
                        * Sample images PIXY can examine
                        * Identification Database
                          Construction

Furthermore, the survey style of new variable stars in the MISAO
Project, based on the magnitude data obtained by the PIXY system, is
established. For details, please read:

  Policy on magnitude data management and new objects survey
  http://vsnet.info.waseda.ac.jp/muraoka/members/seiichi/misao/doc/policy.html

KenIchi Kadota and I have been working on the Ageo Survey (previously
called Bistar Survey) and many images have been accumulated. Based on
the images, we will start to search new variable stars following the
policy mentioned above. Before beginning the survey actually, we have
to solve one problem, the magnitude error estimation, in order to
determine if a star is really variable or not, based on the several
magnitude data.

BTW, the function to check the difference between two images using
-diff option is not included in this version. In order to complete
this function, we also have to solve one problem, the magnitude error
estimation, in order to determine if a star is really variable or not,
based on the two magnitude data.

Acknowledgement:
In this version, the PIXY system utilizes the programs on FITS file
I/O implemented by Dr. Taichi Kato.

I received the GUIDE 7.0 CD-ROM from Dr. Bill J. Gray, the Project
Pluto. In the future, I will improve the PIXY system so that it can
use catalogs in the CD-ROM for image examination or identification.

I received the set of USNO-A2.0 CD-ROMs from Dr. Bruce Koehn and
Dr. David G. Monet, the U.S. Naval Observatory. Although it is not
supported in this version, the USNO-A2.0 will be supported soon in the 
future.

P.S.
The past MISAO project announce mails are available at:
  http://vsnet.info.waseda.ac.jp/muraoka/members/seiichi/misao/

--
Seiichi Yoshida
Muraoka Lab., Waseda University, Japan
seiichi@muraoka.info.waseda.ac.jp
http://vsnet.info.waseda.ac.jp/muraoka/members/seiichi/index.html

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