IRIS hardware support for WFAU science archives (FY 2018)

This grant is providing computing hardware resources in support of the Wide-Field Astronomy Unit's continuing sky survey archive curation programme, as summarised most recently in the application for ST/N005813/1.

The proposed programme of research may be expected to have a general impact in two ways:

1. Impact in the form of outreach
Edinburgh has a long-standing and proud record of achievement in this area, thanks to decades of outstanding work by the Royal Observatory Visitor Centre, jointly funded by the University of Edinburgh and STFC. Within the UK university sector, this programme is unusual in its breadth and scope, extending well beyond the normal expectation of public talks, press releases and media interviews. This is in part because IfA staff, post-docs and students have the opportunity to work collaboratively with Visitor Centre Staff, and also in part due to the unique advantages afforded by the ROE site, with its unusual combination of front-line astronomical research, world-leading instrument/technology development, and astronomical history/heritage. Activities include the annual ROE open days, school visits to ROE, weekly public observing, 'Meet The Astronomer' sessions, school visits (with the portable Starlab planetarium), Andy Lawrence's popular e-Astronomer blog, teacher training (including the development of educational resources for both Primary and Secondary teachers), adult 'continuing-education' certificated evening courses, and the development and operation of the Dark Sky Scotland and (most recently) Dark Sky England programmes. ROE is now also the Scottish centre for the European Space Agency led European Space Eduction Resource Office (ESERO), supporting Space Education throughout Scotland.

2. Impact in the form of knowledge exchange
WFAU is collaborating with a major international aerospace company to apply its sky survey data management expertise to the curation of space situational awareness data in support of space traffic management. WFAU is also actively involved in a number of "Big Data" initiatives, supported by the Unit's location in the Higgs Centre for Innovation (HCI). The HCI provides support for start-up companies in the Big Data and Space sectors, and the intention is that the proximity of WFAU staff will aid interaction with the staff of the start-ups, which can then benefit from WFAU's practical expertise in curating large datasets.