GAIA PDB

What is GAIA Parameter Database?

This project is a re-writing of an existing software application that was originally written in PHP. The rewrite was done as a proof of concept using ruby on rails and it is now ready for additional extensions.

The original intent of this database was the following:

• The Gaia parameter database is a controlled, up-todate repository of all parameters relevant to Gaia.
• The database contains satellite design, mathematical, physical & astronomical constants and parameters (scalar & multi-dimensional).
• Harmonise the parameters used in work performed by >10 industrial contractors, >20 working groups,….
• To be used by scientific, technical & industrial communities (GDAAS, GASS already implementing it).

ICRAR's intent is to take the idea from Gaia and to evolve this into an SKA Parameter Database.

Getting involved

Get the project

The first step to getting involved is to download the current code and get it running, which is described in the link below.

Setting up the development environment

References

• J. de Bruijne, U. Lammers, M. Perryman. (15 April 2004). Gaia Parameter Database, [Online]. Available: http://obswww.unige.ch/~eyer/VSWG/Meeting2/ko.pdf [2012, 21 February]
• J.H.J. de Bruijne, U. Lammers, M.A.C. Perryman. (2004). THE GAIA PARAMETER DATABASE, [Online]. Available: http://www.rssd.esa.int/SA/GAIA/docs/Gaia_2004_Proceedings/Gaia_2004_Proceedings_67.pdf [2012, 21 February]
• J. de Bruijne, U. Lammers, M. Perryman. (3 June 2004). Gaia Parameter Database, [Online]. Available: http://wwwhip.obspm.fr/heritage/gaia/rvs/workshop8/rvs8_gaia_parameters_database.pdf [2012, 21 February]

Background (What is Gaia?)

Gaia (spacecraft) - Wikipedia

Gaia (or Global Astrometric Interferometer for Astrophysics) is a European Space Agency (ESA) space mission in astrometry expected to launch in March 2013.

Gaia will compile a catalogue of approximately 1 billion stars in our galaxy to magnitude 20 (400 000 times fainter than light visible to the human eye). Gaia will create an extremely precise three-dimensional map of stars throughout our Milky Way galaxy and beyond, and map their motions which encode the origin and subsequent evolution of the Milky Way.