some semantic puzzles from VOEvent

[Roy Williams]

Here are some projects and use cases that are of interest to me and the 
VOEvent group, that may be relevant to the Semantics IG.
Roy
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(1) Adding an interpretation to a VOEvent. In the VOEvent schema, we 
have a "Why" section where the publisher can say  what they think the 
event is (supernova or an outburst of a variable star or a microlensing 
event or GRB etc etc).  We would like a formal vocabulary so that, for 
example, the computer can understand that "Supernova" and "SN" are the 
same thing. However, my simple attempts to do this as a new branch of 
the UCD tree blew up into a storm of controversy. How can we make 
progress here?

(2) Suppose we have a collection of Event observation packets that are 
all about single astrophysical event, but made by different people from 
different telescopes. How can I look at the interpretations ("Why" 
sections) and decide if there is a difference of opinion, or a change 
in interpretation with time? One report says the Event is a Supernova, 
another says it is a SupernovaType1a, another says it is a SN and 
another says "bright source associated with a galaxy". Are these four 
in agreement?

(3) In VOEvent, there is a section for saying what was measured, and it 
is a collection of parameters that are characterized by UCD. For 
example PEAK_COUNT=3243 and R-MAG=17.5 and BANANA_FLUX=4.654. If I have 
a lot of  VOEvent packets that refer to the same astrophysical event,  
can I extract a SED or light-curve (or time-dependent SED) by 
federating all the separate observations?


California Institute of Technology
626 395 3670
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