VOEvent priorities

[Dick Shaw]

Well, it's easy to think of astrophysically motivated examples of timeseries 
that are more than simple lists of flux vs. time coordinate: a time series of 
spectra of CVs, where multiple narrow features (emission or absorption 
profiles) are the variable phenomenon of interest, or a series of images 
showing a spatially varying component within an extended object (aurorae over 
Jupiter, or variability within a gaseous nebula), etc. Like Roy, I wonder how 
these more complex representations of time-variable phenomena might be 
represented, even if the Working Group is not yet ready to write the 
specification. Or to put it another way, can we see how the proposed 
specification might be generalized at some later time to incorporate more 
complex data objects?

Cheers,
Dick

On Wed, 03 Feb 2010 09:37:20 -0800
  Roy Williams <roy at cacr.caltech.edu> wrote:
> 
> Joshua Bloom wrote:
>>  The idea of timeseries is that it has a time axis. We should be able to 
>>represent gravity chirp signals, sn light curves, pulsar pulse shapes, etc. 
>>But it's certainly not a kitchen sink on purpose. Those examples you propose 
>>don't pass the smell test of being a time series.
>>   
> Josh
> 
> I note that the web page about the proposed "simpleTimeSeries" (*) does not 
>say how to represent any time series except for light curves in optical 
>wavebands. In fact it says there: "The primary use for SimpleTimeseries ... 
>is to exchange light-curve data ..."
> 
> So how other time series be represented in the proposed schema? Gravity 
>chirp signals, list of image URLs, ephemeris, etc etc. Looks like  NOTE and 
>DVAL can be combined (?) to allow general time series to be represented. I am 
>not clever enough with schema to see what is really allowed.
> 
> Could I ask that either:
> -- the web page include examples on representing time series that are not 
>light curves?
> Or
> -- rename the schema to reflect its lesser scope, perhaps call it 
>simpleLightCurve?
> 
> Cheers
> Roy
> 
> (*) http://dotastro.org/simpletimeseries/
> 
> -- 
> 
> California Institute of Technology
> 626 395 3670