| Overview
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gcWeb is the Web-based interface for "getCal",
the NASA Exoplanet Science Institute's interferometric observation
planning tool suite.
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gcWeb is a Web-based GUI for running getCal, the NASA Exoplanet Science Institute's
suite of tools for planning interferometric
observations. In its simplest form, gcWeb will help you find calibrator sources for your given "target" source. There are a large number of additional options that will provide
assistance in scheduling your observations.
gcWeb runs getCal for you on our server. The results are presented to you via your browser.
Please be patient. Some queries may take several minutes to
run.
How long a query takes depends on several factors. Here are some example query return
times (using default magnitude limits for calibrators).
- Default settings: 30 seconds
- Simbad query: 2 minutes
- fbol: 2 minutes
- fbol with 2MASS option: 8 minutes (25 calibrators)
Performance may also be affected by other activity on our server.
The results you see will not be stored permanently
on our server. When you see results you want to keep, remember to save them onto
your local disk. (We may provide a grace period of up to 48 hours during
which you may save your results; this grace period is not guaranteed.)
Below you will find descriptive sections on:
The "fine print" is available here:
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Inputs
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There are a number of parameters and options supported by gcWeb. To learn more about
these please click on the links below.
For each option below, we show the name as it appears
on the query form, its corresponding getCal option in square brackets, and a description.
[More information on the getCal options may be found in the
getCal Reference Manual.]
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Object Designation/Pos control
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The Object Designation/Pos parameter is the only input to getCal that is truly
required. This specifies the "target"
object for which getCal will search for calibrators.
Alternatively, if a position on the sky is given, getCal will search for calibrators
in the vicinity of that position.
Note:
The name and Pos options will fail if the Simbad data base is offline or unreachable.
- name
[-targetName s]
- queries the Simbad data base to resolve common name s; allowed characters for the object
name are letters, numbers, spaces, and these 5 characters
_:-.+ (default)
- HD
[-targetHD s]
- object s from the Henry Draper Catalog
- HIP
[-targetHIP s]
- object s from the Hipparcos Catalog
- Pos
[-targetRA hr:min:sec -targetDec deg:min:sec]
- position on the sky; allowed format is
hr:min:sec deg:min:sec
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Photometry Search/Output Options
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N-band, L-band, and L'-band photometry are optional and off by default.
2MASS Phot and From IRAS Phot are not selected by default.
- 2MASS Phot
[-K2Mass]
- query the 2MASS point-source catalog to retrieve K-band photometry
- N-band
[-Nband]
- estimate N-band (10 um) photometry based on a K-N model as
a function of spectral type.
- From IRAS Phot
[-NIRAS]
- get 12 um IRAS Point Source Catalog photometry served
from IPAC/IRSA (see IRSA (http://irsa.ipac.caltech.edu/)) and
translate into magnitude to use as the equivalent of an N-band
magnitude.
- L-band
[-Lband]
- estimate L-band photometry based on a K-L model as
a function of spectral type.
- L'-band
[-Lprime]
- estimate L'-band photometry based on a K-L' model as
a function of spectral type.
- Use 2MASS/IRAS measurements for calibrator search
[-useMeasurement]
- Calibrator searches apply the photometry filters using approximate K/N
photometry estimated using standard star colors. This is true by default
even when the user requests K/N photometry from 2MASS/IRAS, in order to
increase the speed of the search, although in that case for the selected
calibrators getCal ultimately reports the 2MASS/IRAS photometry. By
enabling the "Use 2MASS/IRAS measurements for calibrator search" button,
this default is overridden, and measurement queries take place prior to
applying the photometry filters (slower). Note: Enabling this option will
significantly increase the query time.
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Calibrator Output Options
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The Calibrator Output options constrain getCal's search for calibrators.
All of these are optional. More lenient search criteria may significantly
increase run time. If Calibrator Output is unchecked, it is the equivalent of
-noCalibrators and getCal will not search for calibrators.
This allows you to do the other things that getCal does (compute coordinates,
query SIMBAD) for a target without the extra step of the calibrator scan.
If you have not specified a target, only a position on the sky, then unchecking
this box will return no results.
- User-Specified Calibrators
- Disables calibrator search instead using user-entered list of calibrators. Enter
a comma-separated list of objects in the text field. Presently, only HD and
HIP designations are supported.
- Calibrator Search
- Enables search for calibrators; if you specified an object, getCal will
return information about that object and several potentially
suitable calibrator objects (default on), as constrained by the filter
options which follow.
- Luminosity Class
- luminosity class for calibrators; any or all can be selected; if none is
selected, getCal will default to using main-sequence (LC V) calibrators
only.
- LC V
[-lClass V]
- use main-sequence calibrators (default)
- LC III
[-lClass III]
- use giant calibrators
- LC I
[-lClass I]
- use supergiant calibrators
- Max Diam
[-maxAD n]
- maximum angular diameter (mas) for calibrators (default off)
- Calibrator Search Radius
[-searchRadius n]
- search for calibrators within n degrees of the target object/position (default 10)
- Magnitude
- magnitude range for calibrator search
Note:
The V and K magnitudes are always used.
The N and L magnitudes are optional and only tested if limit values are supplied.
- Min V
[-minV n]
- minimum V-band magnitude (default 3.0)
- Max V
[-maxV n]
- maximum V-band magnitude (default 10.5)
- Min K
[-minK n]
- minimum K-band magnitude (default 6.2)
- Max K
[-maxK n]
- maximum K-band magnitude (default 9.9)
- Min N
[-minN n]
- minimum N-band magnitude (no default)
- Max N
[-maxN n]
- maximum N-band magnitude (no default)
- Min L
[-minL n]
- minimum L-band / L'-band magnitude (no default)
- Max L
[-maxL n]
- maximum L-band / L'-band magnitude (no default)
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Simbad Query Options
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All are optional and off by default.
Note:
These options will fail if the Simbad data base is offline or unreachable.
Note:
Queries with fewer calibrators will complete more quickly; queries with many
calibrators may take several minutes.
- Simbad Query
[-simbadInteractiveQuery]
- invoke Simbad database access for targets/calibrators
- Common Names
[-commonNames]
- report on common names of objects
- Simbad Meas
[-meas]
- report on measurements in the Simbad database
- Browser
[-list -url]
- compose and display the URL with which one may get Simbad info on the target and
calibrators
Note:
This option is not currently supported during "fbol Diameters" queries.
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Timing Info
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All are optional and off by default (unless shown otherwise below).
- Timing
[-timing]
- invoke timing tool to compute object transit times, zenith angle and delay temporal limits, sunrise and sunset
- Observing Calendar Display
[ocGui -jpeg -yearDay -currentDay]
- invoke ocGui tool to obtain plot of observing calendar
- Timing Display
[tGui -jpeg -sun 2 -timeLabels 2 -intersectionTrack 0 -zenithTrack 1 -delayTrack 1 -pointingTrack 1 -calibrators]
- invoke tGui tool to obtain plot of timing information; use JPEG format; render with the zenith angle and delay range values passed from getCal.
Note:
No more than 35 objects can be shown on this plot; the rest may be truncated.
- u-v Display
[uvTool -jpeg -intersectionTrack 0 -zenithTrack 1 -delayTrack 1 -hourAngle 2 -anglesOn 1 [-wavelength n]]
- invoke uvTool to obtain u-v plot; use JPEG format; render with the
zenith angle and delay range values passed from getCal
(the '1' does not mean 1 degree, 1 meter)
- Location
[-location s]
- specify observing location s (default Keck (KI))
- Baseline
[-baseline s]
- specify observing baseline(s) s at the specified Location; choose any or all available
baselines; selecting NONE will disable calculation of delay timings (default ALL)
- Zenith Angle Limit
[-zenithAngle n]
- limit the zenith angle to n degrees for timing calculations (default 35)
- Default Delay Limit
[ ]
- Use the timing tool's default delay limits for the specfied Location and Baseline.
The limits used will be shown in the program output.
- [Symmetric] Delay Limit
[-delayLimit n]
- limit the delay line to +/- n meters for timing calculations
(default is Location-specific, see Delay Min/Delay Max). Mutually exclusive with Delay Min/Max options.
- [Asymmetric] Delay Min (m)
[-delayMin n]
- specifies minimum delay constraint (meters). Has no effect when -delayLimit is also used.
(default is Location-specific)
- [Asymmetric] Delay Max (m)
[-delayMax n]
- Specify maximum delay constraint (meters). Has no effect when -delayLimit is also used.
(default is Location-specific)
- Delay Bias Offset
[-biasOffset n]
- use bias of n meters to compute delay limits for LDL/FDL combination
- Select Date
- use this date for timing calculations; if not set, getCal will default to today UTC
- Month
[-month n]
- month (default this month UTC)
- Day
[-day n]
- day (default current day UTC)
- Year
[-year n]
- year (default this year UTC)
- Wavelength
[-wavelength n]
- use wavelength of n microns to create u-v display (default 2.2)
- Include Current Time indicator for u-v and Timing
Displays
[-currentTime]
- mark the current time (time of query) on plots; inserts a red vertical bar in
the Timing Display; inserts a pair of red arrows for each baseline in the
u-v Display
- Null Depth Estimate
[-nullDepth]
- Compute an estimate for the null depth
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fbol Diameters
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All are optional and off by default.
Note:
These options will fail if the Simbad data base is offline or unreachable.
Note:
Queries with fewer calibrators will complete more quickly; queries with many
calibrators may take several minutes.
Note:
The Simbad Query-->Browser option is not currently supported during these queries.
- fbol Diameters
[-fbol -stromgren -geneva -noU]
- compute apparent angular diameter estimates based on effective temperature and bolometric
flux model fit to available photometry extracted from Simbad; automatically
extracts UBV, Geneva, Stromgren, and JP11 photometry from Simbad; U photometry is
recorded, but not used in model fit
- IRAS Phot
[-longWL]
- extract Simbad IRAS flux data
- 2MASS Phot
[-2Mass]
- extract 2MASS photometry from the 2MASS point-source catalog server at IPAC/IRSA
- Constrain Temp
[-constrainTemp]
- constrain effective temperatures in black-body fits to model effective temperatures
based on spectral type, Geneva photometry, and Stromgren photometry
- Save Photometry
[-savePhotometry]
- record the input fbol photometry created from various sources
- fbol Plots
[-plots]
- generate plots of photometric fits; results in plot files named, for example,
HD123999--F9IVw.sed.png
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Additional Output Options
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"New Output Format" is the default.
Cal Script, Parallax, HD/HIP, and PTI-style are optional and off by default.
- Messages
- control output messages
- Quiet
[-quiet]
- Suppresses informational messages about photometric variability and suspected multiplicity based on Hipparcos determinations.
- Normal
- Outputs normal informational messages (default).
- Verbose
[-verbose]
- Enables informational messages about magnitude values (model, 2Mass, IRAS).
- Output Format
- control the format of the output
- New
[-format new]
- Used to have the lines output in the "new" getCal
format, with the first 12 fields identical to the normal "old"
getCal format (Designation through B-V), and using TAG=value
fields for the other fields (default).
- Keck Sky
[-format sky]
- Print out astrometry in format compatible with Keck "sky" software.
- Old
[-format old]
- Descriptor of old format (used by PTI).
- Cal Script Composition
[-calScript]
- Compose preliminary calibration script for use with "calib suite"
of visibility calibrators
- Parallax
[-plx]
- Print out parallax as part of the GUI line (getCal output)
- Rename Targets to HD/HIP ID
[-rename]
- Control rewriting of target names. By default this option is disabled, and
target designations specified with the --targetName option will appear in the
getCal output as given. When this option is used, getCal will rename the target
to an official object designation using information returned by SIMBAD (HD or HIP).
- Use PTI-style HDC prefix
[-identHDC]
- Controls use of HDC prefix. "HDC" will be used in object designations in place
of "HD". This is for compatibility with PTI object naming conventions, and should
be selected when creating an observing schedule for PTI.
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Email Query Results
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- Email Query Results
- Processing is done in the background. When processing is finished, notification is sent by email
to the given address. The notification includes a link to view/download the query results.
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Action Buttons
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- Submit
- submit this query to getCal
- Reset
- reset all controls to their default settings
- Set Defaults
- reset numeric fields to their default values; enable all controls which are enabled
by default
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Outputs
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The outputs from your gcWeb query will be presented to you via your browser.
The primary HTML results page may include links to other pages on our server.
These may include plots and other diagrams, as well as plain text files.
The results page you see has three basic components:
- Processing Info
- Quick Links
- Detailed Output
There are also action links in the navigation bar for:
- NEW QUERY
- MODIFY QUERY
- SAVE RESULTS
- RESOURCES
- HELP
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Processing Info
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Processing Info shows the run time of the query and the controls and
options that were sent to
getCal. The getCal options are described on this page in square
brackets.
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Quick Links
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Quick Links are divided into up to four groups, depending on the
processing options that
were selected:
- Text Output
- These links take you quickly to text areas on your results
page. There may be
text results for the four areas listed below. Also, there is
a link that will
take you to a plain-text file containing all the textual results.
- getCal output
- always available
- View all as plain text
- always available; links to a file with all the text
output
- fbol Output
- available if fbol Diameters was selected
- Calibration Script
- available if Cal Script Composition was selected
- Photometry Output
- available if Save Photometry was selected
- Simbad Query
- If you selected Browser under the Simbad Query option, this link will be available
to take you to a Simbad query on the Simbad server.
- Timing Displays
- If you selected any of the following options under the Timing option on the
query page, links will be available to take you quickly to the JPEG-format plots
on the results page.
- Observing Calendar
- Timing Display
- u-v Display
- fbol Plots
- If you selected fbol Plots under the fbol Diameters option, links will be available
to take you quickly to the PNG-format plots on your results page.
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Detailed Output
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Detailed Output areas follow the Quick Links on the results page.
These are the areas pointed to by the Quick Links described above.
The availability of each output area is described above.
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How to Save Your Results
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When you see results you want to keep, remember to save them onto your local
disk.
We may provide a grace period of up to 48 hours during which you may save your results;
this grace period is not guaranteed.
- You can save your results by selecting the [save results] link.
- A uniquely named tar file is created that contains all results files, including image files in jpeg/png and ps formats.
- After saving the tar file to the local disk, extract the files and check to make sure that output.jsp, output.txt, and any images and/or plot files are present.
- To view the results, open output.jsp in the browser
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Acknowledgements
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gcWeb makes use of the SIMBAD database, operated at the Centre de Donées astronomiques
de Strasbourg (CDS), Strasbourg, France.
gcWeb makes use of the NASA/ IPAC Infrared Science Archive, which is operated
by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology,
under contract with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
Also, please see getCal acknowledgements in the
getCal Reference Manual.
If you find gcWeb (or any other software or service provided by
the NASA Exoplanet Science Institute)
useful in your research,
we would appreciate the following acknowledgement:
This research has made use of services from the NASA Exoplanet Science Institute,
California Institute of Technology, http://nexsci.caltech.edu.
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Copyright
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Copyright 1998 - 2009 California Institute of Technology.
For questions or comments about this software, please visit the
NASA Exoplanet Science Institute Help Desk.
Permission to use, copy and distribute this software and its documentation for academic
and/or non-profit research purposes, without fee and without a written agreement
is hereby granted, provided that the above copyright notice,
this paragraph and the following three paragraphs appear in all copies.
Reuse of all or part of the software contained here for commercial purposes is strictly
prohibited.
The California Institute of Technology makes no proprietary claims to the results,
prototypes, or systems supporting and/or necessary for the use of the research,
results and/or prototypes for academic and/or non-profit research uses only.
However, to the extent that any software and system built in collaboration with
industry partners may incorporate proprietary designs of the industry partners,
it is possible that certain restrictions may be imposed on the proprietary information.
In no event shall California Institute of Technology be liable to any party for direct,
indirect, special, incidental or consequential damages, including lost profits,
arising out of the use of this software and its documentation, even if the
California Institute of Technology has been advised of the possibility of such damage.
The California Institute of Technology specifically disclaims any warranties,
including the implied warranties or merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose.
The software and documentation provided hereunder is on an "as is" basis,
and the California Institute of Technology has no obligations to provide maintenance,
support, updates, enhancements or modifications.
Also, please refer to the getCal copyright information in the
getCal Reference Manual.
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