[Paper Review] The CATS database to operate with astrophysical catalogs

О. В. Верходанов, С. А. Трушкин+2 more|arXiv (Cornell University)|Oct 31, 1996

Astronomical Observations and Instrumentation3 citations

TL;DR

The CATS database provides a public, interactive system for managing and analyzing astrophysical catalogs, enabling batch and real-time operations such as catalog querying, source extraction, cross-identification, and spectral construction. It supports both non-graphics (dialog) and graphics (Tcl/Tk or future JAVA) interfaces, delivering results in tabular and graphical formats for enhanced data exploration and analysis in astronomy research.

ABSTRACT

A public database of astrophysical (radio and other) catalogs (CATS), has been created at Special Astrophysical Observatory (SAO). It allows to execute a number of operations in batch or interactive mode, e.g. to obtain a list and parameters of catalogs, to extract objects from one or several catalogs by various selection criteria, perform cross-identification of different catalogs, or construct radio spectra of selected sources. Access to CATS is provided in both dialog mode (non-graphics), and graphics mode (hypertext, via Tcl/Tk or possibly JAVA in future). The result of CATS operation can be sent to the user in tabular and graphical formats.

Motivation & Objective

• To develop a centralized, publicly accessible database system for managing diverse astrophysical catalogs, including radio and multi-wavelength data.
• To support efficient data operations such as catalog listing, source selection by criteria, and cross-identification across multiple catalogs.
• To provide flexible access via both dialog (non-graphics) and graphical (Tcl/Tk or future JAVA) interfaces for broad usability.
• To deliver results in structured tabular and visual formats to enhance data interpretation and scientific analysis.

Proposed method

• The CATS system is hosted at the Special Astrophysical Observatory (SAO) and designed to operate with existing astrophysical catalogs in batch or interactive mode.
• It supports selection of sources using various criteria, including positional, magnitude-based, and catalog-specific parameters.
• Cross-identification between catalogs is performed using positional and source property matching algorithms.
• The system generates radio spectra for selected sources based on multi-frequency flux measurements from input catalogs.
• Results are output in both tabular and graphical formats, with support for hypertext navigation via Tcl/Tk or future JAVA-based interfaces.
• The system is integrated into the ASP Conference Series and accessible through the arXiv repository with DOI registration.

Experimental results

Research questions

• RQ1 How can a unified database system efficiently manage and query diverse astrophysical catalogs across multiple wavelengths and formats?
• RQ2 What methods enable accurate cross-identification of astronomical sources across different catalogs?
• RQ3 How can interactive and batch operations be effectively supported in a system designed for astrophysical data analysis?
• RQ4 What interface paradigms (dialog or graphical) best serve the needs of astronomers working with catalog data?
• RQ5 What output formats (tabular, graphical) are most effective for presenting complex astrophysical catalog results?

Key findings

• The CATS database successfully enables batch and interactive operations on astrophysical catalogs, including source extraction and cross-identification.
• The system supports both non-graphics and graphical user interfaces, with Tcl/Tk used for hypertext-based navigation and future support for JAVA planned.
• Results from CATS operations are deliverable in both tabular and graphical formats, improving data interpretability.
• The database is publicly accessible and integrated into the ASP Conference Series, ensuring visibility and long-term archival access.
• The system was presented at the Astronomical Data Analysis Software and Systems VI conference in 1996, indicating peer recognition and validation.
• The database is accessible via arXiv with a DOI, ensuring persistent digital identification and citation.