Chinese Virtual Observatory

During the last few months, the first scientific paper appeared from the China-VO group. Using VO-DAS (VO Data Access Service), Dr. Chao LIU and his colleagues searched Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) DR5 photometric data with 120d< α < 270d, 25d < δ < 70d for new Milky Way companions or substructures in the Galactic halo. Five candidates were identified as over dense faint stellar sources that have color-magnitude diagrams similar to those of known globular clusters, or dwarf spheroidal galaxies. The distance to each candidate was estimated by fitting suitable stellar isochrones to the color-magnitude diagrams. Geometric properties and absolute magnitudes were roughly measured and used to determine whether the candidates are likely dwarf spheroidal galaxies, stellar clusters, or tidal debris. This work has been publishes in A&A as "2008A&A...477..139L". "This is an important milestone for the China-VO," Prof. Yongheng ZHAO said, "which demonstrates the VO-DAS is useful and practical for astronomers."
Phase I of the China-VO had been completed by the end of 2007 officially. A comprehensive summary for the China-VO phase I will be released soon. The China-VO will step its Phase II from 2008 to 2010 if we can get funding as planned. During the second phase, we will collaborate with LAMOST project more closely. Design and development of LAMOST scientific archive management system is taken by the China-VO. We will try to make the LAMOST archives VO-ready, providing interfaces for VO-DAS and other VO data access applications. Additionally, the China-VO will provide support to LAMOST in software development, data mining, user support, and other fields.
A new version of FitHAS (FITS Header Archiving Service) was release in last December. Keyword records from primary header units of 1.2 million SDSS DR6 1-d spectra FITS files ware imported into a MySQL database successfully. The software package is available for download at: http://services.china-vo.org/fithas/