TAP
Definition: The Table Access Protocol used to query astronomical archive tables through standardized services.
Why it matters here: In Archive Discovery and Query Provenance, TAP is needed to reason about TAP/ADQL, schemas, selection functions, and query manifests rather than merely label the phenomenon.
Relationship: It is interpreted alongside ADQL and the lecture relation below; identify which quantities are observed, calibrated, or model-derived.
Limitation or common confusion: Query provenance is the research equivalent of an instrument configuration.
\(Q=(service,ADQL,columns,constraints,release,timestamp)\)
ADQL
Definition: The SQL-like Astronomical Data Query Language supporting sky-region and catalog operations.
Why it matters here: In Archive Discovery and Query Provenance, ADQL is needed to reason about TAP/ADQL, schemas, selection functions, and query manifests rather than merely label the phenomenon.
Relationship: It is interpreted alongside Schema and the lecture relation below; identify which quantities are observed, calibrated, or model-derived.
Limitation or common confusion: Query provenance is the research equivalent of an instrument configuration.
Schema
Definition: The documented table structure, column names, units, types, and relationships exposed by an archive.
Why it matters here: In Archive Discovery and Query Provenance, Schema is needed to reason about TAP/ADQL, schemas, selection functions, and query manifests rather than merely label the phenomenon.
Relationship: It is interpreted alongside Selection function and the lecture relation below; identify which quantities are observed, calibrated, or model-derived.
Limitation or common confusion: Query provenance is the research equivalent of an instrument configuration.
Selection function
Definition: The probability that an object enters a sample as a function of its properties and observing conditions.
Why it matters here: In Archive Discovery and Query Provenance, Selection function is needed to reason about TAP/ADQL, schemas, selection functions, and query manifests rather than merely label the phenomenon.
Relationship: It is interpreted alongside Query manifest and the lecture relation below; identify which quantities are observed, calibrated, or model-derived.
Limitation or common confusion: Query provenance is the research equivalent of an instrument configuration.
Query manifest
Definition: A durable record of service, query text, release, columns, constraints, timestamp, and output identity.
Why it matters here: In Archive Discovery and Query Provenance, Query manifest is needed to reason about TAP/ADQL, schemas, selection functions, and query manifests rather than merely label the phenomenon.
Relationship: It is interpreted alongside TAP and the lecture relation below; identify which quantities are observed, calibrated, or model-derived.
Limitation or common confusion: Query provenance is the research equivalent of an instrument configuration.