Volume CORPWS_0015
Cassini Orbiter
Radio and Plasma Wave Science

RPWS Standard Products Archive
Entire Mission
Planetary Plasma Interactions Discipline Node
of the
Planetary Data System



Introduction


This volume set contains the Cassini Orbiter Radio and Plasma Wave Science standard data products from the entire mission, submitted to the Planetary Data System (PDS). Every effort has been made to ensure that the data and documentation are of the best possible quality. However, mistakes are inevitable. The PPI Node of the PDS will maintain an online list of ERRATA where errors and updates are documented. Should any user of this product find an error on this volume, please report the error to the PPI Node so that the finding can be made public. All users are encouraged to verify the "correctness" of the data prior to submitting any publications or other work based on these data. Users of these data are encouraged to acknowledge both the PDS and the principal investigators of the instruments whose data are used in analysis in all publications.


IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THIS DISK -- READ THIS FIRST!


This volume set contains Cassini Orbiter RPWS data from the entire mission. New data will be added on subsequent volumes as they become available. This volume, CORPWS_0015, includes all available data files with start times (SCET) in the interval 2001-12-17 (351) through 2001-12-21 (355).

KEY THINGS TO KNOW IN USING DATA ON THIS DISK:

A web browser can be used to view all the data on this disk in the form of Portable Network Graphics (PNG) files which are image files of frequency-time spectrograms by clicking on Graphical Data Browser Index in AAREADME.HTM in the root directory (this file). The browse data under the BROWSE directory consist of the "*.PNG" files. Survey plots are presented along with links to corresponding data files and their PDS label files.

All data files are stored under the DATA top-level directory and are organized by data set and spacecraft event time. The DATA directory branches off into:

The data are stored in text (key parameters) or binary (all others) files with labels and format descriptions included as separate files. PDS labels are contained in associated "*.LBL" text files in the same directories as the data files and shared descriptions of many of the data structures are stored in "*.FMT" files in the LABEL top-level directory.

General information for this volume set is provided in PDS catalog files located in the CATALOG directory. The data sets are documented in:

Other PDS catalog files include:


Related PDS Products


Planned for archive later are higher level data products from the Radio and Plasma Wave Science investigation including polarization and direction-finding measurements of planetary radio emissions, electron density measurements via a number of techniques including the use of a Langmuir Probe and sounder, and wave-normal analysis results of plasma waves.

Another related PDS product is the Cassini Magnetosphere and Plasma Science Key Parameter data set which includes the RPWS Key Parameter data set included herein along with similar products from the Cassini Magnetometer, Magnetospheric Imaging Instrument, and Cassini Plasma Spectrometer Subsystem.


Volume Set Information


This DVD-R is the fifteenth volume of the CORPWS_0xxx set. This volume, CORPWS_0015, contains all available RPWS standard data products from the spacecraft event time (SCET) interval 2001-12-17 (351) through 2001-12-21 (355). Volumes will be added as new data are archived.


Volume Format Information


The disk is organized into a hierarchical directory structure. The disk is formatted according to a combination of ISO 9660, UDF, Rock Ridge (UNIX), and Joliet (Microsoft) standards in order to accommodate users on a wide variety of platforms. This volume does not contain any Extended Attribute Records (XAR). Thus, VMS users may have some problems accessing files on this volume.


File Formats


The data files on this volume are ASCII text and binary files. Browse data are provided in Portable Network Graphics (PNG) format. All data files are described by detached PDS labels. A detached label file has the same name as the data file that it describes, but with the extension .LBL. For example, the file T1999227_HFR0.DAT is accompanied by the detached label file T1999227_HFR0.LBL in the same directory. File names within this archive comply with the "27.3" convention for compliance with ISO 9660 Level 2 interchange requirements.

All documents, detached PDS labels, and HTML files are stream format files, with a carriage return (ASCII 13) and a line feed character (ASCII 10) at the end of the record. This allows the files to be read by MacOS, DOS, Windows, UNIX, and VMS operating systems. UNIX system users may see an unnecessary carriage return character (^M) at the end of each line. Mac users may see an unnecessary line feed character (^J) at the start of each line.

ASCII tabular data files (.TAB) are formatted so that they may be read directly into many database management systems (DBMS) or spreadsheet programs on various computers. All fields are of fixed length and are separated by white space or commas. Character fields are left justified, and numeric fields are right justified. The records are of fixed length, and the last two bytes of each record contain the ASCII carriage return and line feed characters. This allows a table to be treated as a fixed length record file on computers that support this file type and as a normal text file on other computers.

The document, PDS label, and ASCII table files on this volume can be viewed with a Web browser. Note that to view these files, the browser may need to be configured to recognize files with extensions of .CAT, .LBL, and .TAB as text files. Users with Web browsers also can navigate the disk via the HTML file AAREADME.HTM in the disk's root directory and the HTML files in the BROWSE directory.

PDS labels are object-oriented. The object to which the label refers (e.g., SERIES, TABLE, etc.) is denoted by a statement of the form:

^object                 = location

in which the caret character (^, also called a pointer in this context) indicates that the object starts at the given location. For an object in the same file as the label, the location is an integer representing the starting record number or byte of the object (the first record/byte in the file is 1). For an object located outside the label file, the location denotes the name of the file containing the object, along with the starting record or byte number. For example:

^SPECTRAL_DENSITY_TABLE = ("T1999227_HFR0.DAT", 4)

indicates that the SPECTRAL_DENSITY_TABLE object begins at record 4 of the file T1999227_HFR0.DAT, in the same directory as the detached label file. Below is a list of the possible formats that use the ^object keyword.

^object = n
^object = n<BYTES>
^object = ("filename.ext",n)
^object = ("filename.ext",n<BYTES>)
where
n is the starting record or byte number of the object, counting from the beginning of the file (record 1, byte 1); default is record number.
<BYTES> indicates that number given is in units of bytes.
filename upper-case file name.
ext upper-case file extension.

In cases where many files of the same format or structure are present, the structure description component is detached from the primary label. This minimizes repeating information which does not vary from file to file. In these cases, a format file (.FMT) contains the file structure information and the base label (.LBL) describes the parameters which generally do vary from file to file (number of records, file name, start/stop time, etc.). When a format file is used within the PDS label, the syntax is:

^STRUCTURE              = filename
Example:
^STRUCTURE              = "LRFULL_TABLE.FMT"

Syntactically, the contents of the format file can be inserted directly into the base label such that the entire file contents replace the single line ^STRUCTURE = filename. Note that these shared format files are collected in the top-level LABEL directory on this volume.


Errata


There is a file called ERRATA.TXT found at the root level of this volume which contains a list of known deficiencies or caveats associated with data on this volume at the time this DVD-R was published. Any changes or errors that are found on this or any CORPWS_0xxx DVD-R after the production of this volume can be found on the PPI Node errata Web page ( http://www.igpp.ucla.edu/cgi-bin/ditdos?errata=CORPWS_0XXX).

If you find an error on this disk, please report the error to the PDS Operator at the PPI Node of the PDS.

Internet pds_operator@igpp.ucla.edu
Telephone (310) 206-6073
U.S. Mail PDS Operator
c/o Dr. Raymond Walker
UCLA - IGPP
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1567

Only through support and feedback of the users of these data can an effective errata list be maintained.


Software


Example code for reading some of the binary data file formats on this volume is available in the EXTRAS/SOFTWARE directory. This software is provided "as is" and is distributed as a service to the community.

KEY_BROWSE.JAR contains a complete Java application for viewing and manipulating the key-parameters data. Updates and source code will be available online and on future volumes.

See the file EXTRAS/SOFTWARE/SOFTINFO.TXT for further information.


Volume Contents and Structure


This section describes the volume structure and naming conventions. Below is a tree diagram of the volume, followed by a description of the directory function and key files in each directory.

[CORPWS_0015] (root directory)
   |
   |- AAREADME.TXT      Describes volume contents, organization, and use
   |
   |- ERRATA.TXT        Describes known deficiencies or caveats in the
   |                    data on this volume.
   |
   |- VOLDESC.CAT       High level description of volume contents.
   |
   |- [BROWSE]          Contains browse plots depicting the data.
   |     |
   |     |- [ANCILLARY]         Ancillary support files.
   |     |
   |     |- [RPWS_KEY_PARAMETERS] Plots for this data set.
   |     |
   |     |- [RPWS_LOW_RATE_FULL] Plots for this data set.
   |     |
   |     |- [RPWS_WAVEFORM_FULL] Plots for this data set.
   |     |
   |     |- [RPWS_WIDEBAND_FULL] Plots for this data set.
   |
   |- [CATALOG]         Information on data sets and how they are
   |                    processed and produced, on Cassini spacecraft
   |                    and mission, on RPWS instrument, on cognizant
   |                    personnel, and on references to various
   |                    related documents.
   |
   |- [DATA]            Contains text and binary files of instrument
   |     |              measurements and supporting information
   |     |              constituting the primary archive products.
   |     |
   |     |- [ANCILLARY]         Ancillary support files.
   |     |
   |     |- [RPWS_KEY_PARAMETERS] Data files for this data set.
   |     |
   |     |- [RPWS_LOW_RATE_FULL] Data files for this data set.
   |     |
   |     |- [RPWS_RAW_COMPLETE] Raw instrument telemetry packets.
   |     |
   |     |- [RPWS_WAVEFORM_FULL] Data files for this data set.
   |     |
   |     |- [RPWS_WIDEBAND_FULL] Data files for this data set.
   |
   |- [DOCUMENT]        Instrument paper, RPWS calibration document,
   |                    RPWS users' guide.
   |
   |- [EXTRAS]          Bonus content not necessarily conforming to
   |     |              PDS archive standards.
   |     |
   |     |- [SEQUENCE_INFO]     Instrument sequence information.
   |     |
   |     |- [SOFTWARE]          Example code.
   |
   |- [INDEX]           Volume and cumulative indices of archive
   |                    products.
   |
   |- [LABEL]           Shared format descriptions.


Driver and Hardware Information


This disk has been formatted according to a combination of ISO 9660 level 2, Rock Ridge (UNIX), Joliet (Microsoft), and UDF standards. It has been recorded on DVD-R media and should be readable on all major computing platforms hosting DVD readers.


Contacts


The person most directly responsible for the construction and release of this archive volume is Mr. Steven Joy. He was the PPI Node Data Administrator at the time this disk was created and understands as much about the disk structure and data organization as anyone. Other PPI personnel who may be aware of issues related to this archive volume include Dr. William Kurth and Dr. Raymond Walker, the PDS/PPI Node manager.

For questions or problems regarding this volume, please contact the PDS/PPI operator:

Internet pds_operator@igpp.ucla.edu
Telephone (310) 206-6073
U.S. Mail PDS Operator
c/o Dr. Raymond Walker
3845 Slichter Hall
UCLA - IGPP
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1567

For questions regarding PDS Standards or other archive volumes available from the PDS, please contact PDS Operator at the PDS Central Node (at JPL):

Internet pds_operator@jpl.nasa.gov
U.S. Mail Planetary Data System, PDS Operator
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Mail Stop 202-101
4800 Oak Grove Dr.
Pasadena, CA 91109-8099

Disclaimer


The PDS and the Planetary Plasma Interactions (PPI) Node in particular, assume no legal liability for errors on this disk. All users are encouraged to verify the "correctness" of the data prior to submitting any publications or other work based on these data. Errors on this disk should be reported back to the PPI Node of the PDS through the ERRATA reporting procedures described above.

All trademarks are acknowledged as the property of their respective owners. The producers and publishers of this archive do not endorse any commercial entities which may be mentioned for clarity.


Acknowledgements


These data were collected under the auspices of the Cassini Project. Donald A. Gurnett was the Radio and Plasma Wave Science Principal Investigator. The archiving effort at The University of Iowa was supported by T. Averkamp, L. Granroth, R. Johnson, and W. Robison.

This archiving effort was supported by the Planetary Plasma Interactions Node of the Planetary Data System. Assistance was provided by S. Joy of the University of California, Los Angeles, and by R. Joyner of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.


Valid HTML 3.2 HTML documents on this volume conform to the HTML 3.2 specification.