Overview:
The information in this article use case page was taken from an article published by DICE and an EOSC Future EOSC in Practice case study. Picture by ASTRON.
B2DROP has been supporting a scientific research project by ASTRON (Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy), in the field of multi-messenger astrophysics. This project aims to explore the universe beyond traditional light-based astronomy by studying high-energy particles, cosmic ripples, and extreme astrophysical events. The project requires efficient data organisation, time- and space-dependent metadata orchestration, and innovative artificial intelligence services to facilitate the analysis and modelling of astrophysical data.
Scientific Challenge:
Traditional astronomy relies on the observation of light across the electromagnetic spectrum. However, to delve into the new frontier of astrophysics, scientists must go beyond light and explore multi-messenger astronomy. This field involves tracking high-energy particles, cosmic ripples, and extreme astrophysical phenomena to gain insights into the universe's most extreme events and phenomena. By studying these events, scientists can answer fundamental questions about "extreme matter" and investigate how particles behave in spacetime distorted by massive bodies, thus advancing our understanding of Einstein's relativity theory.
Who Benefits and How:
The scientific community engaged in multi-messenger astrophysics research benefits from the use of B2DROP . By leveraging the low-barrier, user-friendly, and trustworthy storage environment provided by B2DROP, researchers can synchronise their active data across different desktops and easily share it with their peers. This capability enables collaboration and knowledge sharing within the scientific community. Furthermore, EUDAT offers a free public basic instance of B2DROP, allowing any researcher to access the necessary tools and services.
Technical Implementation:
The technical implementation involves the integration of B2DROP as the primary storage environment for the multi-messenger astrophysics research project. B2DROP's user-friendly interface and trustworthy storage infrastructure integrated with EGI-Notebooks helps to facilitate efficient data organisation, processing, storage and sharing.