Data Archive Server structure and contents

The Data Archive Server (DAS) is a file system containing all survey data products. It is accessible via

• http at http://das.sdss.org
• rsync at
  • rsync://user@rsync.sdss.org/imaging
  • rsync://user@rsync.sdss.org/spectro
  • rsync://user@rsync.sdss.org/pt
  • rsync://user@rsync.sdss.org/nightly
  • rsync://user@rsync.sdss.org/unprocessed
  with password sdss.

This page outlines the most important files in the DAS, and explains which of these files are found where. It links to the "data model" descriptions of individual files. Directory names link to the http location, but the rsync server uses the same directory structure. For more details, see the outline of data processing page for details.

Imaging data

• imaging

The root directory for imaging. It contains two kinds of subdirectories: two inchunk directories containing the calibrated object lists, and one directory for every run/rerun pair containing the remaining imaging data.

inchunk directories

• /imaging/inchunk_best Download this directory to obtain the complete imaging catalogues with the best available data and reductions.
• /imaging/inchunk_target Download this directory to obtain the complete imaging catalogues as used to run target selection for the spectroscopic survey.

For either inchunk_best or inchunk_target, be sure to read the caveats on the calibrated object lists page.

The imaging is done along great circles. A unique covering of the sky is ensured by dividing these great circles into chunks. Calibrated object lists for every chunk are stored in subdirectories with names:

    stripeNN_muMMMMMM_S

E.g. /imaging/inchunk_best/stripe09_mu614999_1 .

Every stripeNN_muMMMMMM_S directory contain six sub directories (numbered 1 through 6), one per camera column, containing object lists as tsField*.fit and tsObj*.fit files.

Every best chunk stripeNN_muMMMMMM_1 directory contains the following files:

• tsChunk*.par: ASCII parameter file describing which imaging runs, reruns and fields cover this chunk.
• summary.php
• usno-N-MMMMMM.gif

Every target chunk stripeNN_muMMMMMM_0 directory contains the following files:

• tsChunk*.par: ASCII parameter file describing which imaging runs, reruns and fields cover this chunk.
• tsTargets*.fit: Lists all spectroscopic targets selected from a given chunk.

run/rerun directories

These directories have names of the form

• /imaging/RRRR/EE/

where RRRR is the run number and EE is the rerun number, eg. /imaging/1336/40 .

Every run/rerun directory contains two types of subdirectories:

• Directories which contain only files:
  • astrom -- results of the astrom pipeline
  • nfcalib -- results of photometric calibration
• Directories with one subdirectory per camera column (1-6), containing the bulk of the imaging data:
  • corr -- corrected frames fpC*.fit.gz, ie. reduced survey images
  • objcs -- further outputs of photometric pipeline:
    • fpAtlas*.fit -- set of pixels belonging to each object in the calibrated object list (corresponding tsObj file). See how to read an atlas image
    • fpBIN*.fit -- 2x2 and 4x4 binned versions of corrected frames (fpC) after objects detected on original frame have been subtracted
    • fpM*.fit -- full masks with saturated pixels, bad columns etc. See how to read fpM*.fits image masks.
    • fpObjc*.fit -- object lists in counts and pixels (these become the tsObj files after photometric calibration and conversion of scales in pixels to arcseconds, among others)
    • fpFieldStat*.fit -- statistics of photometric pipeline processing for a single field. Basis for tsField files.
    • psField*.fit -- Prelimary photometric calibration, as well as final point-spread-function fit, for a single field. Use these to reconstruct the PSF at any position.
  • Zoom -- fpC*.jpeg images of the sky in various zoom levels

Spectroscopic data

• /spectro/2d_26/

spectro2d pipeline output, produced by rerun 26 of the spectro pipelines: the calibrated spectra. Contains one directory per plate with name:

• /spectro/2d_26/PPPP

where PPPP is the plate number (eg. /spectro/2d_26/0644). Every directory contains

• one spPlate*.fit file with all 640 calibrated spectra (and the subtracted sky spectra since DR7) for that plate
• the spCFrame*.fit files with individual 15-minute exposures
• the specBS (Princeton) spectral reductions:
  • spZbest*.fits: best-fit classification and redshift for a given spectrum
  • spZall*.fits: Same structure as spZbest, but contains all attempted fits
  • spZline*.fits: emission-line measurements

• /spectro/1d_26

Calibrated spectra (including gif and ps plots) and classifications, redshifts, and other measured parameters (line fits, velocity dispersions, line indices). Contains one directory per plate with name:

• /spectro/1d_26/PPPP

where PPPP is the plate number (eg. /spectro/1d_26/0644).

Every plate directory contains two subdirectories:

• 1d -- contains 640 spSpec*.fit files, one per spectrum, containing the spectrum and all derived parameters.
• gif -- contains spPlot*.gif, and spPlot*.ps.gz files for every spectrum, with line annotations

Spectra + imaging

• /spectro/ss_26
• /spectro/ss_tar_26

See separate page about getting spectra in bulk.

Stellar parameter outputs

• /spectro/sspp_26/ has bulk versions of stellar parameter outputs in one directory per plate/MJD combination, e.g., /spectro/sspp_26/0644-52149, which include .csv versions of the sppParams and sppLines tables and some additional information and plots not available through the CAS.