基于VTP协议和XMPP协议的时域天文警报事件网络原型系统

In time domain astronomical observations, when a high-energy transient is detected, an alert is raised and then disseminated to other telescopes through ground network to trigger follow-up observations as soon as possible. Currently the global VOEvent network is based on the VTP transmission protocol, which is dedicated to time domain astronomy, and its development is not yet mature. This study intends to build a prototype VOEvent network system for time domain astronomy based on the domestic situation. While on the premise that maintaining compatibility with global VOEvent network, the network will also add support for the popular XMPP protocol, making it possible for cross-platform messaging and information sharing. We will also participate in the development of the VTP protocol while developing the software interface between VTP and XMPP. We plan to build this prototype network system on a real ground-based telescope in China and develop a recommended access standard, so that many other telescopes of different apertures can then query information or share observation results with the support of the system based on the standard, therefore can make contributions to the follow-up observations. This prototype network system will have great significance in the field of time domain astronomy. The system framework can also be generalized and then be applied to the quasi real-time message processing and forwarding systems in other fields.

在时域天文观测中，当高能瞬变现象被探测到后，警报事件将通过地面网络传播到网络节点上的望远镜，以便尽快进行后随观测。现今国际上使用的事件转发网络基于专为传播时域天文事件设计的VTP传输协议，开发尚不成熟。本研究拟基于国内情况建立一个时域天文地面事件转发原型网络系统，使网络在兼容国际时域天文地面事件网络的前提下，增加支持流行的XMPP通信协议，从而实现跨平台信息推送和分享。在开发协议间软件接口的同时我们会参与到VTP协议的开发中。我们计划在国内一个真实的地面望远镜上建立此原型系统，并建立望远镜入网推荐标准，使众多其他不同口径的望远镜也可依据标准接入网络，获取，分享信息和观测结果，为后随观测做出贡献。建立所述网络原型系统，不仅对时域天文领域有重要意义，还可对网络架构进行抽象，推广到其他领域的准实时消息处理和转发系统中。

本研究通过凝练时域天文学的通用科学需求，开发了一套基于VTP和XMPP为传输协议的自动化天文警报分发系统，系统接入国际时域天文地面警报网络，可对警报进行触发，解析，过滤，形成了完整的数据和控制链。系统可通过PC客户端，第三方iOS，Android的聊天客户端给订阅消息的科学家用户推送所需信息。该软件目前已经集成在SVOM以及EP天文文星地面系统的基础设施中，经测试，系统性能和稳定性优异，我们期待它未来有更好的应用前景。