The Palomar Transient Factory Data Archive

Abstract

The Palomar Transient Factory (PTF) is a multi-epoch robotic survey of the northern sky for the scientific study of transient astronomical phenomena. The camera and telescope provide for wide-field imaging in two optical bands. The system has been in operation since December 2008. The image data are sent to the Infrared Processing and Analysis Center (IPAC) for processing and archiving. The archived science products are astrometrically and photometrically calibrated images, extracted source catalogs, and coadded reference images. Relational databases track these products in operations and the data archive. The fully automated system has benefited by lessons learned from past IPAC projects and comprises advantageous features that are potentially incorporable into other ground-based observatories. Both off-the-shelf and in-house software have been utilized for economy and rapid development. The PTF data archive is curated by the NASA/IPAC Infrared Science Archive (IRSA). A state-of-the-art custom web interface has been deployed for downloading the raw images, processed images, and source catalogs from IRSA. A public release of this science-rich archive is planned.