This document discusses the field of astroinformatics, which uses machine learning algorithms and computational tools to analyze large astronomy datasets. It summarizes that quasars are extremely luminous celestial objects located far from Earth that emit unusually large amounts of energy. The document also notes that analyzing detailed spectra of thousands of quasars using machine learning could help identify anomalous emission patterns. Finally, it predicts that astroinformatics will be crucial for making sense of the huge volumes of data that will be produced by next-generation telescopes.

1. Quasar Spectra Astroinformatics Astronomy, Computer Science & Machine Learning

2. Quote "… the community will realise that its lone-astronomer days are over, ... the subject has become too vast and complicated … … science can be realised only through code " Anne Finkbeiner (2010)

3. Astroinformatics? Machine Learning Algorithms Software Tools Computer Science SDSS Database Virtual Observatory Astronomy Quasars Spectroscopy

4. Astroinformatics? New Scientific Knowledge

5. Quasars – What are they? Which one is the Quasar? Dictionary (OED) : a massive and extremely remote celestial object, emitting exceptionally large amounts of energy, which typically has a starlike image. It has been suggested that quasars contain massive black holes ...

6. Quasars – The Theory Quasar : Quasi-stellar Radio Source QSO : Quasar Stellar Object Highly luminous Active Galatic Nucleus (AGN) at cosmological distances Strong X-Ray emission, sometimes radio emission Time-variable flux (days, weeks) Broad AND Narrow emission lines

7. First Quasar (1963) 3C 273, was emitting a huge amount of energy, with a very unusual never-before-seen spectrum. Maarteen Schmidt analysed spectrum - realised they were hydrogen lines shifted an astonishing 16 percent toward the red. (wired.com Science Discoveries) (Credit: Open University, Peterson 1997)

8. Spectral Energy Distribution (SED) Normal Galaxies: Peak in the optical Quasars: Spectral Excess over wide range Energy Distribution cannot be from stars alone 10% Radio Loud (Credit: Open University, Peterson 1997)

9. SDSS – Sloan Digital Sky Survey Spectrograph Metal plate with fibres 640 spectra simultaneously CCD Camera Revolutionary 30 panels 4 million pixels 2.5m telescope , New Mexico Wide field (3 Degree)

10. SDSS Database Data available to public Tutorials, Software Tools, Help Desk Database interface for Amatuers & Professionals

11. SDSS Database History of all jobs run. The red ones failed! Online SQL editor (Structured Query Language) Save your results

12. Virtual Observatory (VO) The Reality : Great software but lots of duplication! USA one approach, Europe another, China another. The Hope : International Virtual Observatory Alliance (IVOA) created in 2002 to standardise Astro Data access.

13. Machine Learning KMeans Clustering Choose any 2 starting points. Keep iterating until distance minimised. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) Reduce High Dimensional Data to 2D or 3D What attributes account for most variance?

14. Project: Current Status Virtual Observatory environment setup Basic Data on 105,000 quasars downloaded & converted to database. Corrupt data on SDSS identified Outliers identified Machine Learning alogrithms ready to go

15. Tools of the Trade Version Control Backup, compare, merge, share code If you program, use this!

16. Tools of the Trade Free, Open Source MATLAB capabilities Links to C, C++, FORTRAN, R etc Numerical libraries and plotting Becoming de facto open-source scientific environment

17. Tools of the Trade Teaches ”scientists and engineers the concepts, skills, and tools they need to use and build software more productively” software-carpentry.org

18. Project: The Future Download 1000 detailed Quasar Spectra Convert Spectrum to homogenous database Run machine algorithms on data Analyse anomolous emission spectra

19. Astroinformatics: The Future Large Synoptic Survey Telescope Wide, Fast, Deep - Dark Energy 30 Terabytes nightly Square Kilometre Array Radio telescope – Gravity, first stars ~200 Terabytes nightly Panoramic Survey Telescope Hazardous objects, solar system 10 Terabytes nightly

20. Astroinformatics: The Future ? Experimental Science – Thousands of years ago Theoretical Science – Newton, Maxwell, Einstein Computational Science – Simulations, complexity Data Science – 4th Paradigm, Data Deluge (Tony Hey, Microsoft Research)

21. Astroinformatics: The Future ” Now is the time for the recognition of Astroinformatics … The future of Astronomy depends on it." (Astroinformatics: A 21st Century Approach to Astronomy, KD Borne, 2009)