The PDS Rings Node is developing a more sophisticated tool for selecting CIRS
files based on geometric constraints. However, that tool is not yet available.
As you develop your personal search strategies, you'll want to refer to the
TUTORIAL.TXT file which contains the definitive
documentation on the contents and structure of the re-formatted CIRS data.
The Access Re-formatted Data tab,
provides a link to each volume and gives the time interval covered
by the volume.
2. Using Indices
Volume specific index files are located in the INDEX subdirectory
on each volume. You can use the index files to refine a search within
the volume. Index files have PDS labels, and those labels refer to
.FMT files in the same directory that describe the column structure in
each index.
The master index file INDEX/INDEX.TAB contains the general
information about every data file on the volume (one data file per
line). One keyword reported in the INDEX.TAB files is OBSERVATION_ID
which contains the unique CIMS request ID associated with a given
file. For information about how to interpret the CIMS ID, see section
3. Introduction to the Cassini
Timeline under the About Re-formtted Data tab.
Supplemental index files INDEX/RININDEX.TAB,
INDEX/POIINDEX.TAB and INDEX/ISPMINDEX.TAB contain tables of these additional
parameters. They can be used for identifying, for example, which observation
captured a particular latitude, longitude and incidence angle on the surface
of Enceladus.
More detailed searches can be conducted by reading the metadata
files row by row, which will enable you to identify the specific detectors
that captured a target under the desired circumstances.
3. Directory and File Names
Another option is to use the VOLUME_ID, coupled with
subdirectory and file names and browse the data directories. See the
Naming Conventions: Re-formtted Data tab
for insights into the naming structures for the re-formatted data set.
4. Where to go next
Use the tabs at the top of this page to obtain more
information about the re-formatted data.
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