Abstract
I describe in this paper the AGILE real-time analysis (RTA), that is, the software system developed for the AGILE \(\gamma \)-ray Mission operations and scientific observations. Important tasks of the software include scientific alerts and follow-up observations in the multi-wavelength and multi-messenger context. Key elements of the AGILE RTA are a flexible software architecture, an efficient software management workflow, and an optimised team management implemented by the AGILE Team in more than 20 years of work. All these elements contributed to the success of the AGILE Mission, and they also constitute the basis for future projects of high-energy observatories. We also describe the smartphone APP AGILEScience that displays the scientific results of the Mission for professional and outreach purposes: it is an essential element of the AGILE Ground System and a unique “gate” to the \(\gamma \)-ray sky for the public audience.
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Acknowledgements
The AGILE Mission is funded by the Italian Space Agency (ASI) with scientific and programmatic participation by the Italian Institute of Astrophysics (INAF) and the Italian Institute of Nuclear Physics (INFN). Investigation supported by the ASI grant I/089/06/2. We thank the ASI management for the unfailing support during AGILE operations. We acknowledge the effort of ASI and industry personnel in operating the ASI ground station in Malindi (Kenya), and the data processing done at the ASI/SSDC in Rome: the success of AGILE scientific operations depends on the effectiveness of the data flow from Kenya to SSDC and on the data analysis and software management.
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This paper is the peer-reviewed version of a contribution selected among those presented at the Conference on Gamma-Ray Astrophysics with the AGILE Satellite held at AccademiaNazionale dei Lincei and Agenzia Spaziale Italiana, Rome, during December 11–13, 2017.
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Bulgarelli, A. The AGILE gamma-ray satellite software system: real-time analysis and Apps for multi-wavelength and multi-messenger astronomy. Rend. Fis. Acc. Lincei 30 (Suppl 1), 207–215 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12210-019-00860-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12210-019-00860-2