Panchromatic mining for quasars: an NVO keystone science application

Abstract

A data Tsunami is overwhelming Astronomy. This wave is affecting all aspects of our field, revolutionizing not just the type of scientific questions being asked, but the very nature of how the answers are uncovered. In this invited proceeding, we will address a particular scientific application - Panchromatic Mining for Quasars - of the forthcoming virtual observatories, which have arisen in an effort to control the effects of the data Tsunami. This project, in addition to serving as an important scientific driver for virtual observatory technologies, is designed to a) characterize the multi-wavelength nature of known active galaxies and quasars, especially in relation to their local environment, in order to b) quantify the clustering of these known systems in the multidimensional parameter space formed by their observables, so that new, and potentially unknown types of systems can be optimally targeted.