ACE Level 2 Data Policy Statement

• ACE data processing beyond level 1 is the responsibility of each instrument team. Level 2 processing includes the application of calibration data and detector response maps, organization of data into appropriate energy and time bins, and transformation of vector data into appropriate coordinate systems.

• The quality of ACE level 2 data is intended to be such that it is suitable for serious scientific study. However, to avoid confusion and misunderstanding, it is recommended that users consult with the appropriate ACE team members before publishing work derived from the data.

• The ACE team has worked hard to ensure that the level 2 data are free from errors, but the team cannot accept responsibility for erroneous data, or for misunderstandings about how the data may be used. This is especially true if the appropriate ACE team members are not consulted before publication. At the very least, preprints should be forwarded to the ACE team before publication.

• The appropriate ACE team members should be acknowledged in any publication derived from the ACE data. Guidelines for acknowledging your use of ACE Level 2 data

• It is requested that the ACE team be informed (eg: by email to asc@srl.caltech.edu) of any presentations and publications that use ACE data, and that preprints and reprints of such publications be sent to the ACE Science Center for inclusion in the library of ACE-related publications.

• The ASC acts as a central facility where all the level 2 data from each instrument is gathered from the instrument teams and converted to a common data format - Hierarchical Data Format (HDF).

• When possible, the ASC ensures that time-averaged level 2 data from different ACE instruments have common time boundaries. This is generally true for hourly and longer time averages, but not for shorter time averages.

• ACE level 2 data in HDF format are archived at the ASC and will also be sent to the NSSDC for long-term archiving. The data will be available to the scientific community from both the ASC and the NSSDC.

• The ASC will provide software and documentation to facilitate access to ACE level 2 data.

• The instrument teams began delivery of level 2 data to the ASC in the 4th quarter of 1998. Testing, verification of the data, and conversion to HDF format has been completed for some instruments, and is in the final stages for others. When level 2 delivery becomes routine, the ASC expects to receive the level 2 data from the instrument teams about two months after the instrument teams receive the level 1 data from the ASC.

• The ACE level 2 data are expected to be evolutionary, in the sense that an instrument team may enhance their level 2 data with additional products in the future, as the sophistication of the data analysis improves.

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