[fitswcs] Polarization codes

[William Thompson]

William Thompson wrote:

> I've talked to some of my colleagues about magnetometer data, which I'm not as 
> familiar with.  Usually, magnetometer data is distributed already combined into 
> physical quantities, such as magnetic field strength, or azimuth and elevation 
> angles.  When the actual polarization state of the data are distributed, they're 
> distributed as I,Q,U,V images, which are already well covered by the current 
> standard.  (However, I'm not aware of anybody who actually *uses* that standard 
> for magnetograph data--probably, they don't even know it exists.)  The actual 
> filtergrams are not routinely distributed.

A little more information about this.  Apparently some data are distributed with 
wavelength along one dimension, and the Stokes values at each wavelength along 
the other dimension.  Other data are distributed with the I,Q,U,V values derived 
from integrals over the line profile.

-- 
William Thompson
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Code 671
Greenbelt, MD  20771
USA

301-286-2040
William.T.Thompson at nasa.gov

(Note changed email address)