Purpose: Coordinate Transformations Category WORLD COORDINATES, IRAS File: irco.shl Author: Do Kester Person resp.: Do Kester Address: guspace!do or rugfx4!do (uucp) Description: Coordinate transformation The IRAS data need an efficient coordinate transformation system to transform each sample from sunreferenced coordinates to the system requested by the user. For each scan the sunreferenced coordinate system is different as the earth has moved. We propose the use of three-dimensional unit vectors to represent longitude and latitude in a coordinate system. To get from longitude and latitude to rectangular coordinates use IRCO_TORECT, and IRCO_TOSPHER for the reverse. IRCO_TWISTORECT and IRCO_RECTOTWIST do the same, however they include a twist angle too. Transformation now simplifies to the in-product with a proper transformation matrix. Some of these transformation matrices can be prepared in advance. See IRCO_TRANSFORM. Five standard systems are defined. The systems are, in this order, Equatorial, Galactic, Ecliptic, SuperGalactic and SunReferenced. The first and third have their epoch at 2000. The SunReferenced system has its `epoch' at solar elongation = 0. The north pole of the SunReferenced system will be at the sun while the zeropoint of longitude is at the ecliptic north pole. The ecliptic is assumed to be fixed in time. The transformations between these 5 systems fill 11 different matrices: one identity matrix and 5 * ( 5 - 1 ) / 2 = 10 others. ( The transformation matrix of system K to system I is the transpose of the matrix from I to K. ) Of these 11 matrices only 6 are actually defined; the others are calculated when necessary. There is room for 5 more systems to be defined by the user, but with the limitation that there is only room for 14 more transformation matrices. So not all conversions can be filled. It is left to the user to decide which transformations are indeed constructed. See IRCO_NEWCOOR. The Equatorial and Ecliptic systems can be precessed to any epoch, and from that epoch to any other. See IRCO_PRECESS. There is a special user-defined coordinate system which is used in the construction of a map. It is called the plate-system. Its zero point of longitude and latitude are in the projection center of the map while the meridians of the plate system are parallel to those of the reference system, i.e. the system the projection center is given in. See IRCO_PLATE. Shifting from one sunreferenced system to the next can be archieved by precessing the system. See IRCO_SUNREF. To project coordinates in the plate-system onto a map the routines IRCO_PROJECT and IRCO_PROTWIST are provided, the latter includes a projection of the twist angle. Names and numbers of coordinate systems or projection types are connected with resp. IRCO_NAMEPOCH, IRCO_NUMBER and IRCO_PRNAME, IRCO_PRNUMBER. IRCO_PRAXNAME provides fits-like names for the combination of coordinate system and projection type. In the file irco.h all declaration files of these transformation and projection routines are bundled.