Characterisation and Provenance in the Simulation Data Model

Characterisation is explicitly represented in the model, that is, there is a class called Characterisation. This is not true for Provenance, there is no box labelled Provenance. Instead most of the model actually models the provenance of simulation results.

The difference between the simulation model and other models in the VO to date is one of focus.

Most other models have as focus a particular (type of) data product. This may be an image (SIAP, Observation data model), a spectrum (SSA+Spectrum data model) or a source catalogue (SCS, Source catalog Data model). "Models" have been built, sometimes implicitly such as in SIAP, not at all such as in SCS, or explicitly (SSA), to describe metadata about these data products. Similarly the Characterisation data model aims to describe further properties of these products, such as their location in space/time/wavelength parameter space, described in various levels of detail.