Auxiliary software

To date, there are several MWA related programs, in part under development. Here is a brief summary of these tools.

Nanolytics Instruments is currently developing an application for handling stored MWA data. This program will allow to extract data from stored binary files, e.g. for import into UltraScan, single wavelength scans in Beckman legacy format, or to reduce file size by deleting radial and wavelength ranges that have been found to contain no useful data. The program will recognize series of scans and allow batch processing for entire AUC runs.

Borries Demeler's UltraScan III is capable of importing MWA data in a specific, reduced format documented here. Nanolytics Instruments' ScanControl supports this format. After import into UltraScan III, the data can be analysed and fitted, but also viewed in a fast 3D-viewer from different perspectives. This tool is specifically useful for visual inspection of raw data as a preparation for data analysis.

Walter Stafford's SEDANAL can process large data sets consisting of up to 2048 wavelengths. The SEDANAL Preprocessor allows the deconvolution of individual components into concentration profiles as a function of time given the extinction spectra of the components. Three dimensional, 3D, time derivative analysis, including DCDT and WDA (Wide Distribution Analysis), allows the analysis of sedimentation velocity data either at single wavelengths or at many wavelengths simultaneously. Fitting to 3D data affords a huge increase in signal-to-noise and the ability to resolve individual species and components in mixtures of both non-interacting and interacting systems. Spectra of unknown components can be measured from the sedimentation patterns if the peaks can be well resolved.

Dirk Haffke at the University of Konstanz has developed an MWA data viewing tool, capable of loading complete scan series and displaying raw data in different modes. This program is available from the author for the public. The program can also export single wavelength data into Beckman legacy format.