Heliophysics Events Knowledgebase (HEK) Support for Heliophysics Systems Research

Understanding heliophysical systems requires tools for conducting surveys of data and metadata to discern trends, correlations, and causation. The Heliophysics Events Knowledgebase (HEK) provides a system for collecting and presenting heliophysical data based on the Virtual Observatory (VOEvent) format and other standards. The HEK incorporates entries from distributed ground and space based solar observatories and event descriptions generated by automated algorithms, detailed data analysis and citizen scientists. This makes it possible to carry out integrated studies that span the full range of heliophysics and these resources are available to any interested researcher. The HEK is transitioning to an infrastructure model which will ensure the archive persists beyond the life of the missions that have largely shaped its development. We present features of the HEK that support construction of detailed workflows to conduct research involving fusion of multiple data and event sources via search tools that compute spatial and temporal overlaps between entries. We also outline improvements and new features planned for the coming years, which include better tools and outreach to receive submissions from many more event lists and instruments to the HEK and improved support for coordinated, multi-instrument campaigns through expanded features for planned observations. A key emphasis will be expansion of the registry and its coordinate systems to off-axis and in-situ events throughout the heliosphere to complement the existing near-Earth remote sensing data sources.