Year: 2024
Type: preprint
Abstract: Spectral line observations are an indispensable tool to remotely probe the physical and chemical conditions throughout the universe. Modelling their behaviour is a computational challenge that requires dedicated software. In this paper, we present the first long-term stable release of Magritte, an open-source software library for line radiative transfer. First, we establish its necessity with two applications. Then, we introduce the overall design strategy and the application/programmer interface (API). Finally, we present three key improvements over previous versions: (1) an improved re-meshing algorithm to efficiently coarsen the spatial discretisation of a model; (2) a variation on Ng-acceleration, a popular acceleration-of-convergence method for non-LTE line transfer; and, (3) a semi-analytic approximation for line optical depths in the presence of large velocity gradients.
Source: arXiv (Cornell University)
Institution: University College London
Language: English
Subfield: Astronomy and Astrophysics
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
Awards: G204816320, Beyond the Treachery of Images: training an algorithm to turn astronomical observations into probabilistic models, G5061147345, G5328246531, ATOMIUM: ALMA Tracing the Origins of Molecules formIng dUst in oxygen-rich M-type stars, G7316994847, Probabilistically modelling the birth and death of stars: changing the game with fast and precise emulation-enabled radiative cooling
OpenAlex ID: W4404396418