Welcome to the new version of CaltechAUTHORS. Login is currently restricted to library staff. If you notice any issues, please email coda@library.caltech.edu
Published August 2010 | Published
Journal Article Open

Astronomical Image Simulation for Telescope and Survey Development

Abstract

We present the simage software suite for the simulation of artificial extragalactic images, based empirically around real observations of the Hubble Ultra Deep Field. The simulations reproduce galaxies with realistic and complex morphologies via the modeling of UDF galaxies as shapelets. Images can be created in the B, V, i and z bands for both space- and ground-based telescopes and instruments. The simulated images can be produced for any required field size, exposure time, PSF, telescope mirror size, pixel resolution, field star density, and a variety of detector noise sources. It has the capability to create images with either a predetermined number of galaxies, or one calibrated to the number counts of preexisting data sets such as the HST COSMOS survey. In addition, simple options are included to add a known weak gravitational lensing signal (both shear and flexion) to the simulated images. The software is available in IDL and can be freely downloaded for scientific, developmental, and teaching purposes.

Additional Information

© 2010 The Astronomical Society of the Pacific. Received 2009 November 2; accepted 2010 June 26; published 2010 July 22. Thanks to Molly Peeples and Banaby Rowe. B. M. D. and J. R. acknowledge financial support through the NASA-JPL Award/Project Weak Gravitational Lensing: The Ideal Probe of Dark Matter and Dark Energy. R. J. M. acknowledges financial support through European Union grant MIRG-CT-208994 and STFC Advanced Fellowship PP/E006450/1. The work of B. M. D., J. R., and A. V. was carried out at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, under contract with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

Attached Files

Published - Dobke2010p11105Publ_Astron_Soc_Pac.pdf

Files

Dobke2010p11105Publ_Astron_Soc_Pac.pdf
Files (320.3 kB)
Name Size Download all
md5:f98a4416baa3873c34ed79ee99a579ab
320.3 kB Preview Download

Additional details

Created:
August 19, 2023
Modified:
October 20, 2023