PopStar is an astropy affiliated package for generating simple stellar populations from synthetic evolution and atmosphere models. Currently, PopStar generates single-age, single-metallicity populations (i.e. star clusters). It supports different initial mass functions, multiplicity perscriptions, reddening laws, filter functions, atmosphere models, and evolution models. The pacakge is object oriented and is extensible.
PopStar's primary strength is the large set of models that are accessible. In particular, we have created a set of models that "merge" the best-in-class evolution and atmosphere models to cover the full range of masses from 0.08 - 150 Msun at very young ages, including pre-main-sequence evolution.
Here is a brief list of things that PopStar can simulation built-in:
- make an isochrone for many different filter sets
- make a star cluster at any age with an unusual IMF
- make a spectrum of a star cluster in integrated light
We encourage contributions to PopStar, particular those that add support for star formation histories, metallicity distributions, new models, higher spectral resolution, etc.
- python (preferably via AstroConda, as it includes some necessary packages, like astropy and pysynphot)
- astropy
- pysynphot
- scipy
- numpy
- matplotlib
Add all of these to your python path in your .cshrc:
set CODE_DIR = /path/to/top/level/python/code setenv PYTHONPATH ${CODE_DIR}/popstar/PopStar
Once you have cloned the popstar repository, you will need to download the grid of evolution and atmosphere models. The evolution models can be found here:
GIT SITE -- load these up /g/lu/models/evolution/
Ready:
- pisa_ekstrom_parsec
- pisa_ekstrom_parsec/norot
Data files ready but not yet supported in code:
- Ekstrom2012 (rot and norot)
- ParsecV1.2S
- Pisa2011
- geneva
- merged
- siess_meynetMaeder_padova
- padova
- pallaStahler1999
- siess2000
Update:
- STERN2011
The atmosphere models use the CDBS framework (which is supported by pysynphot). We have added new grids of atmosphere models (including merged sets of atmospheres). You can find the complete CDBS grid you can download from here:
GIT SITE -- load these up /g/lu/models/cdbs
Ready:
- phoenix_v16 - high resolution (reformatted for CDBS)
- phoenix_v16_rebin - downgraded to improve synthetic photometry
performance.
You need to notify python where these models are going to live. This is done in two steps.
In your .cshrc or .bashrc, set the PYSYN_CDBS and POPSTAR_MODELS variables:
setenv PYSYN_CDBS /g/lu/models/cdbs
setenv POPSTAR_MODELS /g/lu/models
or
export PYSYN_CDBS=/g/lu/models/cdbs
export POPSTAR_MODELS=/g/lu/models
For a quick tutorial on how to make a star cluster with popstar, see the jupyter notebook at Popstar/docs/Quick_Start_Make_Cluster.ipynb
- _Astropy: http://www.astropy.org/
- _git: http://git-scm.com/
- _github: http://github.com
- _Cython: http://cython.org/