RSS Simulator

Last update: 29 June 2022
Latest version: 4.6

You can download the RSS Simulator from the software download page.

Version History

  • Version 4.6 includes the pg0700 instead of the pg0300 grating, and it uses a more conservative telescope throughput.
  • Version 4.4.1 fixes the total observation time to include the exposure time.
  • Version 4.4.0 updates the solar properties and improves the overhead calculation.
  • Version 4.3.0 updates the throughput for high resolution Fabry-Pérot setups and fixes a bug that meant configuration mode changes weren’t always picked up.
  • Version 4.2.4 fixes an SNR-related bug.
  • Version 4.2.3 applies the correct constraints to the camera and grating angle.
  • Version 4.2.2 includes some changes related to polarimetry.
  • Version 4.2.1 exports the SNR modes for imaging and Fabry-Perot setups as well.
  • Version 4.2.0 automatically sets the spatial SNR mode (per bin or per resolution element) and stores both the spatial and spectral SNR mode when saving to file.
  • Version 4.1.0 includes the improved RSS throughput and adds new source spectra.
  • Version 4.0.4 extends the range of allowed blackbody temperatures to [30 K, 100,000 K].
  • Version 4.0.2 allows you to export plot data as an ASCII file.
  • Version 4.0.1 fixes a bug which implied that for an imported simulation setup always the point source button was shown as selected.
  • Version 4.0.0 uses new efficiencies and an improved spectrograph model.
  • Version 3.91 has some different default values.
  • Version 3.8 fixes a bug which resulted in the flux of an emission line spectrum not being saved.
  • Version 3.7 allows you to save and load simulation setups. Normalisation is possible in U, B, V, R and I. Flux values in user supplied spectra may be given in units of erg/cm^2/s/A.
  • Version 3.6 corrects the throughput curves for the Fabry-Prot filter.
  • Version 3.5 uses a slightly improved spectrograph model.
  • Version 3.4 fixes a bug in the calculation of the detector saturation.
  • Version 3.3 slightly improves the spectrograh model used.
  • Version 3.1 fixes bugs related to imaging and FP exposures as well as to importing files. It calculates the maximum ADUs per bin for all (rather than a single) frames. Some of the labels have been made a bit more precise.
  • Version 3.0 uses the actual throughput functions for the interference filters. ADUs can be displayed.
  • Version 2.7 improves the target spectrum generation and the handling of Fabry-Perot configurations.
  • Version 2.64 fixes some bugs.
  • Version 2.63 adds missing long slits.
  • Version 2.62 fixes memory leaks.
  • Version 2.61 fixes a bug which could cause an error when launching the tool. Version 2.6 implements the new detector saturation model. The values calculated by this version should be treated with a grain of salt; use with care and watch this space for updates.
  • Version 2.5 improves the memory usage, reducing the risk of out-of-memory errors. It also improves the calculation of the airglow background.
  • Version 2.4 of the RSS Configuration Tool fixes a bug which prevented calculating the throughput function for the PG0300 grating.

As of version 2.3 the RSS Configuration Tool is distributed for Windows and Mac OS X as a standalone application and for Linux as a jar file. (You still need Java on your computer, though. The installation works in the same way as that for the PIPT Manager; see the PIPT installation instructions.

Also note that from version 0.64 onwards, the PIPT Manager includes the functionality of the RSS Configuration Tool, so that you may simulate your exposure from within the PIPT Manager as well.

The RSS Configuration Tool is an interactive application that allows a user to select an RSS instrument configuration for an observation based on a throughput model of the instrument and simulated data. It has the ability to simulate the input spectrum for a target and the sky, propagate them through the instrument in spectroscopic mode for a given choice of slit, grating, camera angle, and order-blocking filter, and to calculate the signal/noise per resolution element at the detector given a choice of detector readout parameters. Future versions of the tool will include imaging, Fabry-Perot, and polarimetric modes. The latest documentation can be found here.