3

Are there any publicly available codes to sample from an initial mass function (common ones... Kroupa, Chabrier, Salpeter) to construct a cluster, then use stellar models to generate an integrated spectrum? I imagine such codes must be quite common, as they're relatively easy to write, but require access to stellar model databases or very simple stellar models.

keflavich
  • 406

1 Answers1

1

The one population synthesis code I've used is GALAXEV, which can be found here. It allows you to choose either the Chabrier or Salpeter IMF, as well as select a star formation history from a few simple models, and it outputs the integrated spectrum. The stellar models and evolutionary tracks are all included in the code and supporting files.

I will caution, however, that this code, despite its popularity, is written in near-defunct Fortran. It took me several days to get it working, between figuring out its ancient I/O format, running preliminary scripts to convert between ASCII and binary files (yes the authors believe reading in a few kilobytes of ASCII data somehow takes a significant amount of time), and finding a compiler from the post-vacuum tube era that actually accepted the source. Yet one more example of astronomy being several decades behind when it comes to computers...