Welcome to StreamObs Documentation!

Warning

This package is under active development. The API and features may change in future releases.

StreamObs is a Python package for stellar stream data generation and observation simulation. It provides a complete pipeline to transform theoretical or dynamical stream models into realistic mock observations as they would appear in astronomical surveys. It now supports the following surveys (and corresponding data releases): - DES: Y6 - LSST: simulated properties for Y1, Y2, Y3, Y4, and Y5

What StreamObs Does

StreamObs enables you to:

1. Generate mock stellar stream data from parametric models

   • Create positions of stars along streams (phi1, phi2 or RA, Dec)

   • Model various stream morphologies (linear, sinusoidal, spline-based)

   • Assign distances and velocities to stream stars

2. Assign photometric properties using stellar isochrones

   • Generate magnitudes in multiple photometric bands (eg. g and r)

3. Simulate realistic survey observations

   • Apply survey footprint and selection functions

   • Include Galactic extinction effects

   • Add photometric errors and detection completeness

   • Simulate observational uncertainties

Use Cases

StreamObs is particularly useful for people who:

• Run dynamical simulations and need to convert results into observable quantities

• Develop stream detection algorithms and require realistic test data

• Plan survey strategies for detecting stellar streams

• Need to generate mock catalogs for pipeline validation

Note

StreamObs focuses on parametric stream models and observation simulation. It is not designed for N-body simulations or dynamical modeling.

Getting Started

New to StreamObs? Start here:

1. Installation: Installation & Dependencies - Set up StreamObs on your system

2. About: About StreamObs - Understand StreamObs’s purpose and design

3. Quickstart: Quickstart Guide - Learn the basics with simple examples

4. API Reference: Content - Explore the complete API documentation

Tip

Having issues with data download? See the StreamObs Data Files page for detailed troubleshooting.

For developers

If you’re interested in contributing to StreamObs or using it as a base for your own development, check out these pages:

1. Modify Streamobs: Contributing to StreamObs - Guidlines for modifying the core codebase

2. Adding a new survey: Adding a New Photometric Survey - Learn how to add support for a new photometric survey

3. Update data base: Update StreamObs data base - Learn how to update the data base

Documentation Contents

User Guide

• About StreamObs
  • Overview
  • What StreamObs Does
  • Use Cases
  • Development Team
  • License
  • Acknowledgments
• Installation & Dependencies
  • Quick Start
  • Data Download
  • Dependences
  • Optional Dependencies
  • Installing with pip/conda
• Quickstart Guide
  • Generating Mock Stream Data
  • Converting to Observable Quantities
  • Next Steps
  • Key Concepts
  • Getting Help
• Citation
  • How to Cite
  • Related Publications
  • Software DOI

Surveys supported

• DES
• Available releases
  • DES Y6 Gold
• LSST
• Available releases
• LSST data
• Roman

For developers

• Contributing to StreamObs
  • GitHub workflow
  • Testing
• Adding a New Photometric Survey
  • 1. Create the survey data directory
  • 2. Add survey data files
  • 3. Create the survey configuration
  • 4. Define survey properties
  • 5. Add survey tests
  • 6. Run the survey tests
  • 7. Update the data archive
  • 8. Update the documentation
• Update StreamObs data base

Reference

• StreamObs Data Files
  • Downloading Data
  • Data Storage and DOI
  • Data Organization
  • For Developers
• Content
  • streamobs package

Indices and Tables

• Index

• Module Index

• Search Page