Monte Carlo Radiation Transfer
This page contains links to documentation and the FORTRAN files of
Monte Carlo radiation transfer codes that we have developed.
The 3D codes are very adaptable
and I have applied them to a wide variety of astronomy projects, including
stellar coronae, hot star winds, star formation, planetary nebulae,
the interstellar medium of the Milky Way and external galaxies.
The documentation booklet is available in postscript and PDF
format and describes
the codes listed below. The codes are commented, but not extensively.
The algorithms have been tested against set examples and other Monte Carlo
codes. Setting up the density grid and illumination is fairly
straightforward. Plase contact me if you have problems with particular
setups and geometries and I will try to assist you.
As we make more codes available this page will
be updated.
Documentation:
Postscript version
PDF version
Scattered Light Codes Currently Available:
Plane Parallel Isotropic Scattering
3D Cartesian Grid: Point Sources
3D Cartesian Grid: Diffuse Emission
Limitations of Cartesian Grid Codes:
While the 3D Cartesian grid codes are very flexible to setup and run,
care must be taken when applying them. They are not well suited for
systems where the density variations cannot be resolved by the grid.
The circumbinary disk simulation is OK, because of the large inner radius.
However, for disks around Classical T Tauri stars this code is not suitable.
CTTS disks have a very wide range of sizescales: the scaleheight ranges from
less than a stellar radius to many AU. For these problems, a more
desirable gridding would incorporate a logarithmic radial grid and
latitudinal gridding that becomes finer towards the disk midplane. Rather
than gridding in (x,y,z) it is better to grid in spherical coordinates
(r,theta,phi). We have developed such a spherical grid code and will make
it available shortly.
Radiative Equilibrium in Galaxies
Galaxy SED & Imaging Code
Future Code Releases:
Scattered Light within a Spherical Grid
Monte Carlo Radiative Equilibrium
Codes for KGJ
Radiative Equilibrium tar directory
Funding:
The development of these codes has been funded by grants from the
USA: NASA Long Term Space Astrophysics Research Program (NAG 5-6039);
the National Science Foundation (AST 99-09966); and from the UK:
SERC/PPARC/NATO Postdoctoral Fellowship and a PPARC Advanced Fellowship.
Collaborators:
Barbara Whitney
Jon Bjorkman
Michael Wolff
Kenny Wood
Updated: 26 July 2002