apexpy 1.0.1

A Python wrapper for Apex coordinates

This is a Python wrapper for the Apex fortran library by Emmert et al. [2010] [1], which allows converting between geodetic, modified apex, and quasi-dipole coordinates as well as getting modified apex and quasi-dipole base vectors (Richmond [1995] [2]). MLT calculations are also included. The package is free software (MIT license).

Quick start

Install (requires NumPy):

pip install apexpy

Conversion is done by creating an Apex object and using its methods to perform the desired calculations. Some simple examples:

>>> from apexpy import Apex
>>> A = Apex(date=2015.3)  # datetime objects are also supported
>>> # geo to apex, scalar input
>>> mlat, mlon = A.convert(60, 15, 'geo', 'apex', height=300)
>>> mlat
57.469573974609375
>>> mlon
93.633583068847656
>>> # apex to geo, array input
>>> glat, glon = A.convert([90, -90], 0, 'apex', 'geo', height=0)
>>> glat
array([ 83.09959412, -74.38826752])
>>> glon
array([ -84.59458923,  125.71492767])
>>> # geo to MLT
>>> import datetime as dt
>>> mlat, mlt = A.convert(60, 15, 'geo', 'mlt', datetime=dt.datetime(2015, 2, 10, 18, 0, 0))
>>> mlat
56.590423583984375
>>> mlt
19.108103879292806
>>> # can also convert magnetic longitude to mlt
>>> mlt = A.mlon2mlt(120, dt.datetime(2015, 2, 10, 18, 0, 0))
>>> mlt
20.893547503153481

If you don’t know or use Python, you can also use the command line. See details in the full documentation.

Documentation

https://apexpy.readthedocs.org/

References

[1]

Emmert, J. T., A. D. Richmond, and D. P. Drob (2010), A computationally compact representation of Magnetic-Apex and Quasi-Dipole coordinates with smooth base vectors, J. Geophys. Res., 115(A8), A08322, doi:10.1029/2010JA015326.

[2]

Richmond, A. D. (1995), Ionospheric Electrodynamics Using Magnetic Apex Coordinates, Journal of geomagnetism and geoelectricity, 47(2), 191–212, doi:10.5636/jgg.47.191.

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Changelog

1.0.1 (2016-03-10)

• Remove geocentric to geodetic conversion of subsolar point based on feedback from Art Richmond. (The subsolar point is the same in geocentric and geodetic coordinates.) The helper function gc2gdlat have been kept to preserve backwards compatibility.

1.0.0 (2015-11-30)

• Initial release