pwv-kpno 0.10.1

Models the atmospheric transmission function for KPNO

pwv_kpno is a Python package for modeling the atmospheric transmission function at Kitt Peak National Observatory. It provides atmospheric models in the optical and near-infrared (7000 to 11000 Angstroms) for years 2010 onward. Knowing the atmospheric transmission function is important when correcting ground based astronomical observations for atmospheric effects. Observed spectra are typically corrected using observations of a telluric standard star. pwv_kpno provides an alternative method that does not require dedicated observation time, and that can be run at the observer’s convenience.

When working in the optical and near-infrared, the atmospheric transmission function is highly dependent on the amount of precipitable water vapor (PWV) in the atmosphere. pwv_kpno models the atmospheric transmission using PWV measurements provided by the SuomiNet Project. SuomiNet measures PWV values by relating the delay in GPS signals to PWV levels in the atmosphere. This package uses measurements taken by GPS receivers located at Kitt Peak AZ, Amado AZ, Sahuarita AZ, Tucson AZ, and Tohono O’odham Community College.

For more details on the correlation between GPS signals and PWV levels see Blake and Shaw, 2011 (https://arxiv.org/abs/1109.6703). To learn more about the SuomiNet project, see their website (http://www.suominet.ucar.edu/overview.html).

Documentation for pwv_kpno, including installation and setup instructions, can be found online (https://mwvgroup.github.io/pwv_kpno/).