SPS: A software simulator for the Herschel-SPIRE photometer

TL;DR

The paper introduces a software simulator for the Herschel-SPIRE photometer, enabling detailed numerical simulations of its output for planning and analyzing astronomical surveys.

Contribution

It presents a new, detailed simulator that combines theoretical models and flight data to generate realistic instrument output timelines.

Findings

Simulated data supports survey planning.

Demonstrated use in galaxy and debris disc surveys.

Provides a tool for pre-observation analysis.

Abstract

Instrument simulators are becoming ever more useful for planning and analysing large astronomy survey data. In this paper we present a simulator for the Herschel-SPIRE photometer. We describe the models it uses and the form of the input and output data. The SPIRE photometer simulator is a software package which uses theoretical models, along with flight model test data, to perform numerical simulations of the output time-lines from the instrument in operation on board the Herschel space observatory. A description of the types of uses of the simulator are given, along with information on its past uses. These include example simulations performed in preparation for a high redshift galaxy survey, and a debris disc survey. These are presented as a demonstration of the sort of outputs the simulator is capable of producing.