Synthesizer: Synthetic Observables For Modern Astronomy

TL;DR

Synthesizer is a Python package that enables astronomers to efficiently generate realistic synthetic observations from galaxy models, combining speed, flexibility, and ease of use through modular design and optimized computation.

Contribution

It introduces a modular, extensible Python tool that simplifies and accelerates the creation of synthetic astronomical data from theoretical models.

Findings

Fast generation of realistic synthetic observations

Modular design allows flexible modeling assumptions

Enhanced computational efficiency with C++ extensions

Abstract

Synthesizer is a fast, flexible, modular, and extensible Python package that empowers astronomers to turn theoretical galaxy models into realistic synthetic observations - including spectra, photometry, images, and spectral cubes - with a focus on interchangeable modelling assumptions. By offloading computationally intensive tasks to threaded C++ extensions, Synthesizer delivers both simplicity and speed, enabling rapid forward-modelling workflows without requiring users to manage low-level data processing and computational details.