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Title: SpacePy - a Python-based library of tools for the space sciences

Abstract

Space science deals with the bodies within the solar system and the interplanetary medium; the primary focus is on atmospheres and above - at Earth the short timescale variation in the the geomagnetic field, the Van Allen radiation belts and the deposition of energy into the upper atmosphere are key areas of investigation. SpacePy is a package for Python, targeted at the space sciences, that aims to make basic data analysis, modeling and visualization easier. It builds on the capabilities of the well-known NumPy and MatPlotLib packages. Publication quality output direct from analyses is emphasized. The SpacePy project seeks to promote accurate and open research standards by providing an open environment for code development. In the space physics community there has long been a significant reliance on proprietary languages that restrict free transfer of data and reproducibility of results. By providing a comprehensive, open-source library of widely used analysis and visualization tools in a free, modern and intuitive language, we hope that this reliance will be diminished. SpacePy includes implementations of widely used empirical models, statistical techniques used frequently in space science (e.g. superposed epoch analysis), and interfaces to advanced tools such as electron drift shell calculations for radiation beltmore » studies. SpacePy also provides analysis and visualization tools for components of the Space Weather Modeling Framework - currently this only includes the BATS-R-US 3-D magnetohydrodynamic model and the RAM ring current model - including streamline tracing in vector fields. Further development is currently underway. External libraries, which include well-known magnetic field models, high-precision time conversions and coordinate transformations are wrapped for access from Python using SWIG and f2py. The rest of the tools have been implemented directly in Python. The provision of open-source tools to perform common tasks will provide openness in the analysis methods employed in scientific studies and will give access to advanced tools to all space scientists regardless of affiliation or circumstance.« less

Authors:
 [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1]
  1. Los Alamos National Laboratory
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE
OSTI Identifier:
1021443
Report Number(s):
LA-UR-10-04308; LA-UR-10-4308
Journal ID: ISSN 2575--9752; TRN: US1103984
DOE Contract Number:  
AC52-06NA25396
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS; 97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING; DATA ANALYSIS; DEPOSITION; ELECTRON DRIFT; GEOMAGNETIC FIELD; MAGNETIC FIELDS; MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMICS; PHYSICS; RADIATION BELTS; RING CURRENTS; SIMULATION; SOLAR SYSTEM; TRANSFORMATIONS; VECTOR FIELDS; WEATHER

Citation Formats

Morley, Steven K, Welling, Daniel T, Koller, Josef, Larsen, Brian A, and Henderson, Michael G. SpacePy - a Python-based library of tools for the space sciences. United States: N. p., 2010. Web. doi:10.25080/Majora-92bf1922-00c.
Morley, Steven K, Welling, Daniel T, Koller, Josef, Larsen, Brian A, & Henderson, Michael G. SpacePy - a Python-based library of tools for the space sciences. United States. https://doi.org/10.25080/Majora-92bf1922-00c
Morley, Steven K, Welling, Daniel T, Koller, Josef, Larsen, Brian A, and Henderson, Michael G. 2010. "SpacePy - a Python-based library of tools for the space sciences". United States. https://doi.org/10.25080/Majora-92bf1922-00c. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1021443.
@article{osti_1021443,
title = {SpacePy - a Python-based library of tools for the space sciences},
author = {Morley, Steven K and Welling, Daniel T and Koller, Josef and Larsen, Brian A and Henderson, Michael G},
abstractNote = {Space science deals with the bodies within the solar system and the interplanetary medium; the primary focus is on atmospheres and above - at Earth the short timescale variation in the the geomagnetic field, the Van Allen radiation belts and the deposition of energy into the upper atmosphere are key areas of investigation. SpacePy is a package for Python, targeted at the space sciences, that aims to make basic data analysis, modeling and visualization easier. It builds on the capabilities of the well-known NumPy and MatPlotLib packages. Publication quality output direct from analyses is emphasized. The SpacePy project seeks to promote accurate and open research standards by providing an open environment for code development. In the space physics community there has long been a significant reliance on proprietary languages that restrict free transfer of data and reproducibility of results. By providing a comprehensive, open-source library of widely used analysis and visualization tools in a free, modern and intuitive language, we hope that this reliance will be diminished. SpacePy includes implementations of widely used empirical models, statistical techniques used frequently in space science (e.g. superposed epoch analysis), and interfaces to advanced tools such as electron drift shell calculations for radiation belt studies. SpacePy also provides analysis and visualization tools for components of the Space Weather Modeling Framework - currently this only includes the BATS-R-US 3-D magnetohydrodynamic model and the RAM ring current model - including streamline tracing in vector fields. Further development is currently underway. External libraries, which include well-known magnetic field models, high-precision time conversions and coordinate transformations are wrapped for access from Python using SWIG and f2py. The rest of the tools have been implemented directly in Python. The provision of open-source tools to perform common tasks will provide openness in the analysis methods employed in scientific studies and will give access to advanced tools to all space scientists regardless of affiliation or circumstance.},
doi = {10.25080/Majora-92bf1922-00c},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1021443}, journal = {},
issn = {2575--9752},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Fri Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 2010},
month = {Fri Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 2010}
}