SPAMCART: a code for smoothed particle Monte Carlo radiative transfer
Lomax, O.
Whitworth, A. P.
We present a code for generating synthetic spectral energy distributions and intensity maps from smoothed particle hydrodynamics simulation snapshots. The code is based on the Lucy Monte Carlo radiative transfer method, I.e. it follows discrete luminosity packets as they propagate through a density field, and then uses their trajectories to compute the radiative equilibrium temperature of the ambient dust. The sources can be extended and/or embedded, and discrete and/or diffuse. The density is not mapped on to a grid, and therefore the calculation is performed at exactly the same resolution as the hydrodynamics. We present two example calculations using this method. First, we demonstrate that the code strictly adheres to Kirchhoff's law of radiation. Secondly, we present synthetic intensity maps and spectra of an embedded protostellar multiple system. The algorithm uses data structures that are already constructed for other purposes in modern particle codes. It is therefore relatively simple to implement.
10.1093/mnras/stw1568
2016MNRAS.461.3542L
hydrodynamics;
Astrophysics - Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics;
Astrophysics - Solar and Stellar Astrophysics
Accepted by MNRAS. 11 Pages, 11 figures