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Solar Tower Array Ray-tracer

Chris Gottbrath, Mary Kertzman, and Glenn Sembroski, David Peaper

Overview

STARt is a package of programs intended for use in the design and characterization of central tower solar array gamma-ray telescopes. These programs are a supplement to KASCADE, a Cherenkov air shower simulation system developed by Kertzman and Sembroski. STARt takes the photoelectron output of KASCADE and the parameters of the telescope in question and returns a binary file containing information about the photons that hit the detector region of the focal surface of the secondary optical system as well as a series of log files.  STARt is written in DEC FORTRAN 77, and while I have tried to take into account most of the telescope parameters that one would like to see changed, any serious use of this program will probably involve modification of the source code.


The Code and Documentation

Eventually I want to have at least two pieces of documentation for this package. The first is a simple manual that tells how to use the package. I also want to provide a specifications document that gives an overview of how the program works (which should help with debugging).

Please feel free to download a copy of the code for yourself.

Conditions of Use

The primary condition that I place on anyone for the use of this package is that I receive proper recognition for having developed and written this code. Specifically, I expect to be credited in any publications utilizing this code or any part of this code.

If you end up actually making use of this code for length of time I'd appreciate hearing from you. Please drop me some email giving your name, the telescope you are working on, and what you are using the code for. I'll try to maintain a list and send out notes keeping you abreast of any bugs, code revisions and such.

Support and Release History

STARt was written during my final years as an undergraduate at DePauw University during my research with Dr. Kertzman. I was supported by her NSF-RUI grant at the time.

While I will have limited time to put towards this project for the foreseeable future I do intend to support this package. Please contact me if you find any bugs and feel free to send in any successful code changes. I will add them into the next version of the code or place them here on the web page. I will, of course, credit anyone contributing code.

Plans for Future Refinement

As I said, I don't have much more time to work on this project, but the things that I would like to see done with the code:

A UNIX port of the code and/or a version conforming to FORTRAN 90/95 specifications should be forthcoming someday soon.


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chrisg@maat.physics.depauw.edu
This page written July 18th 1997

(Last edited Oct. 13, 2005)