METIS wiki

1. Simulate science observations with METIS in all modes in order to obtain performance estimates. Scientific priority: IMG (L/M+N), LMS (currently: no coronagraphic PSF simulation), long-slit spec. We need to simulate the following aspects of an observation:
   • atmospheric transmission + emission
   • thermal emission of the telescope (global emissivity or detailed model of telescope pupil?)
   • the whole optical train of the instrument (radiometric treatment of all transmissive + reflective elements + instrumental PSF)
   • dispersion effects (atmosphere + fixed ADCs)
   • diffraction effects in the instrument (spectroscopic modes)
   • detector noise and QE
   • FITS file generation
   • convenience functions to output individual frames, half-cycle averaged unchopped images, chopped and nodded images
2. Tool for pipeline testing; requirements on the simulator:
   • FITS file structure
   • FITS header keywords
3. Tool for supporting the technical design (e.g. ADC performance); requirements on the simulator not yet clear; perhaps this may require extra output options (e.g. virtual detectors in other positions in the instrument)
4. Additionally, a new simulator development should also be well documented and come at least with a few example scripts (e.g. iPython notebooks) for each instrument / simulator mode that can easily be adapted by any scientist to run their own simulations.

HCI PSF simulations will not be part of the METIS data simulator, but will be taken as a fixed input. They will be produced with dedicated simulators such as the one by Brunella Carlomagno (Liège) or HCIpy (Leiden).