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| GALPROP | |
|---|---|
| Name | GALPROP |
| Author | Andrew W. Strong, Igor V. Moskalenko, and others |
| Released | 1990s |
| Programming language | Fortran, C++, Python |
| Operating system | Unix-like, Linux, macOS, Windows (via WSL) |
| License | Academic/Research |
GALPROP
GALPROP is a numerical cosmic-ray propagation and diffuse emission modeling package developed for interpretation of high-energy astrophysical data. It provides a framework to model Galactic cosmic-ray transport, secondary production, and multiwavelength diffuse emissions, supporting analysis for missions and observatories. The project has been used by researchers affiliated with institutions such as the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics, NASA, and Stanford University and linked to experiments including Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope, AMS-02, and WMAP.
GALPROP was initiated in the early 1990s by Andrew W. Strong and Igor V. Moskalenko at institutions including the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics and has evolved through collaborations with groups at Stanford University, Old Dominion University, and NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. The code models propagation in a three-dimensional grid or cylindrically symmetric two-dimensional geometry to predict observables used by teams associated with Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope, AMS-02, PAMELA, HEAO instruments and analyses by researchers connected to CEA Saclay and Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology. The project interfaces with data products and modeling tools from projects like Planck, WMAP, and the ROSAT all-sky survey for multiwavelength comparison.
GALPROP treats a network of physical processes including diffusive transport, convection, diffusive reacceleration, energy losses, nuclear spallation, radioactive decay, and secondary particle production. Specific processes are implemented to model interactions with targets such as the Interstellar Radiation Field components mapped by collaborations at ESA and datasets used by teams from CERN-related experiments; energy losses include synchrotron radiation in Galactic magnetic field models informed by work from groups at Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics and inverse Compton scattering using photon fields derived from models by researchers at Max Planck Institute for Astronomy and IPAC. Nuclear reaction networks draw on cross-section compilations compiled by collaborations involving LANL and JINA scientists; secondary production pathways are important for interpretation of measurements from AMS-02, ACE, and Voyager 1.
The codebase is implemented in legacy Fortran with modern modules in C++ and scripting support in Python for configuration, output analysis, and pipeline integration with software from HEASARC and observatory teams such as Fermi Science Support Center. Numerical solvers include finite-difference schemes on spatial and momentum grids with iterative time-stepping influenced by techniques used in hydrodynamics codes developed at institutions like Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory and Los Alamos National Laboratory. Parallelization strategies leverage OpenMP and MPI paradigms, with builds and continuous integration workflows sometimes integrated with services used by groups at GitHub and CERN IT. Output formats adhere to standards compatible with tools from Astropy and the FITS format used widely by European Southern Observatory and Space Telescope Science Institute communities.
GALPROP requires inputs describing source distributions, injection spectra, spatial diffusion coefficients, halo size, gas distributions, and radiation fields. Source models reference Galactic structure studies from the Reid et al. maser parallax program and surveys such as the LAB Survey and the COBE-based maps used by analysts at NASA and ESA. Gas templates incorporate datasets from the Dame et al. CO survey and HI compilations used by researchers at Harvard University and University of Bonn. Interstellar radiation fields and magnetic field models often reference work by groups at the Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy and modelers collaborating with the Planck Collaboration.
GALPROP outputs include local and global cosmic-ray spectra, diffuse gamma-ray skymaps, synchrotron intensity and polarization maps, and neutrino production estimates. The package has been central to interpretations of the diffuse gamma-ray excesses studied in analyses by teams at Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope collaboration and to assessments of local cosmic-ray anomalies reported by AMS-02 and PAMELA. It has supported investigations into Galactic center excess hypotheses evaluated by researchers from Harvard University, Princeton University, and University of California, Berkeley as well as multi-messenger studies linking outputs to datasets from IceCube and ANTARES.
Validation uses direct cosmic-ray measurements from missions such as AMS-02, ACE, Voyager 1, and balloon experiments, and indirect constraints from observatories including Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope, Planck, WMAP, and radio surveys conducted by teams at NRAO and Jodrell Bank Observatory. Comparative studies have been performed alongside alternative propagation codes developed by groups at IFIC, CEA Saclay, and University of Perugia; intercomparison exercises have involved researchers from ESA and national laboratories like SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory and Brookhaven National Laboratory.
GALPROP development is collaborative, with code releases, documentation, and support coordinated by lead developers affiliated with Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics and partner institutions such as Stanford University and Old Dominion University. Distribution occurs through project repositories and community platforms used by astrophysics groups at GitHub and institutional mirrors; usage extends across collaborations at NASA, ESA, and university research groups. Training and workshops have been hosted in conjunction with conferences organized by IAU, AAS, and topical meetings at institutes like CERN and Kavli Institute for Cosmological Physics to support adoption by the community.
Category:Astrophysics software