| Name: Avinash CK Affiliation: Indian Institute of Astrophysics Conference ID: ASI2023_118 Title : PISTA: an open-source python-based image simulator Authors and Co-Authors : Avinash CK, Maheswar G, Smitha S, Annapurni S, Arun Roy, Gaurav Singh Abstract Type : Poster Abstract Category : Instrumentation and Techniques Abstract : The INdian Spectroscopic and Imaging Space Telescope (INSIST) is an upcoming dedicated space mission designed to observe the UV-Optical sky. To address the simulation objectives of the pre-project phase of the INSIST, we present the Python Image Simulation and Testing Application (PISTA), an open-source python-based resolved stellar population image simulator. PISTA employs position and flux information from pre-existing catalogs for simulating optical images based on different telescope and detector specifications. It treats various detector noises and shows their effects in the simulated images. Resolved stellar population simulations provide quantitative comparisons between photometric systems, which is crucial in the designing phase of the telescopes. For INSIST UV sky simulations, we employ SED fitting on the PaNSTARRs and HST data for obtaining UV flux in the INSIST UV filter. The SED fitting utilizes GPU processing to reduce computational time. Overall, PISTA offers an ecosystem for aiding next-generation telescope projects in their development and testing phases, providing crucial quantitative estimates on sensitivity and resolution. |