https://github.com/johan12345/gcs_python
Graduated cylindrical shell CME model in Python
https://github.com/johan12345/gcs_python
cme coronalmassejections gui python solar-physics sunpy
Last synced: 5 months ago
JSON representation
Graduated cylindrical shell CME model in Python
- Host: GitHub
- URL: https://github.com/johan12345/gcs_python
- Owner: johan12345
- License: mit
- Created: 2020-09-21T13:38:08.000Z (over 5 years ago)
- Default Branch: master
- Last Pushed: 2024-08-29T18:54:34.000Z (almost 2 years ago)
- Last Synced: 2025-09-05T03:56:00.955Z (10 months ago)
- Topics: cme, coronalmassejections, gui, python, solar-physics, sunpy
- Language: Python
- Homepage:
- Size: 3.18 MB
- Stars: 22
- Watchers: 2
- Forks: 11
- Open Issues: 5
-
Metadata Files:
- Readme: README.md
- License: LICENSE
- Citation: CITATION.cff
Awesome Lists containing this project
README
GCS in Python
=============
[](https://zenodo.org/badge/latestdoi/297350666)
Python 3 implementation of the Graduated Cylindrical Shell model (GCS, [Thernisien, 2011](https://dx.doi.org/10.1088%2F0067-0049%2F194%2F2%2F33)).
Based on the existing IDL implementation in [SolarSoft](https://www.lmsal.com/solarsoft/)
(`cmecloud.pro`, `shellskeleton.pro`).
The code in `gcs/geometry.py` provides the basic implementation of the GCS geometry, while the Qt-based GUI in
`gcs/gui.py` uses [SunPy](https://sunpy.org/) and Matplotlib to plot the model on top of coronagraph images provided by
[Helioviewer.org](https://www.helioviewer.org/).
A more detailed description of the GCS model, this Python implementation and its validation is given in
[this excerpt](/doc/gcs_implementation_forstner_phd_2021.pdf?raw=true) from
[my PhD thesis](https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:gbv:8:3-2021-00166-5).
Note
----
This code is still in a quite early stage. It has been compared with the original IDL/SolarSoft version to verify the results, but only for a few case studies.
Please be careful when using it and compare to IDL when in doubt.
If you find a bug, run into technical problems during the installation, or have suggestions for improvement, please create a
GitHub [issue](https://github.com/johan12345/gcs_python/issues/new). As I have since left the Heliophysics field and am no longer actively using the tool myself, I can't promise timely responses. But it is still preferrable compared to writing me an email in private, as other users can also help you.
If you have fixed a bug or implemented improvements, please feel free to open a [Pull Request](https://github.com/johan12345/gcs_python/compare)!
If you use this code in a publication, please cite it using [the DOI generated by Zenodo](https://zenodo.org/badge/latestdoi/297350666). I would also appreciate it if you drop me an email and tell me what you used it for :)
How to install and run the GUI
------------------------------
Python 3.7 or later and Git are required for installation.
```
# install GCS
pip3 install git+https://github.com/johan12345/gcs_python.git
# run GCS GUI, providing a date/time and the spacecraft to use
gcs_gui "2020-04-15 06:00" STA SOHO
```
Information on the available command line arguments for the GUI is given when you run the help option:
```shell script
gcs_gui -h
```
### Common issues
- `command not found: gcs_gui`\
This sounds like the directory where `pip` installs executables (on Linux this is typically `~/.local/bin`) is not on your `PATH`. `pip` probably printed a warning about this when you were installing the package.
- `RuntimeError: You must have a version of OpenJPEG at least as high as 2.3.0 before you can read JPEG2000 images with glymur.`\
Loading Helioviewer images with SunPy requires the OpenJPEG library to be available on your `PATH`. You can install it through your system package manager (e.g., `apt install libopenjp2-7-dev`), through [`conda`](https://anaconda.org/conda-forge/openjpeg/) or [manually](https://github.com/uclouvain/openjpeg/releases), as you prefer.
How to use the GCS geometry in your own plotting code
-----------------------------------------------------
Simply install GCS (as seen above) and use
```python
import gcs.geometry
```
to import the code from the GCS package. You can find some examples what you can do with it in the files
`sample.py` and `sample_sunpy.py`.
Development setup
-----------------
First, clone the git repository:
```shell script
git@github.com:johan12345/gcs_python.git
```
It is recommended to use a [virtual environment](https://docs.python.org/3/tutorial/venv.html) so that the
Python packages you install as dependencies of GCS don't interfere with your globally installed packages.
On some Linux distributions, the additional `python3-venv` package needs to be installed for this to work.
```shell script
python3 -m venv env
. env/bin/activate
```
Then, install the dependencies:
```shell script
# install requirements
python3 -m pip install --upgrade pip setuptools
pip3 install -r requirements.txt
```
and test the GUI using
```shell script
python -m gcs.gui "2020-04-15 06:00" STA SOHO
```