Interactive Tutorials and Automated Testing for Reltrans:
Reltrans: Scientific software often bridges the gap between theoretical physics and real-world astronomical observations. However, even the most powerful models can present a steep learning curve for researchers. That is the challenge I aim to address in my Google Summer of Code (GSoC) 2026 project with OpenAstronomy , contributing to the Reltrans model. What is Reltrans? Reltrans is a publicly available, semi-analytical model for X-ray reverberation mapping of accreting black holes. It models the strong gravity environment around black holes, computing time-averaged spectra and energy-dependent, Fourier-domain cross spectra. At its core, it relies on high-performance Fortran routines, wrapped in Python for broader accessibility. By simulating how X-rays from a hot corona illuminate the accretion disk and get "blurred" by relativistic effects, Reltrans provides astronomers with an essential tool for interpreting observations from High-Energy Astrophysics ...