Speaker
Description
Precision modelling of instrumental effects is critical for radio interferometry, particularly for 21cm cosmology and Epoch of Reionisation (EoR) experiments, where detecting faint signals requires rigorous foreground subtraction. We present RRIvis, a new open-source Python package designed to address the need for accuracy and flexibility in simulating interferometric visibilities. Built on the RIME formalism, RRIvis provides a framework for modelling the full signal propagation chain. It implements a chain of Jones matrices, covering geometric delays, direction-dependent primary beams, ionospheric effects, polarization leakage, and complex gains. This allows researchers to simulate realistic instrumental systematics with the highest fidelity. A defining feature of RRIvis is its hardware-agnostic acceleration powered by JAX. This enables the code to run transparently on CPUs, NVIDIA/AMD GPUs, and Apple Silicon. The package prioritises usability, type-safe config, compatibility with standard data formats (such as CASA MS), and a modular design that allows users to implement custom Jones terms. We present validation results confirming its accuracy against established simulators and demonstrate its performance benchmarks, offering the community a tool for pipeline verification and experimental planning.
