From 0ed447ac9850ccee3ac97f7f54834913c05f02a9 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Claude Date: Sat, 25 Jul 2026 23:44:48 +0000 Subject: [PATCH] docs: add the system-scale ladder to the New User Guide MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit The guide now routes by system scale as well as dataset type: single galaxy -> multi_galaxy (blended systems, one free light model each) -> cluster (BCG + catalogue-driven member population), mirroring the autolens_workspace regime ladder, with the deliberate galaxy/lens divergence stated (autogalaxy cluster models foreground light — its entire subject; autolens cluster fits point-source positions and models no lens light). Adds the multi_galaxy and cluster start_here links (GitHub + Colab) and fixes a stray 'scale of lensing' phrase. Co-Authored-By: Claude Fable 5 Claude-Session: https://claude.ai/code/session_012Eacj9naBWSKrevsqnVJWR --- docs/overview/overview_2_new_user_guide.md | 34 ++++++++++++++++++---- 1 file changed, 29 insertions(+), 5 deletions(-) diff --git a/docs/overview/overview_2_new_user_guide.md b/docs/overview/overview_2_new_user_guide.md index 18579450..1c935c2d 100644 --- a/docs/overview/overview_2_new_user_guide.md +++ b/docs/overview/overview_2_new_user_guide.md @@ -8,11 +8,31 @@ The [**PyAutoGalaxy AI Assistant**](https://github.com/PyAutoLabs/autogalaxy_ass ## Human-Readable Guide -**PyAutoGalaxy** can analyse galaxies for different types of data (e.g. CCD imaging and interferometer observations). -Depending on the data you use, the analysis you perform may differ significantly. +**PyAutoGalaxy** can analyse galaxies for different types of data (e.g. CCD imaging and interferometer observations) +and across a range of system scales (a single galaxy, blended multi-galaxy systems, and cluster fields). +Depending on the data you use and the scale of your system, the analysis you perform may differ significantly. -The autogalaxy_workspace contains a suite of example Jupyter Notebooks, organised by dataset type. To help you find -the most appropriate starting point, answer one simple question: +The autogalaxy_workspace contains a suite of example Jupyter Notebooks, organised by dataset type and system scale. +To help you find the most appropriate starting point, answer two simple questions: + +## What Scale System? + +How many galaxies must be modeled together? There are three scales, which form a ladder (mirroring the lensing +regime ladder of **PyAutoLens**'s `autolens_workspace`): + +- **Single Galaxy**: One galaxy dominates the image; any neighbours are contaminants to mask out. This is the + standard starting point — go to the question below called "What Dataset Type?". +- **Multi Galaxy**: Two or more galaxies of comparable brightness whose light blends together (interacting pairs, + close projected pairs, compact multiples) — each gets its own free light model, fitted simultaneously. Go to the + [multi_galaxy/start_here.ipynb](https://github.com/PyAutoLabs/autogalaxy_workspace/blob/main/notebooks/multi_galaxy/start_here.ipynb) notebook. +- **Cluster**: A brightest cluster galaxy plus tens-to-hundreds of member galaxies loaded from a CSV catalogue, + whose photometry pins the faint members while only shared normalizations stay free. Go to the + [cluster/start_here.ipynb](https://github.com/PyAutoLabs/autogalaxy_workspace/blob/main/notebooks/cluster/start_here.ipynb) notebook. + +A note for lensing users coming from **PyAutoLens**: the two doc trees mirror each other, with one deliberate +divergence at the cluster rung — **PyAutoGalaxy's cluster workflow models the foreground galaxies' light (that is +its entire subject), whereas PyAutoLens's cluster workflow does not model lens light at all** (it fits +point-source multiple-image positions of the lensed background sources). ## What Dataset Type? @@ -36,11 +56,15 @@ so you can check it is the right software for you before going through the insta Galaxy modeling with interferometer data (e.g. ALMA), fitting directly in the uv-plane. - [multi_band/start_here.ipynb](https://colab.research.google.com/github/PyAutoLabs/autogalaxy_workspace/blob/2026.7.25.2/notebooks/multi/start_here.ipynb): Multi-band galaxy modeling to study colour gradients and wavelength-dependent structure. +- [multi_galaxy/start_here.ipynb](https://colab.research.google.com/github/PyAutoLabs/autogalaxy_workspace/blob/2026.7.25.2/notebooks/multi_galaxy/start_here.ipynb): + Blended multi-galaxy systems — one free light model per galaxy, fitted simultaneously. +- [cluster/start_here.ipynb](https://colab.research.google.com/github/PyAutoLabs/autogalaxy_workspace/blob/2026.7.25.2/notebooks/cluster/start_here.ipynb): + Cluster fields — a BCG plus a catalogue-driven member population. ## Still Unsure? Each notebook is short and self-contained, and can be completed and adapted quickly to your particular task. -Therefore, if you're unsure exactly which scale of lensing applies to you, or quite what data you want to use, you +Therefore, if you're unsure exactly which system scale applies to you, or quite what data you want to use, you should just read through a few different notebooks and go from there. ## HowToGalaxy