ixpeobssim is a simulation and analysis framework, based on the Python
programming language and the associated scientific ecosystem, specifically
developed for the Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE). Given a source
model and the response functions of the telescopes, it is designed to produce
realistic simulated observations, in the form of event lists in FITS format,
containing a strict super-set of the information provided by standard IXPE
level-2 files. The core ixpeobssim simulation capabilities are complemented by
a full suite of post-processing applications, allowing for the implementation
of complex, polarization-aware analysis pipelines, and facilitating the
inter-operation with the standard visualization and analysis tools
traditionally in use by the X-ray community. We emphasize that, although a
significant part of the framework is specific to IXPE, the modular nature of
the underlying implementation makes it potentially straightforward to adapt it
to different missions with polarization capabilities.Comment: 12 pages, 6 figures. Accepted for publication on SoftwareX; source
code available at https://github.com/lucabaldini/ixpeobssi
