2006A&A...447.1093Z

We present a new radiative transfer code for axi-symmetric stellar atmospheres and compare test results against 1D and 2D models with and without velocity fields. The code uses the short characteristic method with modifications to handle axi-symmetric and non-monotonic 3D wind velocities, and allows for distributed calculations. The formal solution along a characteristic is evaluated with a resolution that is proportional to the velocity gradient along the characteristic. This allows us to accurately map the variation of the opacities and emissivities as a function of frequency and spatial coordinates, but avoids unnecessary work in low velocity regions. We represent a characteristic with an impact-parameter vector p (a vector that is normal to the plane containing the characteristic and the origin) rather than the traditional unit vector in the direction of the ray. The code calculates the incoming intensities for the characteristics by a single latitudinal interpolation without any further interpolation in the radiation angles. Using this representation also provides a venue for distributed calculations since the radiative transfer can be done independently for each p.