README.nemo

Adding potentials in NEMO format
=================================

NEMO (http://bima.astro.umd.edu/nemo/) uses potentials by compiling
each potential into a shared-object library (*.so) that can then be
dynamically loaded at runtime. Therefore, adding a potential just
requires one to compile a new library for the potential in a way that
NEMO can pass parameters to it.

The directory nemo/ contains C++ implementations of additional
potentials that are not included in the NEMO release. To add a new
potential to this, do:

1) Use nemo/PowSphwCut.cc as a template and implement your new
potential based on this and store it in the nemo/ directory;

2) Add the new potential to nemo/Makefile in a similar manner as the
PowSphwCut.so target (if you need additional libraries, make sure to
link to these). Also add this target to the 'all' target near the top.

3) With NEMO running (having sourced nemo_start), such that the NEMO
environment variables are defined, you can then install the new
potential by running

make

in the nemo directory.

4) If it works, consider contributing this potential to the galpy
codebase by adding it to a fork and opening a pull request!