Pricing

The nature of the tasks and, therefore, their progress can be very different, all pricing are based on individual agreements. As a guide we list some tasks below:

Individual projects:

• Tlusty Stellar Atmosphere Model calculations

  • Such tasks are computationally intensive, therefore we apply a general flat rate of 5 EUR/day/CPU-thread. Only exceptions are the Tlusty models with H and He composition, which are 3 EUR/model. For reference, the estimated calculation times with Tlusty are:
    • 20-30 minutes with H,He,C,N,O composition
    • 6-12 hours with the first 30 elements (14 explicit non-LTE, assuming no convergence problems).
  • For large samples or lengthy calculations please inquire about special rates.

• Spectroscopic fits with XTgrid and spectral classifications

  • These fits employ Tlusty models, therefore the same 5 EUR/day/CPU-thread rate applies. For reference, the estimated calculation times of XTgrid fits with 40-60 iterations and a single CPU-thread are:
  • 1-2 days with H,He,C,N,O composition
  • 2-3 weeks with the first 30 elements (14 explicit non-LTE; assuming normal convergence rate; depends on the observed data and cluster load as well).
  XTgrid is ready for parallel computations which provide a 30%-90% speed-up of the iterations depending on the actual type of iterations and the number of CPU-threads reserved for the project.

  Computer CPUs are not identical, Intel chips are faster on a single thread and AMD chips are more suitable for multi-threaded parallel applications. Therefore we apply a correction for the single thread equivalent CPU time depending on the architecture used in the projects. For the quoted project times and prices we use the single thread performance of an AMD FX-8350 CPU as reference.

• Animation and Media Content (Blender, Gimp)

  • Such tasks depend on the type and complexity of the requested material. Prices are upon agreement, please inquire.

• Service Observing (visitor mode)

  • We request a full travel reimbursement (all travel, accommodation, observatory residence expenses, insurance) plus 100 EUR/day.

• You name a task, like: code designing or optimizing, consulting, proposal writing, etc.

  • These tasks are rated at 12 EUR/hour and we apply a tracking system with 15 minutes ticketing to measure the time spent on a project. Describe the problem, if we can help, we will agree on something.

Annual, medium and short-term collaborative partnerships for stellar atmosphere model calculations or spectroscopic fits are also available.

• "Round collaboration"

  • Long-term (annual) collaboration in spectroscopic projects including up to 8 CPU threads for a flat rate of 360 EUR/month.

• "Half-round collaboration"

  • Medium-term (6 months) collaboration in spectroscopic projects including up to 8 CPU threads for a flat rate of 640 EUR/month.

• "Quarter-round collaboration"

  • Short-term (3 months) collaboration in spectroscopic projects including up to 8 CPU threads for a flat rate of 920 EUR/month.