Efficient cone searches with Healpix-alchemy

In summary, "Efficient cone searches with Healpix-alchemy" discusses a method to optimize cone searches in astronomical data using the Healpix pixelization scheme. The paper presents algorithms that significantly enhance the speed and efficiency of searching large datasets for celestial objects within a defined angular region. By leveraging the hierarchical structure of Healpix, the authors demonstrate improved performance in both computation time and resource usage, making it a valuable tool for researchers in astrophysics dealing with extensive surveys and data analysis.
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Implementation of a more efficient cone search using healpix-alchemy
I am trying to implement a cone search for a catalog with the HEALPix-alchemy package. I have the following models set up, based on the examples here: https://arxiv.org/pdf/2112.06947


Python:
class Field(Base):
        """
        Represents a collection of FieldTiles making up the area of interest.
        """
        id = Column(Integer, primary_key=True, autoincrement=True)
        tiles = relationship(lambda: FieldTile, order_by="FieldTile.id")


class FieldTile(Base):
    """
    A HEALPix tile that is a component of the Field being selected.
    """
    id = Column(ForeignKey(Field.id), primary_key=True)
    hpx = Column(Tile, index=True)
    pk = Column(Integer, primary_key=True, autoincrement=True)


class Source(Base):
    """
    Represents a source and its location.
    """
   
    id = mapped_column(Integer, primary_key=True, index=True, autoincrement=True)
    name = Column(String, unique=True)
    Heal_Pix_Position = Column(Point, index=True, nullable=False)


I am then using CDSHealpix to get the HEALPix cells contained within a specified cone.

I construct the Multi Order Coverage map from the HEALPix cells using MOCpy and extract the HEALPix tiles using HEALPix-alchemy.

I then populate the Field table with this collection of tiles.

Finally, I perform the following query:

Python:
query = db.query(Source).filter(FieldTile.hpx.contains(Source.Heal_Pix_Position)).all()

However, this is very inefficient as I am effectively checking each source in my catalog to see if it is contained within a FieldTile.

How can I modify my approach so that I am checking each tile and returning the sources that it contains?
 

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