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Periodic Analysis of Gamma-Ray Data

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 April 2016

R. J. Protheroe
R. J. Protheroe*
Affiliation:
Department of Physics, University of Adelaide
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Abstract

In γ-ray astronomy one often wishes to search for a periodic signal from a suspected point source. Either one knows the period in advance, for example in the case of a radio pulsar, or at least a range of possible periods, or one has no information and is searching “blind”, as in the case of SN1987a, unidentified sources in the COS-B catalogue, or binary X-ray sources without known pulse periods. In both cases one should adopt a strategy which give the best chance of obtaining a statistically significant result. The power of tests using the family of statistics based on the Rayleigh statistic is discussed for two extreme forms of possible light curves: a uniform distribution plus a delta function, and a cartoid distribution. Strategies for using these statistics are discussed. Methods of obtaining confidence bands, and in the case of an unsuccessful search, upper-limits to any pulsed component are described, and graphs given which enable these to be calculated readily given the value of the statistic obtained.

Type
Spectroscopy
Information
Publications of the Astronomical Society of Australia , Volume 7 , Issue 2 , 1987 , pp. 167 - 172
Copyright
Copyright © Astronomical Society of Australia 1987

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