Noise in Real Data Analysis
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Physics 114: Lecture 8 Measuring Noise in Real Data Dale E. Gary NJIT Physics Department
Mean and Standard Deviation • Sample Mean • Parent population mean • Standard Deviation from sample mean • Standard Deviation from parent population mean
Homework 1 Data Note, “data” is plural • The HAT-P-6 b transit data are shown at the right. • If in MatLAB you type mean(a(:,6)) and std(a(:,6)), you will find that the data have a mean of 10.50, and standard deviation of 0.015. • The plot at lower right shows the histogram of the measurements with an overlay of a Gaussian (normal distribution) bell curve using the parameters above.
Homework 1 Data • As an example of evaluating data in a real application, consider the HAT-P-6 data from homework 1. • This is data taken during an eclipse of a star by a planet (that is, the planet is crossing in front of the star, causing a very small decrease in light level). Unfortunately, I could not get everything set up in time, and I only got the time at the end of the eclipse (egress). • The data came from images of the star field, and there are several steps to obtaining the light curve. Two examples of eclipses by others, with more complete lightcurves.
Homework 1 Data • Here is a fit to the measurements that you read in. The curve is the expected eclipse lightcurve obtained from “forward fitting” using a model for the eclipse. • Note the “trend removed” curve, which is an example of a systematic error.
Homework 1 Data • The magnitude measurements are themselves made with images from a CCD camera, which have their own systematic and random errors. • The systematic errors can be removed through calibration, and as mentioned before, they include both additive and multiplicative errors. • To remove such systematic errors, we want to make the random errors in the calibration data as small as possible. • Let’s go through the process and introduce CCD cameras.
How CCDs Work • Photons to Analog/Digital Units (Counts) One photon has 73% chance to cause release of an electron (e-). It takes 1.6 e- to give 1 count. So 100 photons will result in 100*0.73/1.6 = 45 counts. Each well can hold 120,000 e- = 55000 counts mm mm These 2 parameters give conversion of photons to counts
How CCDs Work • Bias (additive) Even with 0 s exposure, just reading out the image gives (on average) 17 e-, or about 10 counts. This is called bias, and is neither temperature nor time dep. mm mm These 2 parameters give noise output
How CCDs Work • Dark Current (additive) With a time exposure, say a 1 min exposure at -30 C, will have 19 more counts. This is BOTH temperature and time dep. mm mm These 2 parameters give noise output
Imaging First Principles • The last step is to take calibration frames: Bias, Dark, and Flat frames. • I take 20 Bias and 20 Dark (set camera cooler to temperature first, and take dark frames for same duration as imaging frames). I take 10-20 flat frames (need even illumination—set duration for mid-range exposure). • Bias frames are instantaneous, for subtraction of read noise. • Dark frames are same duration as imaging frames, for subtraction of dark current and correction of hot pixels. • Flat frames are for removal of non-uniform illumination (vignetting and dust). Images are divided by flat frames.
Imaging First Principles • Noise is the enemy, so average calibration frames.
Imaging First Principles • Flat field light box Image without calibration Image with Calibration