TY - GEN
T1 - How to handle calibration uncertainties in high-energy astrophysics
AU - Kashyap, Vinay L.
AU - Lee, Hyunsook
AU - Siemiginowska, Aneta
AU - McDowell, Jonathan
AU - Rots, Arnold
AU - Drake, Jeremy
AU - Ratzlaff, Pete
AU - Zezas, Andreas
AU - Izem, Rima
AU - Connors, Alanna
AU - Van Dyk, David
AU - Park, Taeyoung
PY - 2008
Y1 - 2008
N2 - Unlike statistical errors, whose importance has been well established in astronomical applications, uncertainties in instrument calibration are generally ignored. Despite wide recognition that uncertainties in calibration can cause large systematic errors, robust and principled methods to account for them have not been developed, and consequently there is no mechanism by which they can be incorporated into standard astronomical data analysis. Here we present a framework where they can be encoded such that they can be brought within the scope of analysis. We describe this framework, which is based on a modified MCMC algorithm, and propose a format standard derived from experience with effective area measurements of the ACIS-S detector on Chandra that can be applied to any instrument or method of codifying systematic errors. Calibration uncertainties can then be propagated into model parameter estimates to produce error bars that include systematic error information.
AB - Unlike statistical errors, whose importance has been well established in astronomical applications, uncertainties in instrument calibration are generally ignored. Despite wide recognition that uncertainties in calibration can cause large systematic errors, robust and principled methods to account for them have not been developed, and consequently there is no mechanism by which they can be incorporated into standard astronomical data analysis. Here we present a framework where they can be encoded such that they can be brought within the scope of analysis. We describe this framework, which is based on a modified MCMC algorithm, and propose a format standard derived from experience with effective area measurements of the ACIS-S detector on Chandra that can be applied to any instrument or method of codifying systematic errors. Calibration uncertainties can then be propagated into model parameter estimates to produce error bars that include systematic error information.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=73449083454&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=73449083454&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1117/12.788372
DO - 10.1117/12.788372
M3 - Conference contribution
AN - SCOPUS:73449083454
SN - 9780819472267
T3 - Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering
BT - Observatory Operations
T2 - Observatory Operations: Strategies, Processes, and Systems II
Y2 - 24 June 2008 through 26 June 2008
ER -