@inproceedings{a7fd34b492394bdda5b83117a1966f64,
title = "How to handle calibration uncertainties in high-energy astrophysics",
abstract = "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.",
keywords = "ACIS-S, Calibration, Chandra, Effective area, Format, Systematic error",
author = "Kashyap, {Vinay L.} and Hyunsook Lee and Aneta Siemiginowska and Jonathan McDowell and Arnold Rots and Jeremy Drake and Pete Ratzlaff and Andreas Zezas and Rima Izem and Alanna Connors and {Van Dyk}, David and Taeyoung Park",
year = "2008",
doi = "10.1117/12.788372",
language = "English",
isbn = "9780819472267",
series = "Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering",
booktitle = "Observatory Operations",
note = "Observatory Operations: Strategies, Processes, and Systems II ; Conference date: 24-06-2008 Through 26-06-2008",
}