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Tutorial 1

The document describes using Period04 software to analyze a light curve data set containing periodic brightness variations from a star. The following steps are outlined: 1) Import the data set and examine the light curve, noting evidence of periodicity near 10 cycles per day. 2) Perform a Fourier analysis to determine the spectral window and identify the Nyquist frequency near 167 cycles per day, then detect a peak near 10 cycles per day. 3) Conduct a one-frequency fit around 10 cycles per day, then refine the frequency and reduce residuals. 4) Analyze the residuals with Fourier techniques and detect a second periodic signal near 14.5 cycles per day. 5) Carry out a

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santiago bermudez
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142 views

Tutorial 1

The document describes using Period04 software to analyze a light curve data set containing periodic brightness variations from a star. The following steps are outlined: 1) Import the data set and examine the light curve, noting evidence of periodicity near 10 cycles per day. 2) Perform a Fourier analysis to determine the spectral window and identify the Nyquist frequency near 167 cycles per day, then detect a peak near 10 cycles per day. 3) Conduct a one-frequency fit around 10 cycles per day, then refine the frequency and reduce residuals. 4) Analyze the residuals with Fourier techniques and detect a second periodic signal near 14.5 cycles per day. 5) Carry out a

Uploaded by

santiago bermudez
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Tutorial 1 1/8

Tutorial 1
In this tutorial we will use Perio04 to examine a data set and determine the frequencies
by using Fourier analyses to give us rough values of the frequencies and the fit module
to refine these frequencies. Note that the Fourier analysis cannot by itself solve the
problem since it is a singlefrequency method.

1. Start the program Period04.


You may wish to use the file Empty Period04 file.p04 in this directory. The tab Time
string is selected and active. You will see four empty columns.

2. Import the data set.


We will now load the data file. It has the name Tutorial1.dat and is found in the same
directory as these instructions.

Click on the button Import time string (left, near top). A window opens and asks for
the location of the data. Find the proper directory on your hard disk and click on the
file name. Click on the button Import.
A window opens and asks for the properties of each column. Since the first data column
is the time and the second columns contains the magntitude variations, everything is
fine. Click on OK.
(If not, under Column #1 etc. you can select the property.)

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You now have 1254 data points loaded with observing times ranging from
2720.81478 to 2740.92739. Do not worry about the unknown labels in each of the
four: it just means that you have not subdivided your data into groups.
Save your data now (File, Save Project as) under, say, First. It is now stored as First.p04.

3. Look at the data.


In the same Time String window, click onDisplay Graph at the bottom right. A new
window opens with the light curves of the selected data, which, by default, was all the
data. You notice that data strings are spaced one (or more) days apart.
Let us examine a (any) single night. With your mouse select a part of the data by
drawing a rectangle around it. You may wish to increase the scale of your selection by
drawing more rectangles. If you make a mistake, open the Zoom dialog (top of Time
string plot) and use an option.

The singlenight data indicates a variation lasting about 0.1d, with a changing light
curve. This may already be a sign of multiperiodicity. Notice too that within each night,
the data are taken about every 0.003d or 5 minutes apart. This figure is approximate
because the coverage differs from night to night. The sampling theorem suggests that
periods shorter than 10 minutes should not be determined with such a data set. To put

Tutorial 1 3/8

it differently, the Nyquist frequency is about (0.5 * 1/0.003) or 167 cycles/day,


abbreviated as c/d.
Furthermore, the data were taken one (or more) nights apart with daytime gaps.
Consequently, 1 cycle/day aliasing is expected.
To summarize:

we suspect that frequencies near 10 c/d exist,

the Nyquist frequency should be near 167 c/d, and


1 c/d aliasing may exist.

4. Perform a Fourier analysis of the data: Spectral Window


Make sure that you have selected all the data. Click on the Fourier tab. A new window
opens. Let us now enter all the necessary parameters.
Title: Spectral Window
From: 0
To: 5 (remember that the spectral window is centered on 0 c/d and calculates the
pattern caused by the observing gaps).
Use weights: Keep none
Calculations based on: Spectral window
Compact Mode: All (since there are not huge gaps in the data)

Now press the central button: Calculate .


Let us look at the answers. In the line above the Calculate button, we see that the
highest peak occurs at frequency 0 with an amplitude of 1. This has to be the answer
for a spectral window.

Click on Display Graph on the bottom right. A plot window opens. You can see the 1
c/d structure. Keep it in mind for the frequency search of the stellar variations. The
true frequencies of the star should also show the pattern, but centered on the true
frequencies.

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Close Fourier graph: Spectral Window.

5. Perform a Fourier analysis of the data: Periodic content of data


You are still in the Fourier window. If not, click on the Fourier tab. Let us now enter all
the necessary parameters:

Title: All data, incorrect zero point


From: 0
Now see the Nyquist Frequency (167.778). Use this.
To: 167
Use weights: Keep none
Calculations based on: Original data
Compact Mode: All

Now press the central button: Calculate .


Now a window opens asking you to select the zeropoint shift. It allows you to subtract
the average brightness.
(a) INCORRECT OPTION:

Let us pick the incorrect option for the present data set. In the present case, we select
No. This means that we believe that the measured average is not the true stellar

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average this indeed happens.

Let us look at the answers. In the line above the Calculate button, we see that the
highest peak occurs at frequency 0 with an amplitude of 0.4875. No, this is not the
spectral window. It is a consequence of the incorrect zeropoint!

Do not include the frequencys. Answer NO to the question.

Click on Display Graph on the bottom right. A plot window opens. We see two
patterns, one centered on the frequency 0, the other one at 10. Let us examine the
structure at 0 in more detail: open the Zoom dialog to the top of the plot and use
option Select viewport . Enter:
Frequency min: 0.1
Frequency max: 5
Keep the chosen amplitudes. Click OK.

You see the peak at 0.49 (amplitude twice the incorrect zeropoint value) with the
spectralwindow pattern.
Close the graph and redo the Fourier analysis with the correct zeropoint.
(b) CORRECT OPTION:

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We redo the calculation (calling it All data) and say Yes. Now the highest amplitude
occurs at 10.0011883 with an amplitude of 0.20124.
Answer the question: Do you want to include this frequency wih YES. It is now entered
in the FIT window.

Look at the Fourier diagram again (button Display Graph at bottom right). A nice
pattern of peaks around the frequency 10 is visible. A decision to try out this frequency
for a fit appears reasonable. Lets do it.

Close the plot.

6. A Onefrequency fit.
Click on the Fit tab (top). A window opens. You see the previously suggested frequency.

(a) First calculation.

Select the first frequency F1 by clicking into the square to the left of F1. A check mark
appears. Click on Calculate at the bottom left. You obtain the following result almost
immediately:
Amplitude = 0.202266723 and Phase = 0.955286.

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Near the top right you will see: Selected frequencies = 1. Yes, that was true. Zero
point: 0.2426. Yes, that is close to the average value already suggested by the
program before the Fourier analysis. Residuals: 0.070878. This we want to minimize,
but we do not know what the minimum value will be.
(b) Improve the frequency.

This option should be used carefully. Let us apply this (button bottom middle). The
frequency becomes 9.99988955, Amplitude = 0.202731263, Phase = 0.501472.
More importantly, the residuals have improved slightly.

7. Perform a Fourier analysis of the residuals


Let us see if the residuals contain more periodicities. Click on the Fourier tab.
Title: Residuals, 1 frequency
From: 0
To: 167
Use weights: Keep none
Calculations based on: Residuals at original (Note!)
Compact Mode: All
Now press the central button: Calculate .

A frequency of 14.5008529 and amplitude 0.0994119445 are found. Include the


frequency (for the next fit).
Examine the plot. It looks very good.

8. A Twofrequency fit.
Click on the Fit tab (top). Now select both F1 and F2. Probably you only need to click
into the square to the left of F2 to see check marks next to both frequencies.

Click on Calculate . The residuals decrease. Click on Improve all. We obtain


frequencies of 10 and 14.5, amplitudes of 0.2 and 0.1, respectively, and essentially
zero residuals. Thats it.
Display
Graph. The program cannot show the fit for several nights. Therefore, select a single
night (rectangle....). You now see the excellent fit.

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