An alternative to O−C analysis of variable star periods |
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| Authors: | Lombard |
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| Institution: | Department of Statistics, Rand Afrikaans University, PO Box 524, Auckland Park 2006, South Africa |
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| Abstract: | For more than a century now astronomers have used the O?C (Observed minus Calculated) method to detect the presence of systematic changes in the periods of variable stars. The method is based on an analysis of residuals from a linear fit to the observed epochs. A rather common error in applications of the method is a failure to make provision for autocorrelation which exists in the data. In this paper we consider a model that accounts for the presence of autocorrelation and develop an alternative to the O?C method of analysis. The proposed method focuses on the frequency domain characteristics of observed periods. Its use is illustrated by application to data from the variable stars X Aurigae and RY Sagittarii. |
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| Keywords: | methods: data analysis methods: statistical stars: individual: X Aur stars: individual: RY Sgr stars: variables: other |
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