A Bayesian estimate of the skewness of the Cosmic Microwave Background
ArXiv astro-ph/9910138 (1999)
Abstract:
We propose a formalism for estimating the skewness and angular power spectrum of a general Cosmic Microwave Background data set. We use the Edgeworth Expansion to define a non-Gaussian likelihood function that takes into account the anisotropic nature of the noise and the incompleteness of the sky coverage. The formalism is then applied to estimate the skewness of the publicly available 4 year Cosmic Background Explorer (COBE) Differential Microwave Radiometer data. We find that the data is consistent with a Gaussian skewness, and with isotropy. Inclusion of non Gaussian degrees of freedom has essentially no effect on estimates of the power spectrum, if each $C_\ell$ is regarded as a separate parameter or if the angular power spectrum is parametrized in terms of an amplitude (Q) and spectral index (n). Fixing the value of the angular power spectrum at its maxiumum likelihood estimate, the best fit skewness is $S=6.5\pm6.0\times10^4(\muK)^3$; marginalizing over Q the estimate of the skewness is $S=6.5\pm8.4\times10^4(\muK)^3$ and marginalizing over n one has $S=6.5\pm8.5\times10^4(\muK)^3$.A survey of UV-excess AGNs in the South Galactic Pole
ArXiv astro-ph/9910055 (1999)
Abstract:
Spectra, position, magnitudes and colors are presented for 485 faint (B<20.5) emission line objects selected with the ultraviolet-excess (UVX) criterion on a area of 24.6 sq. deg in the South Galactic Pole. The objects were selected from the analysis of pixel-to-pixel stacking of COSMOS scans of UKST U, J and R plates. The candidates were observed with the Meudon-ESO Fiber Optics System (MEFOS) at the ESO 3.6m telescope. 429 type 1 AGNs have been identified (373 in the redshift range 0.3Time-independent gravitational fields in the BGK scheme for hydrodynamics
Astronomy and Astrophysics Supplement Series 139:1 (1999) 199-217
Abstract:
We incorporate a time-independent gravitational field into the BGK scheme for numerical hydrodynamics. In the BGK scheme the gas evolves via an approximation to the collisional Boltzmann equation, namely the Bhatnagar-Gross-Krook (BGK) equation. Time-dependent hydrodynamical fluxes are computed from local solutions of the BGK equation. By accounting for particle collisions, the fundamental mechanism for generating dissipation in gas flow, a scheme based on the BGK equation gives solutions to the Navier-Stokes equations: the fluxes carry both advective and dissipative terms. We perform numerical experiments in both 1D Cartesian geometries and axisymmetric cylindrical coordinates.Simultaneous Estimation of Noise and Signal in Cosmic Microwave Background Experiments
ArXiv astro-ph/9909250 (1999)
Abstract:
To correctly analyse data sets from current microwave detection technology, one is forced to estimate the sky signal and experimental noise simultaneously. Given a time-ordered data set we propose a formalism and method for estimating the signal and associated errors without prior knowledge of the noise power spectrum. We derive the method using a Bayesian formalism and relate it to the standard methods; in particular we show how this leads to a change in the estimate of the noise covariance matrix of the sky signal. We study the convergence and accuracy of the method on two mock observational strategies and discuss its application to a currently-favoured calibration procedure.Simultaneous Estimation of Noise and Signal in Cosmic Microwave Background Experiments
(1999)