keptrial: calculate best period and error estimate from time series¶

pyke.keptrial.keptrial(infile, outfile=None, datacol='SAP_FLUX', errcol='SAP_FLUX_ERR', fmin=0.1, fmax=50, nfreq=10, method='ft', ntrials=1000, plot=False, overwrite=False, verbose=False, logfile='keptrial.log')[source]

keptrial – Calculate best period and error estimate from time series

keptrial measures the strongest period within the frequency range $$fmin$$ to $$fmax$$ and estimates 1-$$\sigma$$ error associated with that period. The error estimate is performed by constructing ntrial new light curves from the original data provided in datacol and adjusting each individual data point according to a random number generator and a shot noise model. While a shot noise model is not uniformly applicable to all Kepler targets it provides a useful 1st order estimate for most. A power spectrum is calculated for each light curve using a user-specified method and the highest peak in each power spectrum recorded. The distribution of peaks is fit by a normal function, the centroid is adopted as the best period and 1-standard deviation error is taken from the standard deviation. A confidence limit is recorded as the range within which all trial periods fall. While this is termed a ‘100%’ confidence limit, this only refers to the total number of trials rather than formal confidence.

The larger the number of ntrials, the more robust the result. The values of nfreq and ntrial have to be chosen carefully to avoid excessive run times. The values of fmin, fmax and nfreq have to be chosen carefully in order to provide a sensible measure of period and error. It is recommended that kepperiodogram be used to estimate the period and error before attempting to use keptrial. An exercise of trial and error will most-likely be needed to choose a permutation of $$fmin$$, $$fmax$$ and $$nfreq$$ that resolves the period distribution over a significant number of frequency bins. If requested, the distribution and normal fit are plotted. The plot updates after every ntrial iteration, partly to relieve boredom, and partly for the user to assess whether they are using the correct permutation of input parameters.

Parameters: infile : str The name of a MAST standard format FITS file containing a Kepler light curve within the first data extension. outfile : str The name of the output FITS file with a new extension containing the results of a Monte Carlo period analysis. datacol : str The column name containing data stored within extension 1 of infile. This data is the input data for periodogram. Typically this name is SAP_FLUX (Simple Aperture Photometry fluxes), but any data column within extension 1 of the FITS file can be used provided it is coupled to an error column name using errcol. errcol : str The uncertainty data coupled to datacol. Typically this column is called SAP_FLUX_ERR. fmin : float [1/day] The minimum frequency on which each power spectrum will be calculated. fmax : float [1/day] The maximum frequency on which each power spectrum will be calculated. nfreq : int The number of uniform frequency steps between fmin and fmax over which the power spectrum will be calculated. method : str Choose a method for calculating the power spectrum. Currently, only ‘ft’, a discrete Fourier transform, is available. ntrials : int The number of Monte Carlo trials required before calculating the best periods, period uncertainty and confidence in the measurement. plot : bool Plot the output window function? overwrite : bool Overwrite the output file? verbose : bool Print informative messages and warnings to the shell and logfile? logfile : str Name of the logfile containing error and warning messages.