Optimal Summary Statistics for X-ray Polarization

We develop two new highly efficient estimators to measure the polarization (Stokes parameters) in experiments that constrain the position angle of individual photons such as scattering and gas-pixel-detector polarimeters, and analyse in detail a previously proposed estimator. All three of these esti...

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Main Authors: Jeremy Heyl, Denis González-Caniulef, Ilaria Caiazzo
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Maynooth Academic Publishing 2024-05-01
Series:The Open Journal of Astrophysics
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.33232/001c.117476
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author Jeremy Heyl
Denis González-Caniulef
Ilaria Caiazzo
author_facet Jeremy Heyl
Denis González-Caniulef
Ilaria Caiazzo
author_sort Jeremy Heyl
collection DOAJ
description We develop two new highly efficient estimators to measure the polarization (Stokes parameters) in experiments that constrain the position angle of individual photons such as scattering and gas-pixel-detector polarimeters, and analyse in detail a previously proposed estimator. All three of these estimators are at least fifty percent more efficient on typical datasets than the standard estimator used in the field. We present analytic estimates of the variance of these estimators and numerical experiments to verify these estimates. Two of the three estimators can be calculated quickly and directly through summations over the measurements of individual photons.
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issn 2565-6120
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publisher Maynooth Academic Publishing
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spelling doaj-art-1958eff20e544aee879c5212bfaa4abd2025-08-20T01:47:36ZengMaynooth Academic PublishingThe Open Journal of Astrophysics2565-61202024-05-01710.33232/001c.117476Optimal Summary Statistics for X-ray PolarizationJeremy HeylDenis González-CaniulefIlaria CaiazzoWe develop two new highly efficient estimators to measure the polarization (Stokes parameters) in experiments that constrain the position angle of individual photons such as scattering and gas-pixel-detector polarimeters, and analyse in detail a previously proposed estimator. All three of these estimators are at least fifty percent more efficient on typical datasets than the standard estimator used in the field. We present analytic estimates of the variance of these estimators and numerical experiments to verify these estimates. Two of the three estimators can be calculated quickly and directly through summations over the measurements of individual photons.https://doi.org/10.33232/001c.117476
spellingShingle Jeremy Heyl
Denis González-Caniulef
Ilaria Caiazzo
Optimal Summary Statistics for X-ray Polarization
The Open Journal of Astrophysics
title Optimal Summary Statistics for X-ray Polarization
title_full Optimal Summary Statistics for X-ray Polarization
title_fullStr Optimal Summary Statistics for X-ray Polarization
title_full_unstemmed Optimal Summary Statistics for X-ray Polarization
title_short Optimal Summary Statistics for X-ray Polarization
title_sort optimal summary statistics for x ray polarization
url https://doi.org/10.33232/001c.117476
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AT denisgonzalezcaniulef optimalsummarystatisticsforxraypolarization
AT ilariacaiazzo optimalsummarystatisticsforxraypolarization