An Image‐Processing Method to Detect Planetary Transits: The “Gauging” Filter

A new method is proposed for signal denoising and transit detection in stellar photometric light curves. The plane of a light curve can be considered as a two‐dimensional image that splits into two parts: the upper and lower part of the plot itself. The two resulting images are then analyzed with an...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inPublications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific Vol. 117; no. 828; pp. 160 - 172
Main Authors Guis, V., Barge, P.
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Chicago, IL The University of Chicago Press 01.02.2005
University of Chicago Press
Astronomical Society of the Pacific
Subjects
Astronomical magnitude
Astronomical transits
Astrophysics
Cosmology and Extra-Galactic Astrophysics
Faint stars
Image filters
Images of transformations
Light curves
Physics
Pixels
Sciences of the Universe
Signal noise
Terrestrial planets
Threshing
Image processing
Image method
Occultations
Techniques: Image Processing
Methods: Data Analysis
Instrumentation: Detectors
Stars: Planetary Systems
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Summary:A new method is proposed for signal denoising and transit detection in stellar photometric light curves. The plane of a light curve can be considered as a two‐dimensional image that splits into two parts: the upper and lower part of the plot itself. The two resulting images are then analyzed with an image‐processing method that enables us to develop new algorithms for filtering and detection. The resulting denoising algorithm is more efficient than standard filters, such as the convolution filter, and can be applied recursively without changing the signals of interest. The new detection algorithm has a performance similar to that of the matched filter, but also exhibits greater “sensitivity” at a given confidence level. These new filtering and detection algorithms can operate on selected parts of a light curve, which is important for processing data flows or analyzing interrupted data sequences. They have been developed and tested on simulated light curves created using a physical model of theCOROT(Convection, Rotation, and Planetary Transits) instrument being developed for the mission. The algorithms provide interesting perspectives on how the detection of weak transit events might be improved.
ISSN:0004-6280
1538-3873
DOI:10.1086/427984