Predicting QSO Continua in the Ly Alpha Forest

Details Predicting QSO Continua in the Ly Alpha Forest Predicting QSO Continua in the Ly Alpha Forest

2003-06-27

arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0306577v1

Astrophys.J.618:592-600,2005

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astrophysics

17 pages, 4 figures, submitted to ApJ

Scientific paper

10.1086/426062

We present a method to make predictions with sets of correlated data values, in this case QSO flux spectra. We predict the continuum in the Lyman-Alpha forest of a QSO, from 1020 -- 1216 A, using the spectrum of that QSO from 1216 -- 1600 A . We find correlations between the unabsorbed flux in these two wavelengths regions in the HST spectra of 50 QSOs. We use principal component analysis (PCA) to summarize the variety of these spectra and we relate the weights of the principal components for 1020 -- 1600 A to the weights for 1216 -- 1600 A, and we apply this relation to make predictions. We test the method on the HST spectra, and we find an average absolute flux error of 9%, with a range 3 -- 30%, where individual predictions are systematically too low or too high. We mention several ways in which the predictions might be improved.

Affiliated with

Also associated with

No associations

Rating

Predicting QSO Continua in the Ly Alpha Forest does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this scientific paper.

If you have personal experience with Predicting QSO Continua in the Ly Alpha Forest, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Predicting QSO Continua in the Ly Alpha Forest will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-335744