X-Sifter: detecting transients in X-ray data using the optimal Poisson matched filter

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Soumagnac, Maayane T., Ofek, Eran O., Israeli, Shachar S., Nir, Guy, Dickstein, Imri A.
Format: Preprint
Published: 2024
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author Soumagnac, Maayane T.
Ofek, Eran O.
Israeli, Shachar S.
Nir, Guy
Dickstein, Imri A.
author_facet Soumagnac, Maayane T.
Ofek, Eran O.
Israeli, Shachar S.
Nir, Guy
Dickstein, Imri A.
contents We present X-sifter, a software package designed for near-optimal detection of sources in X-ray images and other forms of photon images in the Poisson-noise regime. The code is based on the Poisson-noise-matched filter (Ofek & Zackay), which provides an efficient method for calculating the delta log-likelihood function for source detection. The software accounts for several complexities inherent in real data, including variations in both the instrumental Point Spread Function (PSF) and background across the detector and as a function of energy. We validate the pipeline using real data with simulated source injections, as well as actual Chandra images. A comparison between the sources detected by our pipeline and those in the Chandra Source Catalog (CSC) suggests an approximate ~30% increase in the number of detected (real) sources. Near the detection limit, the reported S/N of our pipeline is approximately 1.3x higher than that of the CSC. This corresponds to a factor of 1.8 increase in survey speed.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2412_07858
institution arXiv
publishDate 2024
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle X-Sifter: detecting transients in X-ray data using the optimal Poisson matched filter
Soumagnac, Maayane T.
Ofek, Eran O.
Israeli, Shachar S.
Nir, Guy
Dickstein, Imri A.
Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics
High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena
We present X-sifter, a software package designed for near-optimal detection of sources in X-ray images and other forms of photon images in the Poisson-noise regime. The code is based on the Poisson-noise-matched filter (Ofek & Zackay), which provides an efficient method for calculating the delta log-likelihood function for source detection. The software accounts for several complexities inherent in real data, including variations in both the instrumental Point Spread Function (PSF) and background across the detector and as a function of energy. We validate the pipeline using real data with simulated source injections, as well as actual Chandra images. A comparison between the sources detected by our pipeline and those in the Chandra Source Catalog (CSC) suggests an approximate ~30% increase in the number of detected (real) sources. Near the detection limit, the reported S/N of our pipeline is approximately 1.3x higher than that of the CSC. This corresponds to a factor of 1.8 increase in survey speed.
title X-Sifter: detecting transients in X-ray data using the optimal Poisson matched filter
topic Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics
High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2412.07858