A Bayesian approach to the analysis of time symmetry in light curves: Reconsidering Scorpius X-1 occultations

Abstract

We present a new approach to the analysis of time symmetry in light curves, such as those in the x-ray at the center of the Scorpius X-1 occultation debate. Our method uses a new parameterization for such events (the bilogistic event profile) and provides a clear, physically relevant characterization of each event's key features. We also demonstrate a Markov Chain Monte Carlo algorithm to carry out this analysis, including a novel independence chain configuration for the estimation of each event's location in the light curve. These tools are applied to the Scorpius X-1 light curves presented in Chang et al. (2007), providing additional evidence based on the time series that the events detected thus far are most likely not occultations by TNOs.

24 pages, 18 figures. Preprint typeset using LaTeX style emulateapj v. 04/20/08

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• A Search for sub-km KBOs with the Method of Serendipitous Stellar Occultations
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Cited by in corpus (4)

• A single sub-km Kuiper Belt object from a stellar Occultation in archival data
• The TAOS Project: Results From Seven Years of Survey Data
• Pipeline for the Detection of Serendipitous Stellar Occultations by Kuiper Belt Objects with the Colibri Fast-Photometry Array
• Millisecond dips in the 2007-2009 RXTE/PCA lightcurve of Sco X-1 and one possible occultation event