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Activity Number: 561 - Hierarchical Bayes in a Hierarchical Universe
Type: Invited
Date/Time: Wednesday, August 1, 2018 : 2:00 PM to 3:50 PM
Sponsor: Section on Bayesian Statistical Science
Abstract #326957
Title: Hierarchical Bayes in High Energy Astrophysics
Author(s): Aneta Siemiginowska*
Companies: Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics
Keywords: galaxies; X-rays; multi-dimensional data; Bayes
Abstract:

X-ray radiation signals presence of physical processes that heat medium to very high temperatures (> million degrees), or generate highly energetic particles in astrophysical sources. It often traces violent events associated with evolution of different systems in the universe. All astrophysical sources exhibit some level of activity resulting in X-ray radiation. As a result a random number of photons is emitted, travels across the universe and arrives at X-ray detectors which record arrival time, energy and location of each photon. The resulting multi-dimensional data contain all the available information for scientific inferences which also require complex physical models to describe the observed phenomena, e.g. evolution of a supernovae or a distribution and composition of hot gas in galaxies. Hierarchical Bayes provides a framework well suited for dealing with these problems. I will present examples of the models developed and applied to finding structures in X-ray images, and to variability and distributions of photon energies in observations of active galaxies in distant universe.


Authors who are presenting talks have a * after their name.

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