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A Statistical Analysis of the Accuracy of the Digitized Magnitudes of Photometric Plates on the Timescale of Decades with an Application to the Century-Long Light Curve of KIC 8462852We present a statistical analysis of the accuracy of the digitized magnitudes of photometric plates on the timescale of decades. In our examination of archival Johnson B photometry from the Harvard DASCH archive, we find a median rt mean square scatter of light curves of the order of 0.15 magnitude over the range B approximately equal to 9-17 for all calibrations. Slight underlying systematics (trends or flux discontinuities) are on a level of less than or equal to 0.2 magnitudes per century (1889–1990) for the majority of constant stars. These historic data can be unambiguously used for processes that happen on scales of magnitudes, and need to be carefully examined in cases approaching the noise floor. The characterization of these limits in photometric stability may guide future studies in their use of plate archives. We explain these limitations for the example case of KIC 8462852, which has been claimed to dim by 0.16 magnitudes per century, and show that this trend cannot be considered as significant.
Document ID
20160010649
Acquisition Source
Goddard Space Flight Center
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
Authors
Hippke, Michael
(Institute for Data Analysis Neukirchen-Vluyn, Germany)
Angerhausen, Daniel
(Universities Space Research Association Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Lund, Michael B.
(Vanderbilt Univ. Nashville, TN, United States)
Pepper, Joshua
(Lehigh Univ. Bethlehem, PA, United States)
Stassun, Keivan G.
(Vanderbilt Univ. Nashville, TN, United States)
Date Acquired
August 30, 2016
Publication Date
June 29, 2016
Publication Information
Publication: The Astrophysical Journal
Publisher: The American Astronomical Society
Volume: 825
Issue: 1
e-ISSN: 2041-8213
Subject Category
Instrumentation And Photography
Astronomy
Report/Patent Number
GSFC-E-DAA-TN35286
Funding Number(s)
CONTRACT_GRANT: NNH15CO48B
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other
Keywords
digitized magnitudes of photometric plates
Harvard DASCH archive
Johnson B photometry

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