Using Negative Detections to Estimate Source-Finder Reliability
P. Serra A D , R. Jurek B and L. Flöer CA Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON), Postbus 2, 7990 AA Dwingeloo, The Netherlands
B CSIRO Astronomy & Space Science, Australia Telescope National Facility, PO Box 76, Epping, NSW 1710, Australia
C Argelander-Institut für Astronomie, Auf dem Hügel 71, 53121 Bonn, Germany
D Corresponding author. Email: serra@astron.nl
Publications of the Astronomical Society of Australia 29(3) 296-300 https://doi.org/10.1071/AS11065
Submitted: 29 October 2011 Accepted: 12 December 2011 Published: 1 February 2012
Abstract
We describe a simple method to determine the reliability of source finders based on the detection of sources with both positive and negative total flux. Under the assumption that the noise is symmetric and that real sources have positive total flux, negative detections can be used to assign to each positive detection a probability of being real. We discuss this method in the context of upcoming, interferometric Hi surveys.
Keywords: methods: data analysis
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