We introduce and test several novel approaches for periodicity detection in unevenly-spaced sparse datasets. Specifically, we examine five different kinds of periodicity metrics, which are based on non-parametric measures of serial dependence of the
phase-folded data. We test the metrics through simulations in which we assess their performance in various situations, including various periodic signal shapes, different numbers of data points and different signal to noise ratios. One of the periodicity metrics we introduce seems to perform significantly better than the classical ones in some settings of interest to astronomers. We suggest that this periodicity metric - the Hoeffding-test periodicity metric - should be used in addition to the traditional methods, to increase periodicity detection probability.
A generalized approach to reverberation mapping (RM) is presented, which is applicable to broad- and narrow-band photometric data, as well as to spectroscopic observations. It is based on multivariate correlation analysis techniques and, in its prese
nt implementation, is able to identify reverberating signals across the accretion disk and the broad line region (BLR) of active galactic nuclei (AGN). Statistical tests are defined to assess the significance of time-delay measurements using this approach, and the limitations of the adopted formalism are discussed. It is shown how additional constraints on some of the parameters of the problem may be incorporated into the analysis thereby leading to improved results. When applied to a sample of 14 Seyfert 1 galaxies having good-quality high-cadence photometric data, accretion disk scales and BLR sizes are simultaneously determined, on a case-by-case basis, in most objects. The BLR scales deduced here are in good agreement with the findings of independent spectroscopic RM campaigns. Implications for the photometric RM of AGN interiors in the era of large surveys are discussed.
We present preliminary though statistically significant evidence that shows that multiplanetary systems that exhibit a 2/1 period commensurability are in general younger than multiplanetary systems without commensurabilities, or even systems with oth
er commensurabilities. An immediate possible conclusion is that the 2/1 mean-motion resonance in planetary systems, tends to be disrupted after typically a few Gyrs.
The new photometric space-borne survey missions CoRoT and Kepler will be able to detect minute flux variations in binary stars due to relativistic beaming caused by the line-of-sight motion of their components. In all but very short period binaries (
P>10d), these variations will dominate over the ellipsoidal and reflection periodic variability. Thus, CoRoT and Kepler will discover a new observational class: photometric beaming binary stars. We examine this new category and the information that the photometric variations can provide. The variations that result from the observatory heliocentric velocity can be used to extract some spectral information even for single stars.
