Time Series Data Reduction With IRAC

Data Challenge

The SSC is running a data challenge for all to participate in. We plan to provide two data sets for all to reduce and compare results. One dataset will be generated from a simulation based on our current best understanding of the workings of the IRAC instrument. The second dataset will be from the archive. Having everyone reduce the same dataset should be a great basis for a discussion of "best-practices" in time-series reduction and analysis techniques. If there is sufficient interest, members of the IRAC team at the SSC will donate prizes to be awarded to worthy challenge submissions.

Data

The data sets are now ready!

Challenge Data Sets

Download Link	Provenance	Target	Channel	Duration	Size(compressed)
WASP52_sim_ch2_v2.tgz*	Simulated	WASP-52 b	2	52.2 hr	750.7 MB
WASP-33-cluster-ch2 (Spitzer Archive)	Real	WASP-33 b	2	37.2 hr	2.68 GB

*Updated 15 May 2014: We replaced the WASP-52 simulated data to fix a problem in the headers that may affect some FITS file readers. The change did not affect the image data. If you downloaded the previous version and had no problems reading the files or their headers, then you do not need to download the v2 set.

Goal

We hope that participants will reduce each of the data sets using their latest and greatest techniques for removing correlated noise.

Form of Results

The results should be in the form of ASCII text files with columns delimited by whitespace. Comment lines may be indicated by the pound sign "#" in the first character. You may submit the following files for each dataset:

1. "Corrected" or "cleaned up" photometry, i.e., with instrumental effects removed and only the astrophysical signal and random noise remaining. The text file should have columns containing Time, Flux relative to stellar flux, and Uncertainty in relative flux.
2. [OPTIONAL] A model exoplanet light curve. The text file should have columns for Time and Flux relative to stellar flux.
3. [OPTIONAL] A list containing the following light curve parameters:
   • (Primary) Transit depth and uncertainty (normalized to stellar flux)
   • (Secondary) Eclipse depth and uncertainty (normalized to stellar flux)
   • Phase curve amplitude and uncertainty (normalized to stellar flux)
   • Phase curve offset (phase of peak minus 0.5) and uncertainty

For the simulated data, we will compare your results with our input model light curve for WASP-52 b. For the real data, we can compare results to each other.

Uploading Results

If you want your results to be discussed during the AAS session, they are due Thursday 29 May, 2014. Please upload your results to the Caltech Dropbox. Under "Recipient Email Address", enter iracaas224@ipac.caltech.edu. If your results are contained in multiple files, you will need to perform multiple uploads. Alternatively, you can combine multiple files into a compressed archive (zip or tar + gz format.)