Open AccessOn the use of Principal Component Analysis in analysing Cepheid light curves
Author(s) -
Kanbur S.M.,
Iono D.,
Tanvir N.R.,
Hendry M.A.
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
monthly notices of the royal astronomical society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.058
H-Index - 383
eISSN - 1365-2966
pISSN - 0035-8711
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-8711.2002.04948.x
Subject(s) - cepheid variable , physics , light curve , astrophysics , overtone , principal component analysis , galaxy , metallicity , plane (geometry) , astronomy , spectral line , geometry , stars , statistics , mathematics
We show how Principal Component Analysis can be used to analyse the structure of Cepheid light curves. This method is more efficient than Fourier analysis at bringing out changes in light curve shape as a function of period. Using this technique, we study the shape of fundamental and first‐overtone mode Cepheid light curves in the Galaxy, LMC and SMC over a wide period range. For fundamentals, we find evidence for structural changes at It is suggested that the feature at is associated with a resonance in the Cepheid normal‐mode spectrum. For overtones, we recover the Z shape in the R 21 period plane and reproduce the metallicity dependence of this Z shape.