- #1
BOAS
- 552
- 19
Hello,
I am not sure if this question is better suited to the mathematics section, but I thought it would be easier to explain the problem here.
In Schneider, Kochanek and Wambsganss's "Gravitational Lensing: Strong Weak and Micro" pages 279-280, they derive a relation for determining the azimuthally averaged mass profile of a lens, from a measurement of the tangential shear averaged over concentric circles.
$$\langle \gamma_t \rangle = \bar \kappa - \langle \kappa \rangle$$
where ##\bar \kappa## is the disc average of the convergence and ##\langle \kappa \rangle## is the ring average of the convergence.
I have some simulated data for a Singular Isothermal Sphere that I am trying to analyse. The data consists of 10,000 spatially distributed points, each with shear values.
Evidently, when I compute a ring average with my data, I am actually averaging a discrete number of data points over an annulus, not a continuous field over a ring. I'm not sure how to approach quantifying the error in this method, or adapting the analysis for discrete data. Are there standard methods to approach this kind of problem? I essentially have a discretely sampled dataset of a continuous field, but I don't think I can assume all the same relations will apply to my data as they do the fields.
I hope that my question makes sense, and if I need to provide any more information to make things clearer i'd be happy to do so.
Many thanks!
I am not sure if this question is better suited to the mathematics section, but I thought it would be easier to explain the problem here.
In Schneider, Kochanek and Wambsganss's "Gravitational Lensing: Strong Weak and Micro" pages 279-280, they derive a relation for determining the azimuthally averaged mass profile of a lens, from a measurement of the tangential shear averaged over concentric circles.
$$\langle \gamma_t \rangle = \bar \kappa - \langle \kappa \rangle$$
where ##\bar \kappa## is the disc average of the convergence and ##\langle \kappa \rangle## is the ring average of the convergence.
I have some simulated data for a Singular Isothermal Sphere that I am trying to analyse. The data consists of 10,000 spatially distributed points, each with shear values.
Evidently, when I compute a ring average with my data, I am actually averaging a discrete number of data points over an annulus, not a continuous field over a ring. I'm not sure how to approach quantifying the error in this method, or adapting the analysis for discrete data. Are there standard methods to approach this kind of problem? I essentially have a discretely sampled dataset of a continuous field, but I don't think I can assume all the same relations will apply to my data as they do the fields.
I hope that my question makes sense, and if I need to provide any more information to make things clearer i'd be happy to do so.
Many thanks!