The Opening Tutorials for the SAMSI program on Astrostatistics was held Wednesday-Sunday, January 18-22, 2006, at SAMSI. These were designed to expose astronomers to modern methodologies in statistics and applied mathematics and familiarize statisticians with current trends in astronomy.
The Opening Workshop for the program was held January 23-25, 2006 at the Radisson Hotel RTP in Research Triangle Park, NC. This workshop focused on setting the scientific agenda for the program. Programmatic perspectives and necessary research directions were provided by invited speakers and moderators who focused the discussion among the attendees. To stimulate engagement of all participants, attendees were encouraged to participate in the discussions during the sessions, breaks, and periods of time devoted to the constitution of working groups. This provided additional perspectives regarding symbiotic research directions to be pursued within the program.
The tutorials and workshop were joint activities with the Center for Astrostatistics at Penn State University.
Scientific Committee
G. J. Babu (Penn State University) – Chair, Alanna Connors (Eureka Scientific), Tom Loredo (Cornell University), and Larry Wasserman (Carnegie-Mellon University); Jim Berger (SAMSI – Directorate Liaison); Peter Bickel (Berkeley – National Advisory Committee Liaison)
Application
The tutorials and workshop were open to all who are interested in the interfaces between astronomy, physics and statistics. New researchers (graduate students, postdocs, and faculty in the early stages of their careers) and members of underrepresented groups were especially encouraged to apply.
Schedule and Supporting Media
Tutorial 1. Bayesian Astrostatistics
January 18-20, 2006
NISS/SAMSI building
Leader: Tom Loredo, Cornell
Wednesday, January 18, 2006
| Time | Description | Speaker | Slides | Videos |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9:00-9:15 | Welcome | |||
| 9:15-10:30 | Fundamentals | Tom Loredo | ||
| 10:45-12:00 | Basic counting and Point Process Models | Tom Loredo | ||
| 12:00-1:30 | Lunch | |||
| 1:30-2:45 | Probability and Frequency | Tom Loredo |
Thursday, January 19
| Time | Description | Speaker | Slides | Videos |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9:15-10:30 | Models with Gaussian Uncertainties I | Phil Gregory | ||
| 10:45-12:00 | Models with Gaussian Uncertainties II | Phil Gregory | ||
| 12:00-1:30 | Lunch | |||
| 1:30-2:45 | Basic Bayesian Computation | Tom Loredo | ||
| 3:00-5:00 | Statistical Computing with Python Python programs and examples |
Tom Loredo |
Friday, January 20
| Time | Description | Speaker | Slides | Videos |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9:15-10:30 | Intro to Markov Chain Monte Carlo, with R R Programs: Normal MCMC-Gibbs, Normal MCMC MH, and Poisson SN. |
Bill Jefferys | ||
| 10:45-12:00 | Hierarchical Bayesian Modeling, with R R Program: Normal Hierarchical |
Bill Jefferys | ||
| 12:00-1:30 | Lunch | |||
| 1:30-2:45 | Model Selection & Model Averaging, with R R Program: Hypothesis |
Bill Jefferys | ||
| 3:00-4:15 | Parallel Chain MCMC, with Mathematica | Phil Gregory | ||
| 4:15-4:30 | Distribute/Fill Feedback Forms | |||
| 4:30-5:30 | Bayesian Miscellany | Tom Loredo |
Tutorial 2. Nonparametric Inference
January 21-22, 2006
NISS/SAMSI building
Leader: Chad Schafer and Larry Wasserman, Carnegie-Mellon
The tutorial introduced the fundamentals of modern nonparametric inference. Participants will be shown how to utilize these nonparametric methods.
See this web site for details about topics and computer programs that will be used during the practicums.
Saturday, January 21, 2006
| Time | Description | Speaker | Slides | Videos |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10:00-12:00 | Part 1 Nonparametric Inference with R |
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| 12:00-2:00 | Lunch | |||
| 2:00-4:00 | Part 2 Regression Trees in R |
Sunday, January 22, 2006
| Time | Description | Speaker | Slides | Videos |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10:00-12:00 | Lecture/Practicum 3 | |||
| 12:00-2:00 | Lunch | |||
| 2:00-4:00 | Lecture/Practicum 4 |
Tutorial 3. Astronomy for Statisticians
(given concurrently with Tutorial 3)
January 21-22, 2006
NISS/SAMSI building, Room 203
Leader: William Jefferys, UTexas
Eric Feigelson, Penn State
In this tutorial, the modern understanding of our universe was reviewed spanning planetary systems, stars, the Milky Way Galaxy, extragalactic astronomy and cosmology. Statistical issues underlying the astronomical studies were emphasized and discussed.
Saturday, January 21, 2006
| Time | Description | Speaker | Slides | Videos |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9:00-10:00 a.m. | Movie and Understading Our Universe – Overview | Bill Jefferys | ||
| 10:00-11:00 | Our Solar System | Bill Jefferys | ||
| 11:00-11:30 | Break | |||
| 11:30-12:00 | Exoplanets | Eric Feigelson | ||
| 12:00-1:30 | Lunch | |||
| 1:30-2:00 | Star Formation 1 Star Formation 2 Planet Formation |
Eric Feigelson | pdf |
|
| 2:00-3:00 | Stellar Physics and HR Diagram | Bill Jefferys | ||
| 3:00-3:30 | Break | |||
| 3:30-4:30 | Stellar Evolution | Bill Jefferys |
Sunday, January 22, 2006
| Time | Description | Speaker | Slides | Videos |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9:00-10:00 a.m. | Multiwavelength Telescopes and Surveys | Eric Feigelson | ||
| 10:00-10:45 | Milky Way & Stellar Populations | Bill Jefferys | ||
| 10:45-11:00 | Break | |||
| 11:00-12:00 | Galaxies: including clustering and AGN | Eric Feigelson | ||
| 12:00-1:30 | Lunch | |||
| 1:30-3:00 | Classical, and Recent Developments, in Cosmology | Eric Feigelson | ||
| 3:00-3:15 | Break | |||
| 3:15-3:45 | Discussion | Bill Jefferys & Eric Feigelson | ||
| 3:45-4:30 | Statistical Challenges in Modern Astronomy | Eric Feigelson |
Opening Workshop
January 23-25, 2006
Radisson Hotel, 3rd Floor, Room H
Monday, January 23, 2006
| Time | Description | Speaker | Slides | Videos |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9:00-9:10 a.m. | Welcome and Introductions | Jim Berger, SAMSI G. Jogesh Babu, Penn State University |
||
| 9:10-11:55 | Session on Source Detection | Chair: David van Dyk, Univ. of California-Irvine |
||
| 9:10-9:55 | Detection of Gamma Ray Sources | Brenda Dingus, Los Alamos National Laboratory | ||
| 9:55-10:40 | Star Counts and Galaxy Properties from Surveys: Past, Current and Future Trends | Martin Weinberg, Univ. of Massachusetts | ||
| 10:40-11:10 | Break | |||
| 11:10-11:55 | Panel/group discussion | David van Dyk, Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory Brenda Dingus, Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory Martin Weinberg, Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory Vinay Kashyap, Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory Rebecca Willett, Duke University |
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| 11:55-12:30 | Introductions to Evening Posters Abstracts |
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| 12:30-1:30 PM | Lunch | |||
| 1:30-3:45 | Session on Exoplanets | Chair: Bill Jefferys, Univ. of Texas and Univ. of Vermont |
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| 1:30-2:15 | Extrasolar planet detection: a view from the trenches | Alex Wolszczan, Penn State University | ||
| 2:15-3:00 | Analysis of Radial Velocity and Astrometric Signals in the Detection of Multi-Planet Extrasolar Planetary Systems | Barbara McArthur, Univ. of Texas | ||
| 3:00-3:45 | Panel/group discussion | Bill Jefferys, Alex Wolszczan, Barbara McArthur, and Michael Lavine, Duke University |
||
| 3:45-4:15 | Break | |||
| 4:15-5:15 | 5-Minute Madness: Anyone who wishes can give a 5-minute TALK describing their research and interests, an interesting problem, or whatever! Transparencies or slides are limited to four, and slides must be put into the session computer over the Break. |
Jeff Scargle, NASA-AMES Vinay Kashyap, Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory Rebecca Willett, Duke University Jiashun Jin, Purdue University Ruth-Stella Berrara-Rojas, U. Nacional de Columbia |
pdf |
|
| 6:30-8:30 | Poster Session and Reception at the Radisson Hotel, 2nd Floor |
Tuesday, January 24, 2006
| Time | Description | Speaker | Slides | Videos |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9:00-11:45 a.m. | Session on Surveys | Chair: Tom Loredo, Cornell University |
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| 9:10-9:55 | Large Optical Surveys LSST Strong Lensing Movie |
David Wittman, UC Davis | ||
| 9:45-10:30 | Censoring and truncation in astronomical surveys SGR_time Movie, SGR_flyaround Movie |
Eric Feigelson, Penn State | ||
| 10:30-11:00 | Break | |||
| 11:00-11:45 | Panel/group discussion | Tom Loredo, David Wittman, Eric Feigelson and Larry Wasserman, Carnegie Mellon University |
||
| 11:45-12:15 | Introduction to Particle Physics | Louis Lyons, Oxford University | ||
| 12:15-1:15 | Lunch | |||
| 1:15-3:30 | Session on Particle Physics | Chair: Louis Lyons, Oxford University |
||
| 1:15-2:00 | Bayesians Inside the Gate: A View from Particle Physics | Harrison Prosper, Florida State University | ||
| 2:00-2:45 | Some Current Statistical Considerations in Particle Physics | Byron Roe, Univ. of Michigan | ||
| 2:45-3:30 | Panel/group discussion | Louis Lyons, Harrison Prosper, Byron Roe and Peter Bickel, Univ. of California-Berkeley |
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| 3:30-4:00 | Break | |||
| 4:00-5:15 | New Researchers Session Statistics for Astronomy: Inference about the Population of Quasars An Approach to Detecting Non-Gaussianity in the Cosmic Microwave Background Measuring Clustering of Absorbers Statistical Modeling of Sunspot Cycles |
Angie Snyder-Hugeback, Univ. of Chicago Kristofer Jennings, Purdue University Ji Meng Loh, Columbia University Yaming Yu, Univ. of California-Irvine |
pdf |
Wednesday, January 25, 2006
| Time | Description | Speaker | Slides | Videos |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9:00-11:45 | Session on Gravitational Lensing | Chair: Arlie Petters, Duke University |
||
| 9:00-9:45 | Stochastic Gravitational Lensing and the Nature of Dark Matter | Charles Keeton, Rutgers University | ||
| 9:45-10:30 | Gravitational Lensing: Mass Reconstruction Methods and Results | Liliya Williams, Univ. of Minnesota | ||
| 10:30-11:00 | Break | |||
| 11:00-11:45 | Panel/group discussion | Arlie Petters, Charles Keeton, Liliya Williams and Zhengyuan Zhu, UNC-Chapel Hill |
||
| 11:45-1:30 | Formation of Discussion Groups, and Discussion over Lunch | |||
| 1:30-3:45 | Session on Other Topics | Chair: Alana Connors, Eureka Scientific |
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| 1:30-2:15 | Needles in Haystacks: Are There Any? How Many Are There? Where Are They? | John Rice, UC-Berkeley | ||
| 2:15-3:00 | Nonparametric Inference in Astrophysics and Cosmology: Biases and Variants | Christopher Genovese, Carnegie Mellon | ||
| 3:00-3:45 | Panel/group discussion | Alana Connors, John Rice, Chris Genovese and Keith Arnaud, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center |
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| 3:45-4:15 | Break | |||
| 4:15-5:15 | Discussion Group Reports and Working Group Formation |