Statistical Consulting Center For Astronomy
What is the SCCA?
The Statistical Consulting Center for Astronomy (SCCA) is a team of
Penn State faculty with interest and expertise in statistical problems
arising in astronomical research. The Center has contacts with experts
in the international statistical community. The goals of the center are:
(a) address the immediate statistical needs of astronomers by providing
prompt high-quality statistical advice; (b) make publicly available
questions and answers for the benefit of the wider astronomical community;
and (c) encourage interdisciplinary collaboration between the fields of
statistics and astronomy.
Statistical Problems in Astronomy
Astronomers encounter statistical issues frequently during their research.
The SCCA can address problems on topics such as regression and correlation,
treatment of measurement errors, nonparametric statistics, methods for
censored and truncated data (e.g., nondetections and flux-limited surveys),
multivariate analysis, spatial point processes (e.g., galaxy clustering,
photons in images), variability and time series analysis, density estimation
(e.g., smoothing), Bayesian image restoration.
Who can use the SCCA?
Any individual in the astronomical community: a graduate student
preparing a dissertation; a scientist confronted with a tricky data
set, preparing or revising a paper for publication; a scientist preparing
software for an instrument or a data analysis software system;
a scientist organizing a major observational program.
How does the SCCA operate?
Incoming questions are reviewed by the members of the team and colleagues
in the Department of Statistics at Penn State. Many questions will be
answered in house. But particularly complex and important problems will be
sent to top-ranked experts worldwide. The turn-around time for
straightforward problems should be no more than three weeks. The Center will
provide advice, references to published literature and software,
illustrations for the use of statistical software, but will not engage in
detailed data analysis. Summaries of questions and answers will be made
publicly available through the Internet/WWW and publications.
Cost
The operation of the SCCA is partially supported by the NASA
Astrophysics Data Program starting in mid-1994. During the initial
phases, consulting can be free of charge to U.S. astronomers. However,
we strongly encourage those submitting questions to pay a nominal fee
for the service. This will ensure the continuance of the Center into
the future, and the availability of top-quality external consultants.
Further information
The principal members of the SCCA are Professors Michael Akritas and
James Rosenberger from the Department of Statistics, and Eric Feigelson
from the Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics. The Center can be
contacted through Professor Michael Akritas (814-865-3631) or by mail to
SCCA, Department of Statistics, Penn State University, 326 Classroom Building,
University Park, PA 16802-2111, USA.
Information through internet
** Anonymous FTP to ftp.stat.psu.edu (information in /pub/scca)
** World Wide Web at www.stat.psu.edu (http://www.stat.psu.edu/scca/homepage.html)
** Gopher to gopher.stat.psu.edu
To submit questions to the SCCA
** Email (Internet) scca@stat.psu.edu
** FAX 814-863-7114
Back to the SCCA Home Page.
Back to the Home Page of Dr.
Akritas.