STATCONT: A statistical continuum level determination method for line-rich sources

TL;DR

STATCONT is a Python tool that accurately determines the continuum emission level in line-rich spectral data using statistical methods, especially sigma-clipping, and provides continuum-subtracted datacubes and spectral index estimates.

Contribution

It introduces the c-SCM method, an improved sigma-clipping approach with uncertainty estimation, validated on over 750 synthetic spectra for reliable continuum determination.

Findings

c-SCM achieves less than 1% discrepancy in 50% of cases

Less than 5% discrepancy in 90% of cases with sufficient line-free channels

Provides continuum level, uncertainty, and line-only datacubes

Abstract

STATCONT is a python-based tool designed to determine the continuum emission level in spectral data, in particular for sources with a line-rich spectrum. The tool inspects the intensity distribution of a given spectrum and automatically determines the continuum level by using different statistical approaches. The different methods included in STATCONT are tested against synthetic data. We conclude that the sigma-clipping algorithm provides the most accurate continuum level determination, together with information on the uncertainty in its determination. This uncertainty can be used to correct the final continuum emission level, resulting in the here called `corrected sigma-clipping method' or c-SCM. The c-SCM has been tested against more than 750 different synthetic spectra reproducing typical conditions found towards astronomical sources. The continuum level is determined with a discrepancy of less than 1% in 50% of the cases, and less than 5% in 90% of the cases, provided at least 10% of the channels are line free. The main products of STATCONT are the continuum emission level, together with a conservative value of its uncertainty, and datacubes containing only spectral line emission, i.e., continuum-subtracted datacubes. STATCONT also includes the option to estimate the spectral index, when different files covering different frequency ranges are provided.