An improved algorithm for the determination of the system parameters of a visual binary by least squares

Thesis/Dissertation · Fri Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1988

OSTI ID:7058529

Xu, Yu-Lin

The problem of computing the orbit of a visual binary from a set of observed positions is reconsidered. It is a least squares adjustment problem, if the observational errors follow a bias-free multivariate Gaussian distribution and the covariance matrix of the observations is assumed to be known. The condition equations are constructed to satisfy both the conic section equation and the area theorem, which are nonlinear in both the observations and the adjustment parameters. The traditional least squares algorithm, which employs condition equations that are solved with respect to the uncorrelated observations and either linear in the adjustment parameters or linearized by developing them in Taylor series by first-order approximation, is inadequate in the orbit problem. Not long ago, a completely general solution was published by W. H. Jefferys, who proposed a rigorous adjustment algorithm for models in which the observations appear nonlinearly in the condition equations and may be correlated, and in which construction of the normal equations and the residual function involves no approximation. This method was successfully applied in this problem. The normal equations were first solved by Newton's scheme. Newton's method was modified to yield a definitive solution in the case the normal approach fails, by combination with the method of steepest descent and other sophisticated algorithms. Practical examples show that the modified Newton scheme can always lead to a final solution. The weighting of observations, the orthogonal parameters and the efficiency of a set of adjustment parameters are also considered.

• Research Organization: Florida Univ., Gainesville, FL (USA)
• OSTI ID: 7058529
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640102* -- Astrophysics & Cosmology-- Stars & Quasi-Stellar
Radio & X-Ray Sources
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
ALGORITHMS
BINARY STARS
CALCULATION METHODS
CONVERGENCE
ITERATIVE METHODS
LEAST SQUARE FIT
MATHEMATICAL LOGIC
MAXIMUM-LIKELIHOOD FIT
MODIFICATIONS
NEWTON METHOD
NONLINEAR PROBLEMS
NUMERICAL SOLUTION
ORBITS
STARS