Statistical Analysis of Multiwavelength Light curves

Abstract

Since its launch in 2008 the Fermi Large Area Telescope provides regular monitoring of a large sample of gamma-ray sources on time scales from hours to years. Together with observations at other wavelengths it is now possible to study variability and correlation properties in a much more systematic and detailed way than ever before. The paper describe some of the statistical methods and tools that have been, or can be, used to characterize variability and to study the relation between multiwavelength light curves. Effects and limitations due to time sampling, measurement noise, non-stationarity etc are illustrated and discussed.