Multiplicative scale uncertainties in the unified approach for constructing confidence intervals

We have investigated how uncertainties in the estimation of the detection efficiency affect the 90% confidence intervals in the unified approach for constructing confidence intervals. The study has been conducted for experiments where the number of detected events is large and can be described by a...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Nuclear instruments & methods in physics research. Section A, Accelerators, spectrometers, detectors and associated equipment Accelerators, spectrometers, detectors and associated equipment, 2009-06, Vol.604 (3), p.729-737
Main Author: Smith, E.S.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Confidence intervals
Sensitivity
Statistical methods
Systematic uncertainties
Unified approach
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Summary:We have investigated how uncertainties in the estimation of the detection efficiency affect the 90% confidence intervals in the unified approach for constructing confidence intervals. The study has been conducted for experiments where the number of detected events is large and can be described by a Gaussian probability density function. We also assume the detection efficiency has a Gaussian probability density and study the range of the relative uncertainties σ ε between 0% and 30%. We find that the confidence intervals provide proper coverage over a wide signal range and increase smoothly and continuously from the intervals that ignore scale uncertainties with a quadratic dependence on σ ε .
ISSN:0168-9002
1872-9576
DOI:10.1016/j.nima.2009.03.206