Phase dispersion minimization

PDM2 analysis for the double mode Cepheid variable TU Cas, primary period
Raw data set for the analysis shown above. The large gaps are often found in ground-based observations.

Phase dispersion minimization (PDM) is a data analysis technique that searches for periodic components of a time series data set. It is useful for data sets with gaps, non-sinusoidal variations, poor time coverage or other problems that would make Fourier techniques unusable. It was first developed by Stellingwerf in 1978 [1] and has been widely used for astronomical and other types of periodic data analyses. Source code is available for PDM analysis. The current version of this application is available for download.[2]