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DM Optimization

FLITS can sweep trial DMs around the current value and score them using one of the registered DM metrics.

Available metrics

The software currently exposes two main approaches:

  • integrated-event S/N
  • DMphase

Integrated-event S/N is a direct, profile-based metric. DMphase is a phase-coherent Fourier method implemented natively inside FLITS so it can work against the current reduced grid, masking state, crop, and selection.

What the DM sweep uses

The optimization operates on the current session state:

  • current dynamic spectrum
  • current crop
  • event window
  • spectral window
  • channel mask
  • reduced-resolution state

Changing those inputs can change the preferred DM.

Outputs to inspect

After a sweep, the useful things to compare are:

  • the score curve versus trial DM
  • the preferred DM and its local fit status
  • residual arrival-time behavior at the applied and optimized DMs

Practical guidance

  • Use a sensible event window before running the sweep.
  • Restrict the spectral window to the part of the band you actually trust.
  • Mask bad channels first.
  • Treat the optimized DM as local to the chosen analysis state, not as a context-free universal value.