PDM2: Phase Dispersion Minimization

PDM2 (Phase Dispersion Minimization) ddetermines periodic components of data sets with erratic time intervals, poor coverage, non-sine-wave curve shape, and/or large noise components. Essentially a least-squares fitting technique, the fit is relative to the mean curve as defined by the means of each bin; the code simultaneously obtains the best least-squares light curve and the best period. PDM2 allows an arbitrary degree of smoothing and provides improved curve fits, suppressed subharmonics, and beta function statistics.