The Statistical Accuracy of Measurements of Fluctuating Quantities in Pulsed Devices

摘要

The statistical accuracy of estimates of the r.m.s. level of a fluctuating signal with zero mean value is calculated for the case when the individual readings cannot be assumed to be completely-independent. The accuracy is specified by the "effective number" of independent readings which would give the same accuracy. An expression is also given for the effective number when the estimate is obtained by continuous electronic averaging.nNumerical results are given for some specific forms for the auto-correlation function of the original fluctuating signal. Features of these results which are likely to occur in general are pointed out. A criterion is suggested for choosing the optimum number of readings.