The determination of confidence limits associated with estimates of the spectral peak frequency

Abstract

A Monte-Carlo simulation technique is used to evaluate the suitability of proposed techniques for the estimation of the spectral peak frequency. Due to the statistical variability of spectral estimates and the discrete frequency resolution of spectra, the calculated values of peak frequency are stochastic variables. The probability density functions for such estimates are functions of the frequency resolution and the number of degrees of freedom of the spectrum from which they are derived as well as the spectral peakedness. The mean values of all techniques are biased high, indicating the derived values of peak frequency are an overestimate of the true value. The probability density function..