An introduction to Bayesian statistics for atomic physicists

M. Trassinelli (1, 2)

1 INSP - Institut des Nanosciences de Paris
2 INSP-E10 - Agrégats et surfaces sous excitations intenses

We present an introduction to some concepts of Bayesian data analysis in the context of atomic physics. Starting from basic rules of probability, we present the Bayes' theorem and its applications. In particular we discuss about the limits of classic statistics methods and in which cases a Bayesian analysis is mandatory. Moreover, we show how probability values can be assigned to different possible models (different numbers of peaks, type peak profile, etc.) from the analysis of experimental data.

Domaines: Physique Atomique [physics.atom-ph]

M. Trassinelli. An introduction to Bayesian statistics for atomic physicists. Journal of Physics: Conference Series, 2020, 1412, pp.062008. ⟨10.1088/1742-6596/1412/6/062008⟩. ⟨hal-02885446⟩