Next subroutine.....

I've almost forgotten what 'subroutines' do!

However, managed to load onto GITHUB the first routine called by the ROBFIT background fitting code BKGFIT detailed in previous posts.

The code BKLINK is now available for viewing. Though think I should have put more comments into the code!

Anyway - this is another of the routines used in the background fitting process - it is essentially an input routine that reads user defined values from a file called BKGFIT.MNU - which I still need to find!

Why bother fitting the background when the idea is to be looking for small peaks?

The code has been mainly developed around fitting of gamma-ray spectra but can be used on any data set which required the identification of peaks in among significant background 'noise'. Once you have identified what the background looks like and have represented it mathematically the search for small variations from this representation is made easier. Exactly like the identification of the signal for the Higgs Boson reported upon this week. Blimey I am topical - it wasn't planned!

Essentially the operation of the ROBFIT code follows a sequence;

1. Read in data required to be analysed
2. Fit the background (this can be a separate file or the code can be run 'all-up' with it fitting background and peaks)
3. Search for 'channels' above a cutoff level
4. Search for peak regions
5. Identify peaks in these regions
6. Refit all peaks in the regions
7. Update the peak list

which seems a fairly straightforward sequence.

Except it gets a bit more complicated......more on that later!