Parameters

Model parameters are very flexible, and can be accessed and modified in many parallel ways.

The parinfo class is built on top of lmfit-py’s parameters for compatibility with lmfit-py, but it builds on that. The code for the parameter overloading is in parinfo.py.

Simple Example

Start with a simple example: if you want to limit parameters to be within some range, use the limits and limited parameters.

# define shorthand first:
T,F = True,False
sp.specfit(fittype='gaussian', guesses=[-1,5,1,0.5,2,1],
    limits=[(0,0), (0,0), (0,0), (0,0), (0,0), (0,0)],
    limited=[(F,T), (F,F), (T,F), (T,F),  (F,F), (T,F)])

In this example, there are two gaussian components being fitted because a Gaussian takes 3 parameters, an amplitude, a center, and a width, and there are 6 parameters in the input guesses.

The first line is forced to be an absorption line: its limits are (0,0) but limited=(F,T) so only the 2nd parameter, the upper limit, is respected: the amplitude is forced to be \(A\leq 0\).

The second line has its amplitude (the 4th parameter in guesses) forced positive since its limits are also (0,0) but its limited=(T,F).

Both lines have their widths forced to be positive, which is true by default: there is no meaning to a negative width, since the width enters into the equation for a gaussian as \(\sigma^2\).

Note that the need to limit parameters is the main reason for the existence of lmfit-py and mpfit.

Tying Parameters

It is also possible to explicitly state that one parameter depends on another. If, for example, you want to fit two gaussians, but they must be at a fixed wavelength separation from one another (e.g., for fitting the [S II] doublet), use tied:

sp.specfit(fittype='gaussian', guesses=[1,6716,1,0.5,6731,1],
    tied=['','','','','p[1]',''])

If you use lmfit-py by specifying use_lmfit=True, you can use the more advanced mathematical constraints permitted by lmfit-py.

Optical fitting: The Hα-[NII] complex of a type-I Seyfert galaxy shows a more complete example using tied.

Making your own parinfo

You can also build a parinfo class directly. Currently, the best example of this is in tests/test_formaldehyde_mm_radex.py.

Here’s an example of how you would set up a fit using parinfo directly.

Warning

There is a bug in the use_lmfit section of this code that keeps it from working properly. =(

amplitude0 = pyspeckit.parinfo.Parinfo(n=0, parname='Amplitude0',
    shortparname='$A_0$', value=1, limits=[0, 100], limited=(True,True))
width0 = pyspeckit.parinfo.Parinfo(n=2, parname='Width0',
    shortparname='$\sigma_0$', value=1, limits=(0, 0), limited=(True,False))
center0 = pyspeckit.parinfo.Parinfo(n=1, parname='Center0',
    shortparname='$\Delta x_0$', value=6716, limits=(0, 0), limited=(False,False))
amplitude1 = pyspeckit.parinfo.Parinfo(n=3, parname='Amplitude1',
    shortparname='$A_1$', value=1, limits=[0, 100], limited=(True,True))
width1 = pyspeckit.parinfo.Parinfo(n=5, parname='Width1',
    shortparname='$\sigma_1$', value=1, limits=(0, 0), limited=(True,False))
center1 = pyspeckit.parinfo.Parinfo(n=4, parname='Center1',
    shortparname='$\Delta x_1$', value=6731, limits=(0, 0),
    limited=(False,False), tied=center0)

parinfo = pyspeckit.parinfo.ParinfoList([amplitude0,center0,width0,amplitude1,center1,width1])

sp.specfit(parinfo=parinfo, use_lmfit=True)

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