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arxiv: 2606.00768 · v1 · pith:POPADHR6new · submitted 2026-05-30 · 🌌 astro-ph.IM · physics.data-an· stat.AP

Bayesian estimation of spectral parameters of the 6.7-GHz methanol maser G339.884-1.259 from GRAO observations

classification 🌌 astro-ph.IM physics.data-anstat.AP
keywords maserbayesiangaussianmethanolspectralapproxdecompositionestimation
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Accurate decomposition of methanol maser spectra is essential for understanding high-mass star-forming regions, especially in complex blended spectra where small differences alter physical interpretation. Conventional Gaussian fitting often fails to capture non-Gaussian structure and lacks uncertainty quantification. We develop a Bayesian spectral decomposition framework using Gaussian, Lorentzian, and Voigt profiles with Markov Chain Monte Carlo sampling, enabling model comparison and uncertainty estimation. Applied to the 6.7\,GHz methanol maser G339.884$-$1.259 observed with the Ghana Radio Astronomy Observatory, our method reveals seven velocity-coherent components. The Voigt model is statistically preferred, yielding the lowest AIC and BIC ($\approx 1.98 \times 10^{4}$ and $1.99 \times 10^{4}$), the smallest RMSE ($\approx 11.1$ Jy), and the highest $R^{2}$ (0.985). Purely Gaussian or Lorentzian models leave systematic residuals. Elevated reduced $\chi^{2}_{\nu}$ values indicate unresolved substructure and non-ideal noise. Bayesian inference provides a robust framework for maser spectral analysis, extendable to other molecular lines and combinable with high-resolution interferometry.

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