Power spectrum
Article
A power spectrum describes how the power or variance of a signal is distributed across frequency. It reveals which frequencies contribute most strongly to an observed time series or spatial pattern.
For deterministic signals, the power spectrum is related to the squared magnitude of the Fourier transform. For random processes, it is commonly described by the power spectral density.
Sharp peaks may indicate periodic components, while broad distributions can represent noise or irregular fluctuations. The resolution and reliability of estimates depend on record length, sampling, windowing, and averaging.
Power spectra are used in acoustics, astronomy, geophysics, neuroscience, communications, climate research, vibration analysis, and many other forms of time-series analysis.
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- Source / publisher: Wikipedia
- URL type: WWW
- Credits: Wikipedia
- URL: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Power_spectrum