Unveiling Insights: Harnessing the Power of the Most-Frequent-Value Method for Sensor Data Analysis

Abstract

The paper explores the application of Steiner’s most-frequent-value (MFV) statistical method in sensor data analysis. The MFV is introduced as a powerful tool to identify the most-common value in a dataset, even when data points are scattered, unlike traditional mode calculations. Furthermore, the paper underscores the MFV method’s versatility in estimating environmental gamma background blue (the natural level of gamma radiation present in the environment, typically originating from natural sources such as rocks, soil, and cosmic rays), making it useful in scenarios where traditional statistical methods are challenging. It presents the MFV approach as a reliable technique for characterizing ambient radiation levels around large-scale experiments, such as the DEAP-3600 dark matter detector. Using the MFV alongside passive sensors such as thermoluminescent detectors and employing a bootstrapping approach, this study showcases its effectiveness in evaluating background radiation and its aptness for estimating confidence intervals. In summary, this paper underscores the importance of the MFV and bootstrapping as valuable statistical tools in various scientific fields that involve the analysis of sensor data. These tools help in estimating the most-common values and make data analysis easier, especially in complex situations, where we need to be reasonably confident about our estimated ranges. Our calculations based on MFV statistics and bootstrapping indicate that the ambient radiation level in Cube Hall at SNOLAB is 35.19 μGy for 1342 h of exposure, with an uncertainty range of +3.41 to −3.59μGy, corresponding to a 68.27% confidence level. In the vicinity of the DEAP-3600 water shielding, the ambient radiation level is approximately 34.80 μGy, with an uncertainty range of +3.58 to −3.48μGy, also at a 68.27% confidence level. These findings offer crucial guidance for experimental design at SNOLAB, especially in the context of dark matter research.