title: Characteristic curves for photographic emulsions from nonlinear fitting: a study of statistical and model error.
abstract: The intensity calibration of photographic emulsions is examined from the standpoint of nonlinear leastsquares fits to analytic expressions. A simple but widely neglected expression for computing the propagated statistical error is used to examine the error in the relative exposure as determined from the fitted calibration function. The statistical error is also compared with the dependence on the choice of fit function, or model error. In the present applications, which replicate those obtainable routinely in emission spectroscopy, the relative intensity is obtainable to better than 10% over a 2-order-of-magnitude change in intensity.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tellinghuisen