RV Visualization with rvpostplot

While octoplot provides a broad overview of all your data and orbital fits, rvpostplot specializes in detailed visualization of radial velocity data. It creates a multi-panel figure showing:

• The full RV time series with model fits
• Residuals from the model
• Phase-folded curves for each planet

Two versions are available:

• rvpostplot(model, chain): Shows a single posterior sample
• rvpostplot_animated(model, chain): Creates an animation cycling through different posterior samples

Here is an example:

Basic Usage

# Plot a single sample (by default, the maximum posterior sample)
fig = rvpostplot(model, chain)

# Create an animation
fig = rvpostplot_animated(model, chain)

Understanding the Plot Panels

Time Series Panel

The top panel shows:

• RV measurements from each instrument (different colors)
• Model fits including any Gaussian Process stellar activity model
• Error bars:
  • Colored bars: Raw measurement uncertainty
  • Grey bars: Measurement + instrument jitter
  • Colored bands: uncertainty from the GP model (if used)
• Optional perspective aka. secular acceleration line for models based on AbsoluteVisual{...} orbit

Residuals Panel

Shows the difference between the data and model. Note that in the residuals and phase-folded plots, the grey bars included the GP uncertainty too.

Phase-Folded Panels

For each planet in your model, a phase-folded panel shows:

• Data folded at the planet's orbital period
• Other planet signals subtracted from the data
• Binned data points (red) with uncertainties
• Model curve in blue

Optional text summary showing orbital parameters and uncertainties (pass show_summary = true)

Detailed Options and Customization

Panel Selection

# Plot the maximum posterior sample with options
rvpostplot(model, chain;
    show_perspective=true,   # Show perspective acceleration line
    show_summary=true,      # Show orbital parameter summary text
)

Orbit Sample Selection

By default, rvpostplot shows the maximum posterior sample. You can specify a different sample:

# Plot a specific sample
i_sample = 42
fig = rvpostplot(model, chain, i_sample)

# Plot the first sample
fig = rvpostplot(model, chain, 1)

Animation Options

The rvpostplot_animated function creates an animation that cycles through different posterior samples, helping visualize the range of orbits consistent with your data.

# Basic animation with default settings
anim = rvpostplot_animated(model, chain)

# Customize animation parameters
anim = rvpostplot_animated(model, chain;
    N = 50,            # Number of frames (default)
    framerate = 4,     # Frames per second
    compression = 1,   # Video compression level
    fname = "rv-posterior.mp4"  # Output filename
)

Advanced Animation Control

For fine-grained control over each frame, you can provide a callback function:

# Example: Customize axis limits for each frame
function adjust_frame(fig)
    ax = fig.content[1]  # Get first axis
    ylims!(ax, -100, 100)  # Set y limits
    return fig
end

anim = rvpostplot_animated(model, chain, callback=adjust_frame)