Techniques for the estimation of red power spectra. I - Context and methodology

In pursuing the application of pulsar timing techniques to the investigation of possible torque noise and the subsequent diagnosis of the internal structure of neutron stars, a general mathematical framework for the computation of power spectra of irregularly sampled red noise processes has been formulated. This framework provides a guide to the selection as well as construction of practical power density estimators, and a means to compare the efficiency of existing techniques.