BATSE GAMMA-RAY BURST LINE SEARCH .2. BAYESIAN CONSISTENCY METHODOLOGY

We describe a Bayesian methodology to evaluate the consistency between the reported Ginga and BATSE detections of absorption features in gam ma-ray burst spectra. Currently no features have been detected by BATS E, but this methodology will still be applicable if and when such feat ures are discovered. The Bayesian methodology permits the comparison o f hypotheses regarding the two detectors' observations and makes expli cit the subjective aspects of our analysis (e.g., the quantification o f our confidence in detector performance). We also present non-Bayesia n consistency statistics. Based on preliminary calculations of line de tectability, we find that both the Bayesian and non-Bayesian technique s show that the BATSE and Ginga observations are consistent given our understanding of these detectors.