Features of the statistical distribution of a quasi-harmonic signal phase

The statistical distribution of the phase of a quasi-harmonic signal has been theoretically investigated. An analytical expression for the probability density function of this distribution has been obtained for the first time, and the distribution has been shown to be a two-parameter one and to be determined by the following parameters: the signal-to-noise ratio and the deviation of the current phase value from the phase value in the initial noiseless signal. The dependence of the probability density function for the signal phase upon its parameters has been analyzed. This research is meaningful for solving tasks of high-precision phase measurements by means of statistical data processing methods.