The mean parameter log ₁₀α as a function of ζ_max with ζ_min = 1 obtained from N fits to a forward modelled sample of values of periods and damping times, using the uniform distribution for ℓ/a given in Eq. (4) and a uniform (left) and a Jeffrey’s (right) distributions for ζ as given in Eqs. (4) and (6), respectively. The dashed curves bound the one-σ variation in log ₁₀α. The horizontal long-dashed line shows the observed value of log ₁₀α bounded by its one-σ variation.