Epoch Of Reionization Signal Research Articles

A new layout optimization technique for interferometric arrays, applied to the Murchison Widefield Array

Antenna layout is an important design consideration for radio interferometers because it determines the quality of the snapshot point spread function (PSF, or array beam). This is particularly true for experiments targeting the 21 cm Epoch of Reionization signal as the quality of the foreground subtraction depends directly on the spatial dynamic range and thus the smoothness of the baseline distribution. Nearly all sites have constraints on where antennas can be placed---even at the remote Australian location of the MWA (Murchison Widefield Array) there are rock outcrops, flood zones, heritages areas, emergency runways and trees. These exclusion areas can introduce spatial structure into the baseline distribution that enhance the PSF sidelobes and reduce the angular dynamic range. In this paper we present a new method of constrained antenna placement that reduces the spatial structure in the baseline distribution. This method not only outperforms random placement algorithms that avoid exclusion zones, but surprisingly outperforms random placement algorithms without constraints to provide what we believe are the smoothest constrained baseline distributions developed to date. We use our new algorithm to determine antenna placements for the originally planned MWA, and present the antenna locations, baseline distribution, and snapshot PSF for this array choice.

IMAGING THE EPOCH OF REIONIZATION: LIMITATIONS FROM FOREGROUND CONFUSION AND IMAGING ALGORITHMS

Tomography of redshifted 21 cm transition from neutral Hydrogen using Fourier synthesis telescopes is a promising tool to study the Epoch of Reionization (EoR). Limiting the confusion from Galactic and Extragalactic foregrounds is critical to the success of these telescopes. Instrumental response or the Point Spread Function (PSF) of such telescopes is inherently 3 dimensional with frequency mapping to the Line of Sight (LOS) distance. EoR signals will necessarily have to be detected in data where continuum confusion persists; therefore, it is important that the PSF has acceptable frequency structure so that the residual foreground does not confuse the EoR signature. This paper aims to understand the 3 dimensional PSF and foreground contamination in the same framework. We develop a formalism to estimate the foreground contamination along frequency, or equivalently LOS dimension, and establish a relationship between foreground contamination in the image plane and visibility weights on the Fourier plane. We identify two dominant sources of LOS foreground contamination-'PSF contamination' and 'gridding contamination'. We show that 'PSF contamination' is localized in LOS wavenumber space, beyond which there potentially exists an 'EoR window' with negligible foreground contamination where we may focus our efforts to detect EoR. 'PSF contamination' in this window may be substantially reduced by judicious choice of a frequency window function. Gridding and imaging algorithms create additional 'gridding contamination' and we propose a new imaging algorithm using the Chirp Z Transform (CZT) that significantly reduces this contamination. Finally, we demonstrate the analytical relationships and the merit of the new imaging algorithm for the case of imaging with the Murchison Widefield Array (MWA).

Realistic simulations of the Galactic polarized foreground: consequences for 21-cm reionization detection experiments

Experiments designed to measure the redshifted 21~cm line from the Epoch of Reionization (EoR) are challenged by strong astrophysical foreground contamination, ionospheric distortions, complex instrumental response and other different types of noise (e.g. radio frequency interference). The astrophysical foregrounds are dominated by diffuse synchrotron emission from our Galaxy. Here we present a simulation of the Galactic emission used as a foreground module for the LOFAR- EoR key science project end-to-end simulations. The simulation produces total and polarized intensity over $10^\circ \times 10^\circ$ maps of the Galactic synchrotron and free-free emission, including all observed characteristics of the emission: spatial fluctuations of amplitude and spectral index of the synchrotron emission, together with Faraday rotation effects. The importance of these simulations arise from the fact that the Galactic polarized emission could behave in a manner similar to the EoR signal along the frequency direction. As a consequence, an improper instrumental calibration will give rise to leakages of the polarized to the total signal and mask the desired EoR signal. In this paper we address this for the first time through realistic simulations.

The GMRT EoR experiment: limits on polarized sky brightness at 150 MHz

The GMRT reionization effort aims to map out the large scale structure of the Universe during the epoch of reionization (EoR). Removal of polarized Galactic emission is a difficult part of any 21 cm EoR program, and we present new upper limits to diffuse polarized foregrounds at 150 MHz. We find no high significance evidence of polarized emission in our observed field at mid galactic latitude (J2000 08h26m+26). We find an upper limit on the 2-dimensional angular power spectrum of diffuse polarized foregrounds of [l^2 C_l/(2 PI)]^{1/2}< 3K in frequency bins of width 1 MHz at 300<l<1000. The 3-dimensional power spectrum of polarized emission, which is most directly relevant to EoR observations, is [k^3 P_p(k)/(2 PI^2)]^{1/2}< 2K at k_perp > 0.03 h/Mpc, k < 0.1 h/Mpc. This can be compared to the expected EoR signal in total intensity of [k^3 P(k)/ (2 PI^2) ]^{1/2} ~ 10 mK. We find polarized structure is substantially weaker than suggested by extrapolation from higher frequency observations, so the new low upper limits reported here reduce the anticipated impact of these foregrounds on EoR experiments. We discuss Faraday beam and depth depolarization models and compare predictions of these models to our data. We report on a new technique for polarization calibration using pulsars, as well as a new technique to remove broadband radio frequency interference. Our data indicate that, on the edges of the main beam at GMRT, polarization squint creates ~ 3% leakage of unpolarized power into polarized maps at zero rotation measure. Ionospheric rotation was largely stable during these solar minimum night time observations.

Power Spectrum Sensitivity and the Design of Epoch of Reionization Observatories

Recent theoretical developments for observing the epoch of reionization (EOR) have concentrated on the power spectrum signature of redshifted 21 cm emission. These studies have demonstrated the great potential of statistical EOR observations; however, the sensitivity calculations for proposed low-frequency radio arrays have been highly approximate. The formalism developed for interferometric measurements of the cosmic microwave background can be extended to three dimensions to naturally incorporate the line-of-sight information inherent in the EOR signal. In this paper we demonstrate how to accurately calculate the EOR power spectrum sensitivity of an array and develop scaling relationships that can be used to guide the design of EOR observatories. The implications for antenna distribution, antenna size, and correlator requirements on the EOR sensitivity are detailed.

Toward Epoch of Reionization Measurements with Wide‐Field Radio Observations

This paper explores the potential for statistical epoch of reionization (EOR) measurements using wide-field radio observations. New developments in low-frequency radio instrumentation and signal processing allow very sensitive EOR measurements, and the analysis techniques enabled by these advances offer natural ways of separating the EOR signal from the residual foreground emission. This paper introduces the enabling technologies and proposes an analysis technique designed to make optimal use of the capabilities of next-generation low-frequency radio arrays. The observations we propose can directly observe the power spectrum of the EOR using relatively short observations and are significantly more sensitive than other techniques that have been discussed in the literature. For example, in the absence of foreground contamination the measurements we propose would produce five 3 σ power spectrum points in 100 hr of observation with only 4 MHz bandwidth with LOFAR for simple models of the high-redshift 21 cm emission. The challenge of residual foreground removal may be addressed by the symmetries in the three-dimensional (two spatial frequencies and radio frequency) radio interferometric data. These symmetries naturally separate the EOR signal from most classes of residual unsubtracted foreground contamination, including all foreground continuum sources and radio line emission from the Milky Way.