Low-frequency Radio Interferometers Research Articles

Aliasing from Galactic Plane Setting in Widefield Radio Interferometry

Measurements with widefield radio interferometers often include the near-infinite gradient between the sky and the horizon. This causes aliasing inherent to the measurement itself and is purely a consequence of the Fourier basis. For this reason, the horizon is often attenuated by the instrumental beam down to levels deemed inconsequential. However, this effect is enhanced via our own Galactic plane as it sets over the course of a night. We show all-sky simulations of the Galactic plane setting in a low-frequency radio interferometer in detail for the first time. We then apply these simulations to the Murchison Widefield Array to show that a beam attenuation of 0.1% is not sufficient in some precision science cases. We determine that the noise statistics of the residual data image are drastically more Gaussian with aliasing removal, and explore consequences in simulation for cataloging of extragalactic sources and 21 cm Epoch of Reionization detection via the power spectrum.

First upper limits on the 21 cm signal power spectrum from cosmic dawn from one night of observations with NenuFAR

The redshifted 21 cm signal from neutral hydrogen is a direct probe of the physics of the early universe and has been an important science driver of many present and upcoming radio interferometers. In this study we use a single night of observations with the New Extension in Nançay Upgrading LOFAR (NenuFAR) to place upper limits on the 21 cm power spectrum from cosmic dawn at a redshift of z = 20.3. NenuFAR is a new low-frequency radio interferometer, operating in the 10–85 MHz frequency range, currently under construction at the Nançay Radio Observatory in France. It is a phased array instrument with a very dense uv coverage at short baselines, making it one of the most sensitive instruments for 21 cm cosmology analyses at these frequencies. Our analysis adopts the foreground subtraction approach, in which sky sources are modeled and subtracted through calibration and residual foregrounds are subsequently removed using Gaussian process regression. The final power spectra are constructed from the gridded residual data cubes in the uv plane. Signal injection tests are performed at each step of the analysis pipeline, the relevant pipeline settings are optimized to ensure minimal signal loss, and any signal suppression is accounted for through a bias correction on our final upper limits. We obtain a best 2σ upper limit of 2.4 × 107 mK2 at z = 20.3 and k = 0.041 h cMpc−1. We see a strong excess power in the data, making our upper limits two orders of magnitude higher than the thermal noise limit. We investigate the origin and nature of this excess power and discuss further improvements to the analysis pipeline that can potentially mitigate it and consequently allow us to reach thermal noise sensitivity when multiple nights of observations are processed in the future.

Extracting the 21-cm power spectrum and the reionization parameters from mock data sets using artificial neural networks

ABSTRACT Detection of the H i 21-cm power spectrum is one of the key science drivers of several ongoing and upcoming low-frequency radio interferometers. However, the major challenge in such observations come from bright foregrounds, whose accurate removal or avoidance is key to the success of these experiments. In this work, we demonstrate the use of artificial neural networks (ANNs) to extract the H i 21-cm power spectrum from synthetic data sets and extract the reionization parameters from the H i 21-cm power spectrum. For the first time, using a suite of simulations, we present an ANN-based framework capable of extracting the H i signal power spectrum directly from the total observed sky power spectrum (which contains the 21-cm signal, along with the foregrounds and effects of the instrument). We have used a combination of two ANNs sequentially. In the first step, ANN1 predicts the 21-cm power spectrum directly from foreground corrupted synthetic data sets. In the second step, ANN2 predicts the reionization parameters from the predicted H i power spectra from ANN1. The two-step ANN framework can be used as an alternative method to extract the 21-cm power spectrum and the reionization parameters directly from foreground dominated data sets. Our ANN-based framework is trained at a redshift of 9.01, and for $\boldsymbol {k}$ modes in the range, $\rm {0.17\lt {\boldsymbol {k}}\lt 0.37~Mpc^{-1}}$. We have tested the network’s performance with mock data sets corrupted with thermal noise corresponding to 1080 h of observations of the SKA-1 LOW and HERA. We have recovered the H i power spectra from foreground dominated synthetic data sets, with an accuracy of $\approx 95{\!-\!}99{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$. We have achieved an accuracy of $\approx ~81{\!-\!}90{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ and $\approx ~50{\!-\!}60{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ for the predicted reionization parameters, for test sets corrupted with thermal noise corresponding to the SKA-1 LOW and HERA, respectively.

Somewhere in between: Tracing the Radio Emission from Galaxy Groups (or Why Does the Future of Observing Galaxy Groups with Radio Telescopes Look Promising?)

Galaxy groups constitute the most common class of galaxy systems in the known Universe, unique in terms of environmental properties. However, despite recent advances in optical and infrared observations as well as in theoretical research, little is known about magnetic fields and the associated continuum radio emission. Studies on this issue have only been conducted in recent years, and many questions have yet to be resolved. This article aims to put the study of group magnetism in a broader context, to present recent advances in the field (mainly achieved with low-frequency radio interferometers), and to list the issues that need to be addressed in future observations. To make it easier for the Readers to get acquainted with the concepts presented in the manuscript, radio observations of two sample groups of galaxies are also presented.

Methods of Error Estimation for Delay Power Spectra in 21 cm Cosmology

Precise measurements of the 21 cm power spectrum are crucial for understanding the physical processes of hydrogen reionization. Currently, this probe is being pursued by low-frequency radio interferometer arrays. As these experiments come closer to making a first detection of the signal, error estimation will play an increasingly important role in setting robust measurements. Using the delay power spectrum approach, we have produced a critical examination of different ways that one can estimate error bars on the power spectrum. We do this through a synthesis of analytic work, simulations of toy models, and tests on small amounts of real data. We find that, although computed independently, the different error bar methodologies are in good agreement with each other in the noise-dominated regime of the power spectrum. For our preferred methodology, the predicted probability distribution function is consistent with the empirical noise power distributions from both simulated and real data. This diagnosis is mainly in support of the forthcoming HERA upper limit, and also is expected to be more generally applicable.

Sensitivity of a low-frequency polarimetric radio interferometer

Context.The sensitivity of a radio interferometer is a key figure of merit (FoM) for a radio telescope. The sensitivity of a single polarized interferometer is typically given as an antenna effective area over a system temperature,Ae/Tsys, assuming an unpolarized source. For a dual-polarized polarimetric interferometer intended to observe sources of unknown polarization, the state of polarization must not be assumed a priori. Furthermore, in contrast to the narrow field of view (FoV) of dish-based interferometers, the sensitivity of a polarimetric low-frequency radio interferometer warrants a careful review because of the very wide FoV of the dual-polarized antennas. A revision of this key FoM is particularly needed in the context of the Low-Frequency Square Kilometre Array (SKA-Low) where the sensitivity requirements are currently stated usingAe/Tsysfor a single-polarized antenna system, which produces ambiguity for off-zenith angles.Aims.This paper aims to derive an expression for the sensitivity of a polarimetric radio interferometer that is valid for all-sky observations of arbitrarily polarized sources, with neither a restriction on FoV nor with any a priori assumption regarding the polarization state of the source. We verify the resulting formula with an all-sky observation using the Murchison Widefield Array telescope.Methods.The sensitivity expression was developed from first principles by applying the concept of system equivalent flux density (SEFD) to a polarimetric radio interferometer (not by computingAe/Tsys). The SEFD was calculated from the standard deviation of the noisy flux density estimate for a target source due to system noise.Results.The SEFD for a polarimetric radio interferometer is generally not 1/√2 of a single-polarized interferometer as is often assumed for narrow FoV. This assumption can lead to significant errors for a dual-polarized dipole based system, which is common in low-frequency radio astronomy: up to ∼15% for a zenith angle with a coverage of 45° and up to ∼45% for 60° coverage. The worst case errors occur in the diagonal planes of the dipole for very wide FoV. This is demonstrated through theory, simulation, and observations. Furthermore, using the resulting formulation, the calculation of the off-zenith sensitivity is straightforward and unambiguous.Conclusions.For wide FoV observations pertinent to a low-frequency radio interferometer such as SKA-Low, the narrow FoV and the single-polarized sensitivity expressions are not correct and should be replaced by the formula derived in this paper.

Dual polarization measurements of MWA beampatterns at 137 MHz

ABSTRACT The wide adoption of low-frequency radio interferometers as a tool for deeper and higher resolution astronomical observations has revolutionized radio astronomy. Despite their construction from static, relatively simple dipoles, the sheer number of distinct elements introduces new, complicated instrumental effects. Their necessary remote locations exacerbate failure rates, while electronic interactions between the many adjacent receiving elements can lead to non-trivial instrumental effects. The Murchison Widefield Array (MWA) employs phased array antenna elements (tiles), which improve collecting area at the expense of complex beam shapes. Advanced electromagnetic simulations have produced the fully embedded element (FEE) simulated beam model which has been highly successful in describing the ideal beam response of MWA antennas. This work focuses on the relatively unexplored aspect of various in-situ, environmental perturbations to beam models and represents the first large-scale, in-situ, all-sky measurement of MWA beam shapes at multiple polarizations and pointings. Our satellite based beam measurement approach enables all-sky beam response measurements with a dynamic range of ∼50 dB, at 137 MHz.

Simulations of ionospheric refraction on radio interferometric data

Abstract The Epoch of Reionisation (EoR) is the period within which the neutral universe transitioned to an ionised one. This period remains unobserved using low-frequency radio interferometers, which target the 21 cm signal of neutral hydrogen emitted in this era. The Murchison Widefield Array (MWA) radio telescope was built with the detection of this signal as one of its major science goals. One of the most significant challenges towards a successful detection is that of calibration, especially in the presence of the Earth’s ionosphere. By introducing refractive source shifts, distorting source shapes, and scintillating flux densities, the ionosphere is a major nuisance in low-frequency radio astronomy. We introduce sivio, a software tool developed for simulating observations of the MWA through different ionospheric conditions, which is estimated using thin screen approximation models and propagated into the visibilities. This enables us to directly assess the impact of the ionosphere on observed EoR data and the resulting power spectra. We show that the simulated data captures the dispersive behaviour of ionospheric effects. We show that the spatial structure of the simulated ionospheric media is accurately reconstructed either from the resultant source positional offsets or from parameters evaluated during the data calibration procedure. In turn, this will inform on the best strategies of identifying and efficiently eliminating ionospheric contamination in EoR data moving into the Square Kilometre Array era.

Spectral variability of radio sources at low frequencies

ABSTRACT Spectral variability of radio sources encodes information about the conditions of intervening media, source structure, and emission processes. With new low-frequency radio interferometers observing over wide fractional bandwidths, studies of spectral variability for a large population of extragalactic radio sources are now possible. Using two epochs of observations from the GaLactic and Extragalactic All-sky Murchison Widefield Array (GLEAM) survey that were taken one year apart, we search for spectral variability across 100–230 MHz for 21 558 sources. We present methodologies for detecting variability in the spectrum between epochs and for classifying the type of variability: either as a change in spectral shape or as a uniform change in flux density across the bandwidth. We identify 323 sources with significant spectral variability over a year-long time-scale. Of the 323 variable sources, we classify 51 of these as showing a significant change in spectral shape. Variability is more prevalent in peaked-spectrum sources, analogous to gigahertz-peaked spectrum and compact steep-spectrum sources, compared to typical radio galaxies. We discuss the viability of several potential explanations of the observed spectral variability, such as interstellar scintillation and jet evolution. Our results suggest that the radio sky in the megahertz regime is more dynamic than previously suggested.

Simulated differential observations of the Sunyaev-Zel’dovich effect: probing the dark ages and epoch of reionization

This work presents an analytical approach for studying the cosmological 21cm background signal from the Dark Ages (DA) and subsequent Epoch of Reionization (EoR). We simulate differential observations of a galaxy cluster to demonstrate how these epochs can be studied with a specific form of the Sunyaev-Zel'dovich Effect called the SZE-21cm. This work produces simulated maps of the SZE-21cm and shows that the SZE-21cm can be extracted from future observations with low-frequency radio interferometers such as the Hydrogen Epoch of Reionization Array (HERA) and the Square Kilometre Array (SKA). In order to simulate near realistic scenarios, we look into cosmic variance noise, incorporate and take into account the effects of foregrounds, thermal noise, and angular resolution for our simulated observations. We further extend this exploration by averaging over a sample of galaxy clusters to mitigate the effects of cosmic variance and instrumental noise. The impact of point source contamination is also studied. Lastly, we apply this technique to the results of the EDGES collaboration, which in 2018 reported an absorption feature of the global 21cm background signal centred at 78 MHz. The challenges to be addressed in order to achieve the objectives of this work include errors that arise due to cosmic variation, instrumental noise and point source contamination. Our approach demonstrates the potential of the SZE-21cm as an indirect probe for the DA and EoR, and we conclude that the spectral features of the SZE-21cm from our simulated observations yield results that are close to prior theoretical predictions and that the SZE-21cm can be used to test the validity of the EDGES detection.

Low-frequency technology for a lunar interferometer.

This work sketches a possible design architecture of a low-frequency radio interferometer located on the lunar surface. The design has evolved from single antenna experiments aimed at the global signal detection of the epoch of reionization (EoR) to the square kilometre array (SKA) which, when complete, will be capable of imaging the highly red-shifted H1-signal from the cosmic dawn through to the EoR. However, due to the opacity of the ionosphere below 10 MHz and the anthropogenic radio-frequency interference, these terrestrial facilities are incapable of detecting pre-ionization signals and the moon becomes an attractive location to build a low-frequency radio interferometer capable of detecting such cosmological signals. Even though there are enormous engineering challenges to overcome, having this scientific facility on the lunar surface also opens up several new exciting possibilities for low-frequency radio astronomy. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue 'Astronomy from the Moon: the next decades'.

Detection of cosmic structures using the bispectrum phase. I. Mathematical foundations

Many low-frequency radio interferometers are aiming to detect very faint spectral signatures from structures at cosmological redshifts, particularly of neutral Hydrogen using its characteristic 21 cm spectral line. Due to the very high dynamic range needed to isolate these faint spectral fluctuations from the very bright foregrounds, spectral systematics from the instrument or the analysis, rather than thermal noise, are currently limiting their sensitivity. Failure to achieve a spectral calibration with fractional inaccuracy $\lesssim 10^{-5}$ will make the detection of the critical cosmic signal unlikely. The bispectrum phase from interferometric measurements is largely immune to this calibration issue. We present a basis to explore the nature of bispectrum phase in the limit of small spectral fluctuations. We establish that they measure the intrinsic dissimilarity in the transverse structure of the cosmic signal relative to the foregrounds, expressed as rotations in the underlying phase angle. Their magnitude is related to the strength of the cosmic signal relative to the foregrounds. Using a range of sky models, we detail the behavior of bispectrum phase fluctuations using standard Fourier-domain techniques and find it comparable to existing approaches, with a few key differences. Mode-mixed foreground contamination is more pronounced than in existing approaches because the bispectrum phase is a product of three individual interferometric phases. The multiplicative coupling of foregrounds in the bispectrum phase fluctuations results in the mixing of foreground signatures with that of the cosmic signal. We briefly outline a variation of this approach to avoid extensive mode-mixing. Despite its limitations, the interpretation of results using bispectrum phase is possible with forward-modeling. Importantly, it is an independent and a viable alternative to existing approaches.

Fundamental uncertainty levels of 21 cm power spectra from a delay analysis

Abstract Several experimental efforts are underway to measure the power spectrum of 21 cm fluctuations from the epoch of reionization (EoR) using low-frequency radio interferometers. Experiments like the Hydrogen Epoch of Reionization Array (HERA) and Murchison Widefield Array Phase II (MWA) feature highly redundant antenna layouts, building sensitivity through redundant measurements of the same angular Fourier modes, at the expense of diminished UV coverage. This strategy limits the numbers of independent samples of each power spectrum mode, thereby increasing the effect of sample variance on the final power spectrum uncertainty. To better quantify this effect, we measure the sample variance of a delay-transform based power spectrum estimator, using both analytic calculations and simulations of flat-spectrum EoR-like signals. We find that for the shortest baselines in HERA, the sample variance can reach as high as 20 per cent, and up to 30 per cent for the wider fields of view of the MWA. Combining estimates from all the baselines in a HERA- or MWA-like 37 element redundant hexagonal array can lower the variance to 1−3 per cent for some Fourier modes. These results have important implications for observing and analysis strategies, and suggest that sample variance can be non-negligible when constraining EoR model parameters from upcoming 21 cm data.

A VOEvent-based automatic trigger system for the Murchison Widefield Array

AbstractThe Murchison Widefield Array (MWA) is an electronically steered low-frequency (<300 MHz) radio interferometer, with a ‘slew’ time less than 8 s. Low-frequency (∼100 MHz) radio telescopes are ideally suited for rapid response follow-up of transients due to their large field of view, the inverted spectrum of coherent emission, and the fact that the dispersion delay between a 1 GHz and 100 MHz pulse is on the order of 1–10 min for dispersion measures of 100–2000 pc/cm3. The MWA has previously been used to provide fast follow-up for transient events including gamma-ray bursts (GRBs), fast radio bursts (FRBs), and gravitational waves, using systems that respond to gamma-ray coordinates network packet-based notifications. We describe a system for automatically triggering MWA observations of such events, based on Virtual Observatory Event standard triggers, which is more flexible, capable, and accurate than previous systems. The system can respond to external multi-messenger triggers, which makes it well-suited to searching for prompt coherent radio emission from GRBs, the study of FRBs and gravitational waves, single pulse studies of pulsars, and rapid follow-up of high-energy superflares from flare stars. The new triggering system has the capability to trigger observations in both the regular correlator mode (limited to ≥0.5 s integrations) and using the Voltage Capture System (VCS, 0.1 ms integration) of the MWA and represents a new mode of operation for the MWA. The upgraded standard correlator triggering capability has been in use since MWA observing semester 2018B (July–Dec 2018), and the VCS and buffered mode triggers will become available for observing in a future semester.

The expanded Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope

With 30 antennas and a maximum baseline length of 25 km, the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT) is the premier low-frequency radio interferometer today. We have carried out a study of possible expansions of the GMRT, via adding new antennas and installing focal plane arrays (FPAs), to improve its point-source sensitivity, surface brightness sensitivity, angular resolution, field of view, and U-V coverage. We have carried out array configuration studies, aimed at minimizing the number of new GMRT antennas required to obtain a well-behaved synthesized beam over a wide range of angular resolutions for full-synthesis observations. This was done via two approaches, tomographic projection and random sampling, to identify the optimal locations for the new antennas. We report results for the optimal locations of the antennas of an expanded array (the "EGMRT"), consisting of the existing 30 GMRT antennas, 30 new antennas at short distances, $\leq 2.5$ km from the array centre, and 26 new antennas at long distances, $\approx 5-25$ km from the array centre. The collecting area and the field of view of the proposed EGMRT array would be larger by factors of, respectively, $\approx 3$ and $\approx 30$, than those of the GMRT. Indeed, the EGMRT continuum sensitivity and survey speed with 550-850 MHz FPAs installed on the 45 antennas within a distance of $\approx 2.5$ km of the array centre would be far better than those of any existing interferometer, and comparable to the sensitivity and survey speed of Phase-1 of the Square Kilometre Array.

Assessment of Ionospheric Activity Tolerances for Epoch of Reionization Science with the Murchison Widefield Array

Abstract Structure imprinted in foreground extragalactic point sources by ionospheric refraction has the potential to contaminate Epoch of Reionization (EoR) power spectra of the 21 cm emission line of neutral hydrogen. The alteration of the spatial and spectral structure of foreground measurements due to total electron content gradients in the ionosphere creates a departure from the expected sky signal. We present a general framework for understanding the signatures of ionospheric behavior in the 2D neutral hydrogen power spectrum measured by a low-frequency radio interferometer. Two primary classes of ionospheric behavior are considered, corresponding to dominant modes observed in Murchison Widefield Array (MWA) EoR data, namely, anisotropic structured wave behavior and isotropic turbulence. Analytic predictions for power spectrum bias due to this contamination are computed and compared with simulations. We then apply the ionospheric metric described in Jordan et al. to study the impact of ionospheric structure on MWA data, by dividing MWA EoR data sets into classes with good and poor ionospheric conditions, using sets of matched 30-minute observations from 2014 September. The results are compared with the analytic and simulated predictions, demonstrating the observed bias in the power spectrum when the ionosphere is active (displays coherent structures or isotropic turbulence). The analysis demonstrates that unless ionospheric activity can be quantified and corrected, active data should not be included in EoR analysis in order to avoid systematic biases in cosmological power spectra. When data are corrected with a model formed from the calibration information, bias reduces below the expected 21 cm signal level. Data are considered “quiet” when the median measured source position offsets are less than 10.″–15.″.

Redundant Calibration: breaking the constraints of limited sky information

AbstractThe latest generation of low frequency radio interferometers, e.g. LOFAR, MWA, PAPER, has been pushing down the detection limits on the hydrogen signal from the Epoch of Reionisation. However, due to the challenges posed by foregrounds and instrumental systematics the signal has eluded detection thus far. To overcome these challenges we require a detailed understanding of the calibration of these relatively new telescopes. This led to a renewed interest in redundant calibration. Classical calibration schemes depend on sky models based on limited knowledge of the low frequency sky. Redundant calibration, however, allows us to escape our ignorance as it is sky model independent. We will review the field of redundant calibration, and present work we have undertaken to understand the limitations of this calibration method.

Dark-ages reionization and galaxy formation simulation – XII. Bubbles at dawn

Direct detection of regions of ionized hydrogen (HII) has been suggested as a promising probe of cosmic reionization. Observing the redshifted 21-cm signal of hydrogen from the epoch of reionization (EoR) is a key scientific driver behind new-generation, low-frequency radio interferometers. We investigate the feasibility of combining low-frequency observations with the Square Kilometre Array and near infra-red survey data of the Wide-Field Infrared Survey Telescope to detect cosmic reionization by imaging HII bubbles surrounding massive galaxies during the cosmic dawn. While individual bubbles will be too small to be detected, we find that by stacking redshifted 21-cm spectra centred on known galaxies, it will be possible to directly detect the EoR at $z \sim 9-12$, and to place qualitative constraints on the evolution of the spin temperature of the intergalactic medium (IGM) at $z \geq 9$. In particular, given a detection of ionized bubbles using this technique, it is possible to determine if the IGM surrounding them is typically in absorption or emission. Determining the globally-averaged neutral fraction of the IGM using this method will prove more difficult due to degeneracy with the average size of HII regions.

The LOFAR Transients Pipeline

Current and future astronomical survey facilities provide a remarkably rich opportunity for transient astronomy, combining unprecedented fields of view with high sensitivity and the ability to access previously unexplored wavelength regimes. This is particularly true of LOFAR, a recently-commissioned, low-frequency radio interferometer, based in the Netherlands and with stations across Europe. The identification of and response to transients is one of LOFAR's key science goals. However, the large data volumes which LOFAR produces, combined with the scientific requirement for rapid response, make automation essential. To support this, we have developed the LOFAR Transients Pipeline, or TraP. The TraP ingests multi-frequency image data from LOFAR or other instruments and searches it for transients and variables, providing automatic alerts of significant detections and populating a lightcurve database for further analysis by astronomers. Here, we discuss the scientific goals of the TraP and how it has been designed to meet them. We describe its implementation, including both the algorithms adopted to maximize performance as well as the development methodology used to ensure it is robust and reliable, particularly in the presence of artefacts typical of radio astronomy imaging. Finally, we report on a series of tests of the pipeline carried out using simulated LOFAR observations with a known population of transients.

A digital-receiver for the MurchisonWidefield Array

An FPGA-based digital-receiver has been developed for a low-frequency imaging radio interferometer, the Murchison Widefield Array (MWA). The MWA, located at the Murchison Radio-astronomy Observatory (MRO) in Western Australia, consists of 128 dual-polarized aperture-array elements (tiles) operating between 80 and 300\,MHz, with a total processed bandwidth of 30.72 MHz for each polarization. Radio-frequency signals from the tiles are amplified and band limited using analog signal conditioning units; sampled and channelized by digital-receivers. The signals from eight tiles are processed by a single digital-receiver, thus requiring 16 digital-receivers for the MWA. The main function of the digital-receivers is to digitize the broad-band signals from each tile, channelize them to form the sky-band, and transport it through optical fibers to a centrally located correlator for further processing. The digital-receiver firmware also implements functions to measure the signal power, perform power equalization across the band, detect interference-like events, and invoke diagnostic modes. The digital-receiver is controlled by high-level programs running on a single-board-computer. This paper presents the digital-receiver design, implementation, current status, and plans for future enhancements.