Improving the Epoch of Reionization Power Spectrum Results from Murchison Widefield Array Season 1 Observations

N. Barry; M. Wilensky; C. M. Trott; B. Pindor; A. P. Beardsley; B. J. Hazelton; I. S. Sullivan; M. F. Morales; J. C. Pober; J. Line; B. Greig; R. Byrne; A. Lanman; W. Li; C. H. Jordan; R. C. Joseph; B. Mckinley; M. Rahimi; S. Yoshiura; J. D. Bowman; B. M. Gaensler; J. N. Hewitt; D. C. Jacobs; D. A. Mitchell; N. Udaya Shankar; S. K. Sethi; R. Subrahmanyan; S. J. Tingay; R. L. Webster; J. S.B. Wyithe

doi:10.3847/1538-4357/ab40a8

Improving the Epoch of Reionization Power Spectrum Results from Murchison Widefield Array Season 1 Observations

N. Barry, M. Wilensky, C. M. Trott, B. Pindor, A. P. Beardsley, B. J. Hazelton, I. S. Sullivan, M. F. Morales, J. C. Pober, J. Line, B. Greig, R. Byrne, A. Lanman, W. Li, C. H. Jordan, R. C. Joseph, B. Mckinley, M. Rahimi, S. Yoshiura, J. D. BowmanB. M. Gaensler, J. N. Hewitt, D. C. Jacobs, D. A. Mitchell, N. Udaya Shankar, S. K. Sethi, R. Subrahmanyan, S. J. Tingay, R. L. Webster, J. S.B. Wyithe

Earth and Space Exploration, School of (SESE)

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

98 Scopus citations

Abstract

Measurements of 21 cm Epoch of Reionization (EoR) structure are subject to systematics originating from both the analysis and the observation conditions. Using 2013 data from the Murchison Widefield Array (MWA), we show the importance of mitigating both sources of contamination. A direct comparison between results from Beardsley et al. and our updated analysis demonstrates new precision techniques, lowering analysis systematics by a factor of 2.8 in power. We then further lower systematics by excising observations contaminated by ultra-faint RFI, reducing by an additional factor of 3.8 in power for the zenith pointing. With this enhanced analysis precision and newly developed RFI mitigation, we calculate a noise-dominated upper limit on the EoR structure of Δ² ≤ 3.9 × 10³ mK² at k = 0.20 h Mpc^-1 and z = 7 using 21 hr of data, improving previous MWA limits by almost an order of magnitude.

Original language	English (US)
Article number	1
Journal	Astrophysical Journal
Volume	884
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ab40a8
State	Published - Oct 10 2019

Keywords

cosmology: Observations
dark ages, reionization, first stars
methods: Data analysis

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Astronomy and Astrophysics
Space and Planetary Science

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10.3847/1538-4357/ab40a8

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Barry, N., Wilensky, M., Trott, C. M., Pindor, B., Beardsley, A. P., Hazelton, B. J., Sullivan, I. S., Morales, M. F., Pober, J. C., Line, J., Greig, B., Byrne, R., Lanman, A., Li, W., Jordan, C. H., Joseph, R. C., Mckinley, B., Rahimi, M., Yoshiura, S., ... Wyithe, J. S. B. (2019). Improving the Epoch of Reionization Power Spectrum Results from Murchison Widefield Array Season 1 Observations. Astrophysical Journal, 884(1), Article 1. https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ab40a8

Barry, N, Wilensky, M, Trott, CM, Pindor, B, Beardsley, AP, Hazelton, BJ, Sullivan, IS, Morales, MF, Pober, JC, Line, J, Greig, B, Byrne, R, Lanman, A, Li, W, Jordan, CH, Joseph, RC, Mckinley, B, Rahimi, M, Yoshiura, S, Bowman, JD, Gaensler, BM, Hewitt, JN, Jacobs, DC, Mitchell, DA, Udaya Shankar, N, Sethi, SK, Subrahmanyan, R, Tingay, SJ, Webster, RL & Wyithe, JSB 2019, 'Improving the Epoch of Reionization Power Spectrum Results from Murchison Widefield Array Season 1 Observations', Astrophysical Journal, vol. 884, no. 1, 1. https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ab40a8

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title = "Improving the Epoch of Reionization Power Spectrum Results from Murchison Widefield Array Season 1 Observations",

abstract = "Measurements of 21 cm Epoch of Reionization (EoR) structure are subject to systematics originating from both the analysis and the observation conditions. Using 2013 data from the Murchison Widefield Array (MWA), we show the importance of mitigating both sources of contamination. A direct comparison between results from Beardsley et al. and our updated analysis demonstrates new precision techniques, lowering analysis systematics by a factor of 2.8 in power. We then further lower systematics by excising observations contaminated by ultra-faint RFI, reducing by an additional factor of 3.8 in power for the zenith pointing. With this enhanced analysis precision and newly developed RFI mitigation, we calculate a noise-dominated upper limit on the EoR structure of Δ2 ≤ 3.9 × 103 mK2 at k = 0.20 h Mpc-1 and z = 7 using 21 hr of data, improving previous MWA limits by almost an order of magnitude.",

keywords = "cosmology: Observations, dark ages, reionization, first stars, methods: Data analysis",

author = "N. Barry and M. Wilensky and Trott, {C. M.} and B. Pindor and Beardsley, {A. P.} and Hazelton, {B. J.} and Sullivan, {I. S.} and Morales, {M. F.} and Pober, {J. C.} and J. Line and B. Greig and R. Byrne and A. Lanman and W. Li and Jordan, {C. H.} and Joseph, {R. C.} and B. Mckinley and M. Rahimi and S. Yoshiura and Bowman, {J. D.} and Gaensler, {B. M.} and Hewitt, {J. N.} and Jacobs, {D. C.} and Mitchell, {D. A.} and {Udaya Shankar}, N. and Sethi, {S. K.} and R. Subrahmanyan and Tingay, {S. J.} and Webster, {R. L.} and Wyithe, {J. S.B.}",

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T1 - Improving the Epoch of Reionization Power Spectrum Results from Murchison Widefield Array Season 1 Observations

AU - Barry, N.

AU - Wilensky, M.

AU - Trott, C. M.

AU - Pindor, B.

AU - Beardsley, A. P.

AU - Hazelton, B. J.

AU - Sullivan, I. S.

AU - Morales, M. F.

AU - Pober, J. C.

AU - Line, J.

AU - Greig, B.

AU - Byrne, R.

AU - Lanman, A.

AU - Li, W.

AU - Jordan, C. H.

AU - Joseph, R. C.

AU - Mckinley, B.

AU - Rahimi, M.

AU - Yoshiura, S.

AU - Bowman, J. D.

AU - Gaensler, B. M.

AU - Hewitt, J. N.

AU - Jacobs, D. C.

AU - Mitchell, D. A.

AU - Udaya Shankar, N.

AU - Sethi, S. K.

AU - Subrahmanyan, R.

AU - Tingay, S. J.

AU - Webster, R. L.

AU - Wyithe, J. S.B.

PY - 2019/10/10

Y1 - 2019/10/10

N2 - Measurements of 21 cm Epoch of Reionization (EoR) structure are subject to systematics originating from both the analysis and the observation conditions. Using 2013 data from the Murchison Widefield Array (MWA), we show the importance of mitigating both sources of contamination. A direct comparison between results from Beardsley et al. and our updated analysis demonstrates new precision techniques, lowering analysis systematics by a factor of 2.8 in power. We then further lower systematics by excising observations contaminated by ultra-faint RFI, reducing by an additional factor of 3.8 in power for the zenith pointing. With this enhanced analysis precision and newly developed RFI mitigation, we calculate a noise-dominated upper limit on the EoR structure of Δ2 ≤ 3.9 × 103 mK2 at k = 0.20 h Mpc-1 and z = 7 using 21 hr of data, improving previous MWA limits by almost an order of magnitude.

AB - Measurements of 21 cm Epoch of Reionization (EoR) structure are subject to systematics originating from both the analysis and the observation conditions. Using 2013 data from the Murchison Widefield Array (MWA), we show the importance of mitigating both sources of contamination. A direct comparison between results from Beardsley et al. and our updated analysis demonstrates new precision techniques, lowering analysis systematics by a factor of 2.8 in power. We then further lower systematics by excising observations contaminated by ultra-faint RFI, reducing by an additional factor of 3.8 in power for the zenith pointing. With this enhanced analysis precision and newly developed RFI mitigation, we calculate a noise-dominated upper limit on the EoR structure of Δ2 ≤ 3.9 × 103 mK2 at k = 0.20 h Mpc-1 and z = 7 using 21 hr of data, improving previous MWA limits by almost an order of magnitude.

KW - cosmology: Observations

KW - dark ages, reionization, first stars

KW - methods: Data analysis

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JF - Astrophysical Journal

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ER -

Improving the Epoch of Reionization Power Spectrum Results from Murchison Widefield Array Season 1 Observations

Abstract

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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