Improving the Epoch of Reionization Power Spectrum Results from Murchison Widefield Array Season 1 Observations
Name
Barry_2019_ApJ_884_1.pdf
Description
Published version
Size
1.39 MB
Format
Adobe PDF
Checksum (MD5)
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Author(s)
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.
Date Issued
October 2019
Journal
Astrophysical Journal
Publisher
American Astronomical Society
Citation
Barry, N. et al. "Improving the Epoch of Reionization Power Spectrum Results from Murchison Widefield Array Season 1 Observations." Astrophysical Journal 884, 1 (October 2019): dx.doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ab40a8 © 2019 American Astronomical Society
Version
Final published version
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.
MIT Department
MIT Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research
Terms of Use
Article is made available in accordance with the publisher's policy and may be subject to US copyright law. Please refer to the publisher's site for terms of use.
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DOI of Published Version
https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ab40a8
