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

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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
Article number	1
Number of pages	16
Journal	Astrophysical Journal
Volume	884
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ab40a8
Publication status	Published - 10 Oct 2019

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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

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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.\}",

year = "2019",

month = oct,

day = "10",

doi = "10.3847/1538-4357/ab40a8",

language = "English",

volume = "884",

journal = "Astrophysical Journal",

issn = "0004-637X",

publisher = "American Astronomical Society",

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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

TY - JOUR

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

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85073693450

U2 - 10.3847/1538-4357/ab40a8

DO - 10.3847/1538-4357/ab40a8

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85073693450

SN - 0004-637X

VL - 884

JO - Astrophysical Journal

JF - Astrophysical Journal

IS - 1

M1 - 1

ER -

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

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