Gridded and direct Epoch of Reionisation bispectrum estimates using the Murchison Widefield Array
Abstract
We apply two methods to estimate the 21-cm bispectrum from data taken within the Epoch of Reionisation (EoR) project of the Murchison Widefield Array (MWA). Using data acquired with the Phase II compact array allows a direct bispectrum estimate to be undertaken on the multiple redundantly spaced triangles of antenna tiles, as well as an estimate based on data gridded to the uv-plane. The direct and gridded bispectrum estimators are applied to 21 h of high-band (167-197 MHz; z = 6.2-7.5) data from the 2016 and 2017 observing seasons. Analytic predictions for the bispectrum bias and variance for point-source foregrounds are derived. We compare the output of these approaches, the foreground contribution to the signal, and future prospects for measuring the bispectra with redundant and non-redundant arrays. We find that some triangle configurations yield bispectrum estimates that are consistent with the expected noise level after 10 h, while equilateral configurations are strongly foreground-dominated. Careful choice of triangle configurations may be made to reduce foreground bias that hinders power spectrum estimators, and the 21-cm bispectrum may be accessible in less time than the 21-cm power spectrum for some wave modes, with detections in hundreds of hours.
- Publication:
-
Publications of the Astronomical Society of Australia
- Pub Date:
- July 2019
- DOI:
- 10.1017/pasa.2019.15
- arXiv:
- arXiv:1905.07161
- Bibcode:
- 2019PASA...36...23T
- Keywords:
-
- cosmology;
- early universe;
- instrumentation;
- methods: statistical;
- Astrophysics - Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics;
- Astrophysics - Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics
- E-Print:
- 19 pages, 10 figures, accepted for publication in PASA