Foreground Subtraction in Intensity Mapping with the SKA

Laura Wolz, Filipe B. Abdalla, David Alonso, Chris Blake, Philip Bull, Tzu-Ching Chang, Pedro G. Ferreira, Cheng-Yu Kuo, Marios G. Santos, Richard Shaw

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapterpeer-review

Abstract

21cm intensity mapping experiments aim to observe the diffuse neutral hydrogen (HI) distribution on large scales which traces the Cosmic structure. The Square Kilometre Array (SKA) will have the capacity to measure the 21cm signal over a large fraction of the sky. However, the redshifted 21cm signal in the respective frequencies is faint compared to the Galactic foregrounds produced by synchrotron and free-free electron emission. In this article, we review selected foreground subtraction methods suggested to effectively separate the 21cm signal from the foregrounds with intensity mapping simulations or data. We simulate an intensity mapping experiment feasible with SKA phase 1 including extragalactic and Galactic foregrounds. We give an example of the residuals of the foreground subtraction with a independent component analysis and show that the angular power spectrum is recovered within the statistical errors on most scales. Additionally, the scale of the Baryon Acoustic Oscillations is shown to be unaffected by foreground subtraction.
Original languageUndefined
Title of host publicationAdvancing Astrophysics with the SKA
Publication statusPublished - 15 Jan 2015

Keywords

  • astro-ph.CO

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