Nichole Barry (UMelb/ICRAR-Curtin)

Nichole Barry Colloquium: Investigating Traditional Radio Astronomy Techniques in an EoR Context

Kensington Lecture Theatre/Online

Abstract

Detecting the Epoch of Reionisation is a major directive of the future SKA, and an active area of research for SKA-precursors including the MWA. However, measuring the 21cm signal of primordial hydrogen requires a delicate intersection of precision, sensitivity, and advanced mathematical techniques. We investigate previous standards of radio astronomy software in order to understand their inherent level of error and to determine requirements for the MWA and subsequently the SKA.

In particular, interferometers measure millions and millions of visibilities every minute, which live neither in image space nor fully Fourier space. Thus, many of our analysis techniques revolve around the use of FFTs and histogramming procedures. However, given the faint, spectral nature of the signal we are trying to detect, we show ways that these traditional techniques fail to reach the required precision.