Constraining the epoch of reionization with the variance statistic: simulations of the LOFAR case

• DOI: 10.1093/mnras/stu1178
• Publication Date: 2014-07-23T04:39:18Z
• Authors: Ajinkya H. Patil; Saleem Zaroubi; Emma Chapman; Vibor Jelić; Geraint Harker; Filipe B. Abdalla; Khan M. B. Asad; Gianni Bernardi; Michiel A. Brentjens; A. G. de Bruyn; Sander Bus; Benedetta Ciardi; Soobash Daiboo; Elizabeth R. Fern...; Abhik Ghosh; Hannes Jensen; Sanaz Kazemi; Léon V. E. Koopmans; Panagiotis Labrop...; Maaijke Mevius; Oscar Martinez; Garrelt Mellema; Andre R. Offringa; Vishhambhar N. Pa...; Joop Schaye; Rajat M. Thomas; Harish K. Vedantham; Vamsikrishna Veli...; Stefan J. Wijnholds; Sarod Yatawatta
• Keywords: LOFAR; Cosmic variance; Dark Ages; SIGNAL (programming language)

Several experiments are underway to detect the cosmic redshifted 21-cm signal from neutral hydrogen Epoch of Reionization (EoR). Due their very low signal-to-noise ratio, these observations aim for a statistical detection by measuring its power spectrum. We investigate extraction variance as first step towards detecting and constraining global history EoR. Signal is integral signal's spectrum, it expected be measured with high significance. demonstrate this through results simulation parameter estimation pipeline developed Low Frequency Array (LOFAR)-EoR experiment. show that LOFAR should able EoR in 600 hours integration using statistic. Additionally, redshift ($z_r$) duration ($\Delta z$) reionization can constrained assuming parametrization. use an $z_r = 7.68$ $\Delta z 0.43$ test pipeline. simulated significance 4 standard deviations extract parameters 7.72^{+0.37}_{-0.18}$ 0.53^{+0.12}_{-0.23}$ hours, systematic errors adequately controlled. further constraints on improved cross-variance cross-correlating consecutive bins.