MNRAS-2010-Ichikawa-2521-32.pdf (571.77 kB)
Measuring the history of cosmic reionization using the 21-cm probability distribution function from simulations
journal contribution
posted on 2023-06-08, 09:33 authored by Kazuhide Ichikawa, Rennan Barkana, Ilian IlievIlian Iliev, Garrelt Mellema, Paul R ShapiroThe 21-cm probability distribution function (PDF; i.e. distribution of pixel brightness temperatures) is expected to be highly non-Gaussian during reionization and to provide important information on the distribution of density and ionization. We measure the 21-cm PDF as a function of redshift in a large simulation of cosmic reionization and propose a simple empirical fit. Guided by the simulated PDF, we then carry out a maximum likelihood analysis of the ability of upcoming experiments to measure the shape of the 21-cm PDF and derive from it the cosmic reionization history. Under the strongest assumptions, we find that upcoming experiments can measure the reionization history in the mid to late stages of reionization to 1¿10 per cent accuracy. Under a more flexible approach that allows for four free parameters at each redshift, a similar accuracy requires the lower noise levels of second-generation 21-cm experiments.
History
Publication status
- Published
File Version
- Published version
Journal
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical SocietyISSN
0035-8711External DOI
Issue
4Volume
406Page range
2521-2532Pages
12.0Department affiliated with
- Physics and Astronomy Publications
Full text available
- Yes
Peer reviewed?
- Yes
Legacy Posted Date
2012-02-06First Open Access (FOA) Date
2016-03-22First Compliant Deposit (FCD) Date
2016-11-10Usage metrics
Categories
No categories selectedKeywords
Licence
Exports
RefWorks
BibTeX
Ref. manager
Endnote
DataCite
NLM
DC