Simulation and Analysis Methods for Low Frequency Cosmological Observations From the Moon

Graduate Thesis Or Dissertation

Citations

Citeable URL: https://scholar.colorado.edu/concern/graduate_thesis_or_dissertations/jw827d18k

Abstract

The highly redshifted 21 cm line of neutral hydrogen offers a unique observational probe into the early periods of the Universe between recombination and reionization. With the ability to constrain numerous aspects of the Universe from exotic models of dark matter to the formation and evolution of the first generation of compact objects, the sky-averaged 21 cm spectrum is a key observational target for modern cosmology. However, in order to measure the 21 cm cosmological signal, it must be extracted from bright foreground emission that is 4-6 orders of magnitude brighter than the signal itself. In addition to the bright foreground problem, ground-based experiments must also contend with radio frequency interference (RFI) produced by terrestrial communications as well as ionospheric contamination. The Moon, specifically the lunar far side, offers a pristine radio environment with significant advantages compared to the Earth, namely the lack of RFI and ionospheric interference. Though the idea of using the Moon as a platform to perform low radio frequency observations is not a new one, only recently has a renewed commitment to lunar exploration made the prospect of lunar radio astronomy feasible. The work presented in this thesis confirms the advantages of the lunar environment for low frequency experiments and explores aspects of the data analysis process that are relevant for extracting the 21 cm cosmological signal from lunar observations.

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