The Astrophysical Journal (Jan 2023)
Improved Constraints on the 21 cm EoR Power Spectrum and the X-Ray Heating of the IGM with HERA Phase I Observations
- The HERA Collaboration: Zara Abdurashidova,
- Tyrone Adams,
- James E. Aguirre,
- Paul Alexander,
- Zaki S. Ali,
- Rushelle Baartman,
- Yanga Balfour,
- Rennan Barkana,
- Adam P. Beardsley,
- Gianni Bernardi,
- Tashalee S. Billings,
- Judd D. Bowman,
- Richard F. Bradley,
- Daniela Breitman,
- Philip Bull,
- Jacob Burba,
- Steve Carey,
- Chris L. Carilli,
- Carina Cheng,
- Samir Choudhuri,
- David R. DeBoer,
- Eloy de Lera Acedo,
- Matt Dexter,
- Joshua S. Dillon,
- John Ely,
- Aaron Ewall-Wice,
- Nicolas Fagnoni,
- Anastasia Fialkov,
- Randall Fritz,
- Steven R. Furlanetto,
- Kingsley Gale-Sides,
- Hugh Garsden,
- Brian Glendenning,
- Adélie Gorce,
- Deepthi Gorthi,
- Bradley Greig,
- Jasper Grobbelaar,
- Ziyaad Halday,
- Bryna J. Hazelton,
- Stefan Heimersheim,
- Jacqueline N. Hewitt,
- Jack Hickish,
- Daniel C. Jacobs,
- Austin Julius,
- Nicholas S. Kern,
- Joshua Kerrigan,
- Piyanat Kittiwisit,
- Saul A. Kohn,
- Matthew Kolopanis,
- Adam Lanman,
- Paul La Plante,
- David Lewis,
- Adrian Liu,
- Anita Loots,
- Yin-Zhe Ma,
- David H. E. MacMahon,
- Lourence Malan,
- Keith Malgas,
- Cresshim Malgas,
- Matthys Maree,
- Bradley Marero,
- Zachary E. Martinot,
- Lisa McBride,
- Andrei Mesinger,
- Jordan Mirocha,
- Mathakane Molewa,
- Miguel F. Morales,
- Tshegofalang Mosiane,
- Julian B. Muñoz,
- Steven G. Murray,
- Vighnesh Nagpal,
- Abraham R. Neben,
- Bojan Nikolic,
- Chuneeta D. Nunhokee,
- Hans Nuwegeld,
- Aaron R. Parsons,
- Robert Pascua,
- Nipanjana Patra,
- Samantha Pieterse,
- Yuxiang Qin,
- Nima Razavi-Ghods,
- James Robnett,
- Kathryn Rosie,
- Mario G. Santos,
- Peter Sims,
- Saurabh Singh,
- Craig Smith,
- Hilton Swarts,
- Jianrong Tan,
- Nithyanandan Thyagarajan,
- Michael J. Wilensky,
- Peter K. G. Williams,
- Pieter van Wyngaarden,
- Haoxuan Zheng
Affiliations
- The HERA Collaboration: Zara Abdurashidova
- Department of Astronomy, University of California , Berkeley, CA, USA ; [email protected]
- Tyrone Adams
- South African Radio Astronomy Observatory , Cape Town, South Africa
- James E. Aguirre
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Pennsylvania , Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Paul Alexander
- Cavendish Astrophysics, University of Cambridge , Cambridge, UK
- Zaki S. Ali
- Department of Astronomy, University of California , Berkeley, CA, USA ; [email protected]
- Rushelle Baartman
- South African Radio Astronomy Observatory , Cape Town, South Africa
- Yanga Balfour
- South African Radio Astronomy Observatory , Cape Town, South Africa
- Rennan Barkana
- ORCiD
- School of Physics and Astronomy, Tel-Aviv University , Tel-Aviv, 69978, Israel
- Adam P. Beardsley
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics, Winona State University , Winona, MN, USA; School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University , Tempe, AZ, USA
- Gianni Bernardi
- ORCiD
- South African Radio Astronomy Observatory , Cape Town, South Africa; INAF-Istituto di Radioastronomia , via Gobetti 101, I-40129 Bologna, Italy; Department of Physics and Electronics, Rhodes University , PO Box 94, Grahamstown, 6140, South Africa
- Tashalee S. Billings
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Pennsylvania , Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Judd D. Bowman
- ORCiD
- School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University , Tempe, AZ, USA
- Richard F. Bradley
- ORCiD
- National Radio Astronomy Observatory , Charlottesville, VA,, USA
- Daniela Breitman
- ORCiD
- Scuola Normale Superiore , I-56126 Pisa, PI, Italy
- Philip Bull
- ORCiD
- Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics, University of Manchester , Manchester, M13 9PL, UK; Department of Physics & Astronomy, Queen Mary University of London , London, UK; Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Western Cape , Cape Town 7535, South Africa
- Jacob Burba
- Department of Physics, Brown University , Providence, RI, USA
- Steve Carey
- Cavendish Astrophysics, University of Cambridge , Cambridge, UK
- Chris L. Carilli
- ORCiD
- National Radio Astronomy Observatory , Socorro, NM, USA
- Carina Cheng
- Department of Astronomy, University of California , Berkeley, CA, USA ; [email protected]
- Samir Choudhuri
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics & Astronomy, Queen Mary University of London , London, UK; Centre for Strings, Gravitation and Cosmology, Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Technology Madras , Chennai 600036, India
- David R. DeBoer
- ORCiD
- Department of Astronomy, University of California , Berkeley, CA, USA ; [email protected]
- Eloy de Lera Acedo
- ORCiD
- Cavendish Astrophysics, University of Cambridge , Cambridge, UK
- Matt Dexter
- Department of Astronomy, University of California , Berkeley, CA, USA ; [email protected]
- Joshua S. Dillon
- ORCiD
- Department of Astronomy, University of California , Berkeley, CA, USA ; [email protected]
- John Ely
- Cavendish Astrophysics, University of Cambridge , Cambridge, UK
- Aaron Ewall-Wice
- ORCiD
- Department of Astronomy, University of California , Berkeley, CA, USA ; [email protected]
- Nicolas Fagnoni
- ORCiD
- Cavendish Astrophysics, University of Cambridge , Cambridge, UK
- Anastasia Fialkov
- ORCiD
- Institute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge , Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0HA, UK; Kavli Institute for Cosmology , Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0HA, UK
- Randall Fritz
- South African Radio Astronomy Observatory , Cape Town, South Africa
- Steven R. Furlanetto
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California , Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Kingsley Gale-Sides
- Cavendish Astrophysics, University of Cambridge , Cambridge, UK
- Hugh Garsden
- Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics, University of Manchester , Manchester, M13 9PL, UK; Department of Physics & Astronomy, Queen Mary University of London , London, UK
- Brian Glendenning
- National Radio Astronomy Observatory , Socorro, NM, USA
- Adélie Gorce
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics and McGill Space Institute, McGill University , 3600 University Street, Montreal, QC H3A 2T8, Canada
- Deepthi Gorthi
- ORCiD
- Department of Astronomy, University of California , Berkeley, CA, USA ; [email protected]
- Bradley Greig
- ORCiD
- School of Physics, University of Melbourne , Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
- Jasper Grobbelaar
- South African Radio Astronomy Observatory , Cape Town, South Africa
- Ziyaad Halday
- South African Radio Astronomy Observatory , Cape Town, South Africa
- Bryna J. Hazelton
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics, University of Washington , Seattle, WA, USA; eScience Institute, University of Washington , Seattle, WA, USA
- Stefan Heimersheim
- ORCiD
- Institute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge , Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0HA, UK
- Jacqueline N. Hewitt
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics and MIT Kavli Institute, Massachusetts Institute of Technology , Cambridge, MA, USA
- Jack Hickish
- Department of Astronomy, University of California , Berkeley, CA, USA ; [email protected]
- Daniel C. Jacobs
- ORCiD
- School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University , Tempe, AZ, USA
- Austin Julius
- South African Radio Astronomy Observatory , Cape Town, South Africa
- Nicholas S. Kern
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics and MIT Kavli Institute, Massachusetts Institute of Technology , Cambridge, MA, USA
- Joshua Kerrigan
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics, Brown University , Providence, RI, USA
- Piyanat Kittiwisit
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Western Cape , Cape Town 7535, South Africa
- Saul A. Kohn
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Pennsylvania , Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Matthew Kolopanis
- ORCiD
- School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University , Tempe, AZ, USA
- Adam Lanman
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics, Brown University , Providence, RI, USA; Department of Physics and McGill Space Institute, McGill University , 3600 University Street, Montreal, QC H3A 2T8, Canada
- Paul La Plante
- ORCiD
- Department of Astronomy, University of California , Berkeley, CA, USA ; [email protected]; Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Pennsylvania , Philadelphia, PA, USA
- David Lewis
- School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University , Tempe, AZ, USA
- Adrian Liu
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics and McGill Space Institute, McGill University , 3600 University Street, Montreal, QC H3A 2T8, Canada
- Anita Loots
- South African Radio Astronomy Observatory , Cape Town, South Africa
- Yin-Zhe Ma
- ORCiD
- School of Chemistry and Physics, University of KwaZulu-Natal , Westville Campus, Private Bag X54001, Durban, 4000, South Africa
- David H. E. MacMahon
- Department of Astronomy, University of California , Berkeley, CA, USA ; [email protected]
- Lourence Malan
- South African Radio Astronomy Observatory , Cape Town, South Africa
- Keith Malgas
- South African Radio Astronomy Observatory , Cape Town, South Africa
- Cresshim Malgas
- South African Radio Astronomy Observatory , Cape Town, South Africa
- Matthys Maree
- South African Radio Astronomy Observatory , Cape Town, South Africa
- Bradley Marero
- South African Radio Astronomy Observatory , Cape Town, South Africa
- Zachary E. Martinot
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Pennsylvania , Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Lisa McBride
- Department of Physics and McGill Space Institute, McGill University , 3600 University Street, Montreal, QC H3A 2T8, Canada
- Andrei Mesinger
- ORCiD
- Scuola Normale Superiore , I-56126 Pisa, PI, Italy
- Jordan Mirocha
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics and McGill Space Institute, McGill University , 3600 University Street, Montreal, QC H3A 2T8, Canada
- Mathakane Molewa
- South African Radio Astronomy Observatory , Cape Town, South Africa
- Miguel F. Morales
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics, University of Washington , Seattle, WA, USA
- Tshegofalang Mosiane
- South African Radio Astronomy Observatory , Cape Town, South Africa
- Julian B. Muñoz
- ORCiD
- Center for Astrophysics ∣ Harvard & Smithsonian , Cambridge, MA, USA
- Steven G. Murray
- ORCiD
- School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University , Tempe, AZ, USA
- Vighnesh Nagpal
- ORCiD
- Department of Astronomy, University of California , Berkeley, CA, USA ; [email protected]
- Abraham R. Neben
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics and MIT Kavli Institute, Massachusetts Institute of Technology , Cambridge, MA, USA
- Bojan Nikolic
- ORCiD
- Cavendish Astrophysics, University of Cambridge , Cambridge, UK
- Chuneeta D. Nunhokee
- ORCiD
- Department of Astronomy, University of California , Berkeley, CA, USA ; [email protected]
- Hans Nuwegeld
- South African Radio Astronomy Observatory , Cape Town, South Africa
- Aaron R. Parsons
- ORCiD
- Department of Astronomy, University of California , Berkeley, CA, USA ; [email protected]
- Robert Pascua
- ORCiD
- Department of Astronomy, University of California , Berkeley, CA, USA ; [email protected]; Department of Physics and McGill Space Institute, McGill University , 3600 University Street, Montreal, QC H3A 2T8, Canada
- Nipanjana Patra
- ORCiD
- Department of Astronomy, University of California , Berkeley, CA, USA ; [email protected]
- Samantha Pieterse
- South African Radio Astronomy Observatory , Cape Town, South Africa
- Yuxiang Qin
- ORCiD
- School of Physics, University of Melbourne , Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
- Nima Razavi-Ghods
- ORCiD
- Cavendish Astrophysics, University of Cambridge , Cambridge, UK
- James Robnett
- National Radio Astronomy Observatory , Socorro, NM, USA
- Kathryn Rosie
- ORCiD
- South African Radio Astronomy Observatory , Cape Town, South Africa
- Mario G. Santos
- ORCiD
- South African Radio Astronomy Observatory , Cape Town, South Africa; Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Western Cape , Cape Town 7535, South Africa
- Peter Sims
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics, Brown University , Providence, RI, USA; Department of Physics and McGill Space Institute, McGill University , 3600 University Street, Montreal, QC H3A 2T8, Canada
- Saurabh Singh
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics and McGill Space Institute, McGill University , 3600 University Street, Montreal, QC H3A 2T8, Canada; Raman Research Institute , Sadashivanagar, Bengaluru, India
- Craig Smith
- South African Radio Astronomy Observatory , Cape Town, South Africa
- Hilton Swarts
- South African Radio Astronomy Observatory , Cape Town, South Africa
- Jianrong Tan
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Pennsylvania , Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Nithyanandan Thyagarajan
- ORCiD
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation , (CSIRO), Space & Astronomy, Bentley, WA 6102, Australia
- Michael J. Wilensky
- ORCiD
- Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics, University of Manchester , Manchester, M13 9PL, UK; Department of Physics & Astronomy, Queen Mary University of London , London, UK
- Peter K. G. Williams
- ORCiD
- Center for Astrophysics ∣ Harvard & Smithsonian , Cambridge, MA, USA; American Astronomical Society , Washington, DC, USA
- Pieter van Wyngaarden
- South African Radio Astronomy Observatory , Cape Town, South Africa
- Haoxuan Zheng
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics and MIT Kavli Institute, Massachusetts Institute of Technology , Cambridge, MA, USA
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/acaf50
- Journal volume & issue
-
Vol. 945,
no. 2
p. 124
Abstract
We report the most sensitive upper limits to date on the 21 cm epoch of reionization power spectrum using 94 nights of observing with Phase I of the Hydrogen Epoch of Reionization Array (HERA). Using similar analysis techniques as in previously reported limits, we find at 95% confidence that Δ ^2 ( k = 0.34 h Mpc ^−1 ) ≤ 457 mK ^2 at z = 7.9 and that Δ ^2 ( k = 0.36 h Mpc ^−1 ) ≤ 3496 mK ^2 at z = 10.4, an improvement by a factor of 2.1 and 2.6, respectively. These limits are mostly consistent with thermal noise over a wide range of k after our data quality cuts, despite performing a relatively conservative analysis designed to minimize signal loss. Our results are validated with both statistical tests on the data and end-to-end pipeline simulations. We also report updated constraints on the astrophysics of reionization and the cosmic dawn. Using multiple independent modeling and inference techniques previously employed by HERA Collaboration, we find that the intergalactic medium must have been heated above the adiabatic cooling limit at least as early as z = 10.4, ruling out a broad set of so-called “cold reionization” scenarios. If this heating is due to high-mass X-ray binaries during the cosmic dawn, as is generally believed, our result’s 99% credible interval excludes the local relationship between soft X-ray luminosity and star formation and thus requires heating driven by evolved low-metallicity stars.
Keywords
- Astronomy data analysis
- Radio interferometers
- Intergalactic medium
- Reionization
- Galaxy formation
- Cosmology
