Survey parameters for detecting 21cm - Ly$\alpha$ emitter cross correlations with the Square Kilometre Array

TL;DR

This paper evaluates survey strategies for detecting 21cm-LAE cross correlations during reionization with SKA1-Low, highlighting optimal survey parameters to distinguish different IGM ionization states.

Contribution

It provides a model-based analysis of survey parameter impacts on cross correlation detection, guiding future observational strategies during reionization.

Findings

Larger field surveys with higher luminosity limits better distinguish IGM ionization states.

Smaller surveys can only differentiate between the most neutral and least neutral IGM.

Optimal survey parameters depend on the targeted IGM ionization level.

Abstract

Detections of the cross correlation signal between the 21cm signal during reionization and high-redshift Lyman Alpha emitters (LAEs) are subject to observational uncertainties which mainly include systematics associated with radio interferometers and LAE selection. These uncertainties can be reduced by increasing the survey volume and/or the survey luminosity limit, i.e. the faintest detectable Lyman Alpha (Ly$\alpha$) luminosity. We use our model of high-redshift LAEs and the underlying reionization state to compute the uncertainties of the 21cm-LAE cross correlation function at $z\simeq6.6$ for observations with SKA1-Low and LAE surveys with $\Delta z=0.1$ for three different values of the average IGM ionization state ($\langle\chi_\mathrm{HI}\rangle$=0.1, 0.25, 0.5). At $z\simeq6.6$, we find SILVERRUSH type surveys, with a field of view of 21 deg$^2$ and survey luminosity limits of $L_\alpha\geq7.9\times10^{42}$erg~s$^{-1}$, to be optimal to distinguish between an inter-galactic medium (IGM) that is 50%, 25% and 10% neutral, while surveys with smaller fields of view and lower survey luminosity limits, such as the 5 and 10 deg$^2$ surveys with WFIRST, can only discriminate between a 50% and 10% neutral IGM.