Spectral modelling of Cygnus A between 110 and 250 MHz. Impact on the LOFAR 21-cm signal power spectrum

TL;DR

This study develops a high-resolution, physically-informed spectral model of Cygnus A using LOFAR data to improve foreground subtraction in 21-cm cosmology, demonstrating significant local improvements but limited impact on the overall power spectrum.

Contribution

The paper introduces a new spectral modelling approach for Cygnus A that enhances foreground removal accuracy in 21-cm signal analysis.

Findings

Improved model reduces residual contamination along Cygnus A direction.

Significant local improvements in cylindrical power spectrum.

No statistically significant change in spherical power spectrum.

Abstract

Studying the redshifted 21-cm signal from the the neutral hydrogen during the Epoch of Reionization and Cosmic Dawn is fundamental for understanding the physics of the early universe. One of the challenges that 21-cm experiments face is the contamination by bright foreground sources, such as Cygnus A, for which accurate spatial and spectral models are needed to minimise the residual contamination after their removal. In this work, we develop a new, high-resolution model of Cygnus A using Low Frequency Array (LOFAR) observations in the $110{-}250$ MHz range, improving upon previous models by incorporating physical spectral information through the forced-spectrum method during multi-frequency deconvolution. This approach addresses the limitations of earlier models by providing a more accurate representation of the complex structure and spectral behaviour of Cygnus A, including the spectral turnover in its brightest hotspots. The impact of this new model on the LOFAR 21-cm signal power spectrum is assessed by comparing it with both simulated and observed North Celestial Pole data sets. Significant improvements are observed in the cylindrical power spectrum along the Cygnus A direction, highlighting the importance of having spectrally accurate models of the brightest foreground sources. However, this improvement is washed out in the spherical power spectrum, where we measure differences of a few hundred mK at $k<0.63\,h\,\text{cMpc}^{-1}$, but not statistically significant. The results suggest that other systematic effects must be mitigated before a substantial impact on 21-cm power spectrum can be achieved.