Exploring HI Galaxy Redshift Survey Strategies for the FAST Core Array Interferometry

TL;DR

This study evaluates the effectiveness of FAST's single-dish and Core Array modes for HI galaxy redshift surveys, demonstrating that the Core Array is more suitable for high-redshift observations and cosmological measurements.

Contribution

It provides a comparative analysis of survey strategies for FAST, highlighting the advantages of the Core Array interferometry for high-redshift HI galaxy detection and cosmology.

Findings

Core Array detects HI galaxies up to z~1, enabling cosmological studies.

Single-dish mode is limited to low redshifts due to shot noise.

OTF mode offers flexible deep-field surveys with operational trade-offs.

Abstract

We explore the feasibility of HI galaxy redshift surveys with the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Telescope (FAST) and its proposed Core Array interferometry. Using semi-analytical simulations, we compare the performance of the FAST single-dish and Core Array modes in drift scan (DS) and on-the-fly (OTF) observations across different redshifts. Our results show that the FAST single-dish mode enables significant HI detections at low redshifts ($z \lesssim 0.35$) but is limited at higher redshifts due to shot noise. The Core Array interferometry, with higher sensitivity and angular resolution, provides robust HI galaxy detections up to $z \sim 1$, maintaining a sufficient number density for power spectrum measurements and BAO constraints. At low redshifts ($z \sim 0.01$ -- $0.08$), both configurations perform well, though cosmic variance dominates uncertainties. At higher redshifts ($z > 0.35$), the Core Array outperforms the single-dish mode, while increasing the survey area has little impact on single-dish observations due to shot noise limitations. The DS mode efficiently covers large sky areas but is constrained by Earth's rotation, whereas the OTF mode allows more flexible deep-field surveys at the cost of operational overhead. Our findings highlight the importance of optimizing survey strategies to maximize FAST's potential for HI cosmology. The Core Array is particularly well-suited for high-redshift HI galaxy surveys, enabling precise constraints on large-scale structure and dark energy.