Matched filtering with interferometric 21 cm experiments

Abstract

A new generation of interferometric instruments is emerging, which aims to use intensity mapping of redshifted 21 cm radiation to measure the large-scale structure of the Universe at z ≃ 1–2 over wide areas of the sky. While these instruments typically have limited angular resolution, they cover huge volumes and thus can be used to provide large samples of rare objects. We study how well such instruments could find spatially extended large-scale structures, such as cosmic voids, using a matched filter formalism. Such a formalism allows us to work in Fourier space, the natural space for interferometers, and to study the impact of finite u - v coverage, noise and foregrounds on our ability to recover voids. We find that in the absence of foregrounds, such instruments would provide enormous catalogs of voids, with high completeness, but that control of foregrounds is key to realizing this goal.