Propagating Instrumental Systematics to Cosmological Analysis Pipeline for HIRAX

This research sheds light on the mysterious force of dark energy, driving the universe’s accelerated expansion, and reveals how cosmic structures evolve. Since hydrogen makes up most of the universe, its natural radiation at radio wavelengths allows us to map large volumes of space and track the distribution of matter. The Hydrogen Intensity and Real-time Analysis eXperiment (HIRAX) is a radio telescope array positioned to detect faint hydrogen signals and study the universe’s expansion across different cosmic periods. Through the Mitacs Globalink Research project, I aim to assess the recovery of the desired hydrogen signal and understanding how the instrumental imperfections impact HIRAX’s capacity to make accurate observations. By measuring tiny surface deformations in telescope dishes through precise metrology techniques, followed by simulations to assess how these deformations affect the telescope’s observational accuracy, I aim to mitigate these potential sources of error, thus preserving the quality of HIRAX’s scientific data. Through this project, both the participating institutions will work closely to develop/improve data analysis pipelines and assess the impact of dish surface deformations on cosmological observations. This collaboration will provide a platform for knowledge exchange between the participating institutions, fostering further research opportunities in cosmology and radio instrumentation beyond HIRAX.

Faculty Supervisor:

Hsin Cynthia Chiang

Student:

Partner:

ETH Zurich

Discipline:

Physics

Sector:

Education

University:

McGill University

Program: