4 research outputs found
COMAP Early Science: VIII. A Joint Stacking Analysis with eBOSS Quasars
We present a new upper limit on the cosmic molecular gas density at
obtained using the first year of observations from the CO Mapping
Array Project (COMAP). COMAP data cubes are stacked on the 3D positions of 282
quasars selected from the Extended Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey
(eBOSS) catalog, yielding a 95% upper limit for flux from CO(1-0) line emission
of 0.210 Jy km/s. Depending on the assumptions made, this value can be
interpreted as either an average CO line luminosity of eBOSS
quasars of K km pc s, or an average
molecular gas density in regions of the universe containing
a quasar of M cMpc. The
upper limit falls among CO line luminosities obtained from
individually-targeted quasars in the COMAP redshift range, and the
value is comparable to upper limits obtained from other
Line Intensity Mapping (LIM) surveys and their joint analyses. Further, we
forecast the values obtainable with the COMAP/eBOSS stack after the full 5-year
COMAP Pathfinder survey. We predict that a detection is probable with this
method, depending on the CO properties of the quasar sample. Based on these
achieved sensitivities, we believe that this technique of stacking LIM data on
the positions of traditional galaxy or quasar catalogs is extremely promising,
both as a technique for investigating large galaxy catalogs efficiently at high
redshift and as a technique for bolstering the sensitivity of LIM experiments,
even with a fraction of their total expected survey data.Comment: 15 pages, 8 figures. To be submitted to Ap
COMAP Early Science: VIII. A Joint Stacking Analysis with eBOSS Quasars
We present a new upper limit on the cosmic molecular gas density at z = 2.4 − 3.4 obtained using the first year of observations from the CO Mapping Array Project (COMAP). COMAP data cubes are stacked on the 3D positions of 243 quasars selected from the Extended Baryon Oscillation SpectroscopicSurvey (eBOSS) catalog, yielding a 95% upper limit for flux from CO(1-0) line emission of 0.129 Jykm/s. Depending on the balance of the emission between the quasar host and its environment, this value can be interpreted as an average CO line luminosity L′CO of eBOSS quasars of ≤ 1.26 × 1011 K km pc2s−1, or an average molecular gas density ρH2 in regions of the universe containing a quasar of ≤ 1.52 × 108 M⊙ cMpc−3. The L′ CO upper limit falls among CO line luminosities obtained fromindividually-targeted quasars in the COMAP redshift range, and the ρH2 value is comparable to upper limits obtained from other Line Intensity Mapping (LIM) surveys and their joint analyses. Further, we forecast the values obtainable with the COMAP/eBOSS stack after the full 5-year COMAP Pathfinder survey. We predict that a detection is probable with this method, depending on the CO properties of the quasar sample. Based on the achieved sensitivity, we believe that this technique of stacking LIM data on the positions of traditional galaxy or quasar catalogs is extremely promising, both asa technique for investigating large galaxy catalogs efficiently at high redshift and as a technique for bolstering the sensitivity of LIM experiments, even with a fraction of their total expected survey data
COMAP Early Science: IV. Power Spectrum Methodology and Results
We present the power spectrum methodology used for the first-season COMAP
analysis, and assess the quality of the current data set. The main results are
derived through the Feed-feed Pseudo-Cross-Spectrum (FPXS) method, which is a
robust estimator with respect to both noise modeling errors and experimental
systematics. We use effective transfer functions to take into account the
effects of instrumental beam smoothing and various filter operations applied
during the low-level data processing. The power spectra estimated in this way
have allowed us to identify a systematic error associated with one of our two
scanning strategies, believed to be due to residual ground or atmospheric
contamination. We omit these data from our analysis and no longer use this
scanning technique for observations. We present the power spectra from our
first season of observing and demonstrate that the uncertainties are
integrating as expected for uncorrelated noise, with any residual systematics
suppressed to a level below the noise. Using the FPXS method, and combining
data on scales we estimate , the first direct 3D
constraint on the clustering component of the CO(1-0) power spectrum in the
literature.Comment: Paper 4 of 7 in series. 18 pages, 11 figures, as accepted in Ap
COMAP Early Science: II. Pathfinder Instrument
Line intensity mapping (LIM) is a new technique for tracing the global
properties of galaxies over cosmic time. Detection of the very faint signals
from redshifted carbon monoxide (CO), a tracer of star formation, pushes the
limits of what is feasible with a total-power instrument. The CO Mapping
Project (COMAP) Pathfinder is a first-generation instrument aiming to prove the
concept and develop the technology for future experiments, as well as
delivering early science products. With 19 receiver channels in a hexagonal
focal plane arrangement on a 10.4 m antenna, and an instantaneous 26-34 GHz
frequency range with 2 MHz resolution, it is ideally suited to measuring
CO(=1-0) from . In this paper we discuss strategies for designing
and building the Pathfinder and the challenges that were encountered. The
design of the instrument prioritized LIM requirements over those of ancillary
science. After a couple of years of operation, the instrument is well
understood, and the first year of data is already yielding useful science
results. Experience with this Pathfinder will drive the design of the next
generations of experiments.Comment: Paper 2 of 7 in series. 27 pages, 28 figures, submitted to Ap