Antenna Mismodeling Impacts 21 cm Signal Recovery

This research highlights the critical importance of accurate antenna modeling in 21 cm cosmology experiments. The study quantifies the impact of both orientation mismatches and structural mismodeling on the recovery of the 21 cm signal, a key probe of the early Universe. The findings demonstrate that even small orientation errors (0.25 degrees) can significantly bias recovered signal parameters. While Bayesian evidence can be used to infer antenna orientation, broadband recovery of all signal parameters requires accurate beam knowledge. The study also reveals that while signal frequency and width can be robustly recovered under restricted frequency bands despite imperfect antenna structure modeling, signal depth is highly sensitive to beam errors. These results underscore the need for careful antenna design and observing strategies to mitigate beam-sky coupling systematics. Future research should focus on developing more robust antenna calibration techniques and exploring alternative signal recovery methods that are less sensitive to antenna mismodeling. This will ensure more accurate cosmological parameter estimations and a better understanding of the early Universe.

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