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arXiv · 2610.41940

Cosmology with post-EoR 21 cm Intensity Mapping surveys: power spectrum measurements in the last decade

Réza Ansari·Xuelei Chen·Albert Stebbins·Peter Timbie
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Abstract

The technique of 21 cm intensity mapping (IM) is emerging as a possible, cost-effective method to supplement optical surveys to map the large-scale structure, and extend their redshift reach, with projects aiming to cover a large range of post-EoR redshifts, from z=0 to z=6. Since the early discussions 20 years ago, a few dedicated interferometers have been built, and surveys have been carried out using them as well as general purpose radio instruments. An introduction to late-time cosmology with 21 cm intensity mapping is given, highlighting the main scientific and technical challenges. We present then an overview of different instrument concepts and survey strategies, followed by a discussion of outstanding data analysis challenges, most notably the foreground subtraction, which is a major issue in IM. We carry on with a presentation of the currently active projects and the 21 cm signal measurements which have been obtained, either in cross-correlation with optical surveys, or as the autocorrelation power spectrum. Finally, we discuss briefly the prospects for this field with future instruments and surveys such as SKA, HIRAX and CHORD.

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Réza Ansari, Xuelei Chen, Albert Stebbins, Peter Timbie. 2026-10-30. Cosmology with post-EoR 21 cm Intensity Mapping surveys: power spectrum measurements in the last decade. https://arxiv.org/abs/2610.41940

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