Radio antenna design for sky-averaged 21 cm cosmology experiments: the REACH case

Abstract

Following the reported detection of an absorption pro¯le associated with the 21 cm sky-averaged signal from the Cosmic Dawn by the EDGES experiment in 2018, a number of experiments have been set up to verify this result. This paper discusses the design process used for global 21 cm experiments, focusing speci¯cally on the Radio Experiment for the Analysis of Cosmic Hydrogen (REACH). This experiment will seek to understand and compensate for systematic errors present using detailed modeling and characteri-zation of the instrumentation. Detailed quantitative ¯gures of merit and numerical modeling are used to assist the design process of the REACH dipole antenna (one of the two antenna designs for REACH Phase I). This design process produced a 2.5:1 frequency bandwidth dipole. The aim of this design was to balance spectral smoothness and low impedance re°ections with the ability to describe and understand the antenna response to the sky signal to inform the critically important calibration during observation and data analysis.