Bayesian Multi-line Intensity Mapping

Abstract

Line intensity mapping (LIM) has emerged as a promising tool for probing the 3D large-scale structure through the aggregate emission of spectral lines. The presence of interloper lines poses a crucial challenge in extracting the signal from the target line in LIM. In this work, we introduce a novel method for LIM analysis that simultaneously extracts line signals from multiple spectral lines, utilizing the covariance of native LIM data elements defined in the spectral–angular space. We leverage correlated information from different lines to perform joint inference on all lines simultaneously, employing a Bayesian analysis framework. We present the formalism, demonstrate our technique with a mock survey setup resembling the SPHEREx deep-field observation, and consider four spectral lines within the SPHEREx spectral coverage in the near-infrared: Hα, [O iii], Hβ, and [O ii]. We demonstrate that our method can extract the power spectrum of all four lines at the ≳10σ level at z < 2. For the brightest line, Hα, the 10σ sensitivity can be achieved out to z ∼ 3. Our technique offers a flexible framework for LIM analysis, enabling simultaneous inference of signals from multiple line emissions while accommodating diverse modeling constraints and parameterizations.