Probing primordial non-Gaussianity with the power spectrum and bispectrum of future 21 cm intensity maps

Abstract After reionisation, the 21 cm emission line of neutral hydrogen within galaxies provides a tracer of dark matter. Next-generation intensity mapping surveys, with the SKA and other radio telescopes, will cover large sky areas and a wide range of redshifts, facilitating their use as probes of primordial non-Gaussianity. Previous works have shown that the bispectrum can achieve tight constraints on primordial non-Gaussianity with future surveys that are purposely designed for intensity mapping in interferometer mode. Here we investigate the constraints attainable from surveys operating in single-dish mode, using the combined power spectrum and bispectrum signal. In the case of the power spectrum, single-dish surveys typically outperform interferometer surveys. We find that the reverse holds for the bispectrum: single-dish surveys are not competitive with surveys designed for interferometer mode.