The precision and accuracy of early Epoch of Reionization foreground
  models: comparing MWA and PAPER 32-antenna source catalogs
  As observations of the Epoch of Reionization (EoR) in redshifted 21cm
emission begin, we asses the accuracy of the early catalog results from the
Precision Array for Probing the Epoch of Reionization (PAPER) and the Murchison
Widefield Array. The MWA EoR approach derives much of its sensitivity from
subtracting foregrounds to <1% precision while the PAPER approach relies on the
stability and symmetry of the primary beam. Both require an accurate flux
calibration to set the amplitude of the measured power spectrum. The two
instruments are very similar in resolution, sensitivity, sky coverage and
spectral range and have produced catalogs from nearly contemporaneous data. We
use a Bayesian MCMC fitting method to estimate that the two instruments are on
the same flux scale to within 20% and find that the images are mostly in good
agreement. We then investigate the source of the errors by comparing two
overlapping MWA facets where we find that the differences are primarily related
to an inaccurate model of the primary beam but also correlated errors in bright
sources due to CLEAN. We conclude with suggestions for mitigating and better
characterizing these effects.
