The Keck Array: A Multi Camera CMB Polarimeter at the South Pole

• Published in: Journal of Low Temperature Physics
• Main Authors: Staniszewski, Z., Aikin, R. W., Bock, J. J., Brevik, J. A., Dowell, C. D., Filippini, J. P., Golwala, S. R., Hristov, V. V., Lueker, M., Nguyen, H. T., O'Brient, R., Orlando, A., Teply, G.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: unknown
• Published: Springer 2012
• Subjects: Transition edge sensor (TES) arrays; Cosmology; Cosmic microwave background; Inflation; South pole
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10909-012-0510-1

The Keck array is a new multi-camera Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) polarimeter. Each camera contains 256 polarization pairs of antenna-coupled transition edge sensor (TES) bolometers. We recently deployed three of five cameras at the geographic South Pole, and plan to deploy the final two cameras in early 2012. This new telescope is an ideal instrument to search for the primordial B-mode polarization signal imprinted in the CMB by inflationary gravitational waves. We will discuss the design of the detectors and receivers, the status of current observations, and report on progress toward upgrading the instrument with the full compliment of polarized receivers. © 2012 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC. Received: 24 September 2011; Accepted: 8 January 2012; Published online: 3 April 2012. The following individuals acknowledge additional support: Z. Staniszewski from the NASA Postdoctoral Program.