BICEP2. II. Experiment and three-year Data Set
We report on the design and performance of the BICEP2 instrument and on its three-year data set. BICEP2 was designed to measure the polarization of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) on angular scales of 1°-5°(ℓ = 40-200), near the expected peak of the B-mode polarization signature of primord...
Published in: | The Astrophysical Journal |
---|---|
Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , |
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | unknown |
Published: |
American Astronomical Society
2014
|
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/792/1/62 |
id |
ftcaltechauth:oai:authors.library.caltech.edu:xk7rp-3pf45 |
---|---|
record_format |
openpolar |
spelling |
ftcaltechauth:oai:authors.library.caltech.edu:xk7rp-3pf45 2024-10-13T14:10:52+00:00 BICEP2. II. Experiment and three-year Data Set Ade, P. A. R. Aikin, R. W. Bock, J. J. Brevik, J. A. Filippini, J. P. Golwala, S. R. Hildebrandt, S. R. Lueker, M. Staniszewski, Z. K. Teply, G. P. BICEP2 Collaboration 2014-09-01 https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/792/1/62 unknown American Astronomical Society http://arxiv.org/abs/1403.4302 eprintid:50026 info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess Other Astrophysical Journal, 792(1), Art. No. 62, (2014-09-01) cosmic background radiation cosmology: observations gravitational waves inflation instrumentation: polarimeters telescopes info:eu-repo/semantics/article 2014 ftcaltechauth https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/792/1/62 2024-09-25T18:46:43Z We report on the design and performance of the BICEP2 instrument and on its three-year data set. BICEP2 was designed to measure the polarization of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) on angular scales of 1°-5°(ℓ = 40-200), near the expected peak of the B-mode polarization signature of primordial gravitational waves from cosmic inflation. Measuring B-modes requires dramatic improvements in sensitivity combined with exquisite control of systematics. The BICEP2 telescope observed from the South Pole with a 26 cm aperture and cold, on-axis, refractive optics. BICEP2 also adopted a new detector design in which beam-defining slot antenna arrays couple to transition-edge sensor (TES) bolometers, all fabricated on a common substrate. The antenna-coupled TES detectors supported scalable fabrication and multiplexed readout that allowed BICEP2 to achieve a high detector count of 500 bolometers at 150 GHz, giving unprecedented sensitivity to B-modes at degree angular scales. After optimization of detector and readout parameters, BICEP2 achieved an instrument noise-equivalent temperature of 15.8 µK√s. The full data set reached Stokes Q and U map depths of 87.2 nK in square-degree pixels (5.'2 μK) over an effective area of 384 deg^2 within a 1000 deg^2 field. These are the deepest CMB polarization maps at degree angular scales to date. The power spectrum analysis presented in a companion paper has resulted in a significant detection of B-mode polarization at degree scales. © 2014 American Astronomical Society. Received 2014 April 15; accepted 2014 July 15; published 2014 August 14. Bicep2 was supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation under grants ANT-0742818 and ANT-1044978 (Caltech/Harvard) and ANT-0742592 and ANT-1110087 (Chicago/Minnesota). The development of antenna-coupled detector technology was supported by the JPL Research and Technology Development Fund and grants 06-ARPA206-0040 and 10-SAT10-0017 from the NASA APRA and SAT programs. The development and testing of focal planes were supported by ... Article in Journal/Newspaper South pole Caltech Authors (California Institute of Technology) South Pole The Astrophysical Journal 792 1 62 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Caltech Authors (California Institute of Technology) |
op_collection_id |
ftcaltechauth |
language |
unknown |
topic |
cosmic background radiation cosmology: observations gravitational waves inflation instrumentation: polarimeters telescopes |
spellingShingle |
cosmic background radiation cosmology: observations gravitational waves inflation instrumentation: polarimeters telescopes Ade, P. A. R. Aikin, R. W. Bock, J. J. Brevik, J. A. Filippini, J. P. Golwala, S. R. Hildebrandt, S. R. Lueker, M. Staniszewski, Z. K. Teply, G. P. BICEP2 Collaboration BICEP2. II. Experiment and three-year Data Set |
topic_facet |
cosmic background radiation cosmology: observations gravitational waves inflation instrumentation: polarimeters telescopes |
description |
We report on the design and performance of the BICEP2 instrument and on its three-year data set. BICEP2 was designed to measure the polarization of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) on angular scales of 1°-5°(ℓ = 40-200), near the expected peak of the B-mode polarization signature of primordial gravitational waves from cosmic inflation. Measuring B-modes requires dramatic improvements in sensitivity combined with exquisite control of systematics. The BICEP2 telescope observed from the South Pole with a 26 cm aperture and cold, on-axis, refractive optics. BICEP2 also adopted a new detector design in which beam-defining slot antenna arrays couple to transition-edge sensor (TES) bolometers, all fabricated on a common substrate. The antenna-coupled TES detectors supported scalable fabrication and multiplexed readout that allowed BICEP2 to achieve a high detector count of 500 bolometers at 150 GHz, giving unprecedented sensitivity to B-modes at degree angular scales. After optimization of detector and readout parameters, BICEP2 achieved an instrument noise-equivalent temperature of 15.8 µK√s. The full data set reached Stokes Q and U map depths of 87.2 nK in square-degree pixels (5.'2 μK) over an effective area of 384 deg^2 within a 1000 deg^2 field. These are the deepest CMB polarization maps at degree angular scales to date. The power spectrum analysis presented in a companion paper has resulted in a significant detection of B-mode polarization at degree scales. © 2014 American Astronomical Society. Received 2014 April 15; accepted 2014 July 15; published 2014 August 14. Bicep2 was supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation under grants ANT-0742818 and ANT-1044978 (Caltech/Harvard) and ANT-0742592 and ANT-1110087 (Chicago/Minnesota). The development of antenna-coupled detector technology was supported by the JPL Research and Technology Development Fund and grants 06-ARPA206-0040 and 10-SAT10-0017 from the NASA APRA and SAT programs. The development and testing of focal planes were supported by ... |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Ade, P. A. R. Aikin, R. W. Bock, J. J. Brevik, J. A. Filippini, J. P. Golwala, S. R. Hildebrandt, S. R. Lueker, M. Staniszewski, Z. K. Teply, G. P. BICEP2 Collaboration |
author_facet |
Ade, P. A. R. Aikin, R. W. Bock, J. J. Brevik, J. A. Filippini, J. P. Golwala, S. R. Hildebrandt, S. R. Lueker, M. Staniszewski, Z. K. Teply, G. P. BICEP2 Collaboration |
author_sort |
Ade, P. A. R. |
title |
BICEP2. II. Experiment and three-year Data Set |
title_short |
BICEP2. II. Experiment and three-year Data Set |
title_full |
BICEP2. II. Experiment and three-year Data Set |
title_fullStr |
BICEP2. II. Experiment and three-year Data Set |
title_full_unstemmed |
BICEP2. II. Experiment and three-year Data Set |
title_sort |
bicep2. ii. experiment and three-year data set |
publisher |
American Astronomical Society |
publishDate |
2014 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/792/1/62 |
geographic |
South Pole |
geographic_facet |
South Pole |
genre |
South pole |
genre_facet |
South pole |
op_source |
Astrophysical Journal, 792(1), Art. No. 62, (2014-09-01) |
op_relation |
http://arxiv.org/abs/1403.4302 eprintid:50026 |
op_rights |
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess Other |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/792/1/62 |
container_title |
The Astrophysical Journal |
container_volume |
792 |
container_issue |
1 |
container_start_page |
62 |
_version_ |
1812818389613150208 |