BICEP3: A 95GHz Refracting Telescope for Degree-Scale CMB Polarization
Bicep3 is a 550 mm-aperture refracting telescope for polarimetry of radiation in the cosmic microwave background at 95 GHz. It adopts the methodology of Bicep1, Bicep2 and the Keck Array experiments — it possesses sufficient resolution to search for signatures of the inflation-induced cosmic gravita...
Published in: | SPIE Proceedings, Millimeter, Submillimeter, and Far-Infrared Detectors and Instrumentation for Astronomy VII |
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Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
Format: | Conference Object |
Language: | English |
Published: |
International Society for Optics and Photonics
2014
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Subjects: | |
Online Access: | http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:42667704 https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2057224 |
Summary: | Bicep3 is a 550 mm-aperture refracting telescope for polarimetry of radiation in the cosmic microwave background at 95 GHz. It adopts the methodology of Bicep1, Bicep2 and the Keck Array experiments — it possesses sufficient resolution to search for signatures of the inflation-induced cosmic gravitational-wave background while utilizing a compact design for ease of construction and to facilitate the characterization and mitigation of systematics. However, Bicep3 represents a significant breakthrough in per-receiver sensitivity, with a focal plane area 5× larger than a Bicep2/Keck Array receiver and faster optics (f /1.6 vs. f /2.4). Large-aperture infrared-reflective metal-mesh filters and infrared-absorptive cold alumina filters and lenses were developed and implemented for its optics. The camera consists of 1280 dual-polarization pixels; each is a pair of orthogonal antenna arrays coupled to transition-edge sensor bolometers and read out by multiplexed SQUIDs. Upon deployment at the South Pole during the 2014-15 season, Bicep3 will have survey speed comparable to Keck Array 150 GHz (2013), and will significantly enhance spectral separation of primordial B-mode power from that of possible galactic dust contamination in the Bicep2 observation patch. Astronomy Accepted Manuscript |
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