QUEST on DASI: a South Pole CMB polarization experiment

• Published in: New Astronomy Reviews
• Main Authors: Church, Sarah, Ade, Peter A. R., Bock, James, Bowden, Melanie, Carlstrom, John, Ganga, Ken, Gear, Walter Kieran, Hinderks, James, Hu, Wayne, Keating, Brian, Kovac, John, Lange, Andrew, Leitch, Eric, Mallie, Olivier Eric, Melhuish, Simon, Murphy, Anthony, Rusholme, Ben, O'Sullivan, Creidhe, Piccirillo, Lucio, Pryke, Clem, Taylor, Andy, Thompson, Keith
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: unknown
• Published: Elsevier 2003
• Subjects: QB Astronomy; South Pole; South pole
• Online Access: https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/35852/; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.newar.2003.09.033

QUEST on DASI is a ground-based, high-sensitivity, high-resolution (ℓmax∼2500) experiment designed to map CMB polarization at 100 and 150 GHz and to measure the power spectra from E-modes, B-modes from lensing of the CMB, and B-modes from primordial gravitational waves. The experiment comprises a 2.6 m Cassegrain optical system, equipped with an array of 62 polarization-sensitive bolometers (PSBs), located at the South Pole. The instrument is designed to minimize systematic effects; features include differencing of pairs of orthogonal PSBs within a single feed, a rotatable achromatic waveplate, and axisymmetric rotatable optics. In addition the South Pole location allows both repeatable and highly controlled observations. QUEST on DASI will commence operation in early 2005.