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SPIDER optimization: probing the systematics of a large scale B-mode experiment
- Publication Year :
- 2008
- Publisher :
- University of Chicago Press:PO Box 37005, Journals Division:Chicago, IL 60637:(877)705-1878, (877)705-1878, (773)753-2247, EMAIL: subscriptions@press.uchicago.edu, INTERNET: http://www.press.uchicago.edu, Fax: (877)705-1879, (773)753-0811, 2008.
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Abstract
- Spider is a long-duration, balloon-borne polarimeter designed to measure large scale Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) polarization with very high sensitivity and control of systematics. The instrument will map over half the sky with degree angular resolution in I, Q and U Stokes parameters, in four frequency bands from 96 to 275 GHz. Spider's ultimate goal is to detect the primordial gravity wave signal imprinted on the CMB B-mode polarization. One of the challenges in achieving this goal is the minimization of the contamination of B-modes by systematic effects. This paper explores a number of instrument systematics and observing strategies in order to optimize B-mode sensitivity. This is done by injecting realistic-amplitude, time-varying systematics in a set of simulated time-streams. Tests of the impact of detector noise characteristics, pointing jitter, payload pendulations, polarization angle offsets, beam systematics and receiver gain drifts are shown. Spider's default observing strategy is to spin continuously in azimuth, with polarization modulation achieved by either a rapidly spinning half-wave plate or a rapidly spinning gondola and a slowly stepped half-wave plate. Although the latter is more susceptible to systematics, results shown here indicate that either mode of operation can be used by Spider.<br />Comment: 15 pages, 12 figs, version with full resolution figs available here http://www.astro.caltech.edu/~lgg/spider_front.htm
- Subjects :
- Physics
Spider
cosmic microwave background — gravitational waves — methods: data analysis — polarization
business.industry
Cosmic microwave background
Detector
Astrophysics (astro-ph)
Astrophysics::Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics
FOS: Physical sciences
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Polarimeter
Astrophysics
Polarization (waves)
Azimuth
symbols.namesake
Optics
Space and Planetary Science
symbols
Stokes parameters
business
Jitter
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....89e08edf959832182654b77f4ae4e7b7