Optimization of the half wave plate configuration for the LSPE-SWIPE experiment

The search for the B-mode polarization of Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) is the new frontier of observational Cosmology. A B-mode detection would give an ultimate confirmation to the existence of a primordial Gravitational Wave (GW) background as predicted in the inflationary scenario. Several experiments have been designed or planned to observe B-modes. In this work we focus on the forthcoming Large Scale Polarization Explorer (LSPE) experiment, that will be devoted to the accurate measurement of CMB polarization at large angular scales. LSPE consists of a balloon-borne bolometric instrument, the Short Wavelength Instrument for the Polarization Explorer (SWIPE), and a ground-based coherent polarimeter array, the STRatospheric Italian Polarimeter (STRIP). SWIPE will employ a rotating Half Wave Plate (HWP) polarization modulator to mitigate the systematic effects due to instrumental non-idealities. We present here preliminary forecasts aimed at optimizing the HWP configuration.
Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures, proceedings of the 7th Young Researcher Meeting, Torino, Oct 24th-26th 2016