102 research outputs found
CARMA observations of massive Planck-discovered cluster candidates at z>0.5 associated with WISE overdensities: Breaking the size-flux degeneracy
We use a Bayesian software package to analyze CARMA-8 data towards 19
unconfirmed Planck SZ-cluster candidates from Rodriguez-Gonzalvez et al.
(2015), that are associated with significant overdensities in WISE. We used two
cluster parameterizations, one based on a (fixed shape) generalized-NFW
pressure profile and another based on a beta-gas-density profile (with varying
shape parameters) to obtain parameter estimates for the nine CARMA-8
SZ-detected clusters. We find our sample is comprised of massive,
Y_{500}=0.0010 \pm 0.0015 arcmin^2, relatively compact, theta_{500}= 3.9 \pm
2.0 arcmin systems. Results from the beta model show that our cluster
candidates exhibit a heterogeneous set of brightness-temperature profiles.
Comparison of Planck and CARMA-8 measurements showed good agreement in Y_{500}
and an absence of obvious biases. We estimated the total cluster mass M_{500}
as a function of z for one of the systems; at the preferred photometric
redshift of 0.5, the derived mass, M_{500} \approx 0.8 \pm 0.2 \times 10^{15}
Msun. Spectroscopic Keck/MOSFIRE data confirmed a galaxy member of one of our
cluster candidates to be at z=0.565. Applying a Planck prior in Y_{500} to the
CARMA-8 results reduces uncertainties for both parameters by a factor >4,
relative to the independent Planck or CARMA-8 measurements. We here demonstrate
a powerful technique to find massive clusters at intermediate z \gtrsim 0.5
redshifts using a cross-correlation between Planck and WISE data, with
high-resolution follow-up with CARMA-8. We also use the combined capabilities
of Planck and CARMA-8 to obtain a dramatic reduction by a factor of several, in
parameter uncertainties.Comment: 26 pages, 8 figures, appearing in MNRAS (responded to referee report
The C-Band All-Sky Survey (C-BASS): design and capabilities
The C-Band All-Sky Survey (C-BASS) is an all-sky full-polarization survey at a frequency of 5 GHz, designed to provide complementary data to the all-sky surveys of WMAP and Planck, and future CMB B-mode polarization imaging surveys. The observing frequency has been chosen to provide a signal that is dominated by Galactic synchrotron emission, but suffers little from Faraday rotation, so that the measured polarization directions provide a good template for higher frequency observations, and carry direct information about the Galactic magnetic field. Telescopes in both northern and southern hemispheres with matched optical performance are used to provide all-sky coverage from a ground-based experiment. A continuous-comparison radiometer and a correlation polarimeter on each telescope provide stable imaging properties such that all angular scales from the instrument resolution of 45 arcmin up to full sky are accurately measured. The northern instrument has completed its survey and the southern instrument has started observing. We expect that C-BASS data will significantly improve the component separation analysis of Planck and other CMB data, and will provide important constraints on the properties of anomalous Galactic dust and the Galactic magnetic field
Application of a Self-Similar Pressure Profile to Sunyaev-Zel'dovich Effect Data from Galaxy Clusters
We investigate the utility of a new, self-similar pressure profile for
fitting Sunyaev-Zel'dovich (SZ) effect observations of galaxy clusters. Current
SZ imaging instruments - such as the Sunyaev-Zel'dovich Array (SZA) - are
capable of probing clusters over a large range in physical scale. A model is
therefore required that can accurately describe a cluster's pressure profile
over a broad range of radii, from the core of the cluster out to a significant
fraction of the virial radius. In the analysis presented here, we fit a radial
pressure profile derived from simulations and detailed X-ray analysis of
relaxed clusters to SZA observations of three clusters with exceptionally high
quality X-ray data: A1835, A1914, and CL J1226.9+3332. From the joint analysis
of the SZ and X-ray data, we derive physical properties such as gas mass, total
mass, gas fraction and the intrinsic, integrated Compton y-parameter. We find
that parameters derived from the joint fit to the SZ and X-ray data agree well
with a detailed, independent X-ray-only analysis of the same clusters. In
particular, we find that, when combined with X-ray imaging data, this new
pressure profile yields an independent electron radial temperature profile that
is in good agreement with spectroscopic X-ray measurements.Comment: 28 pages, 6 figures, accepted by ApJ for publication (probably April
2009
Using cm observations to constrain the abundance of very small dust grains in Galactic cold cores
In this analysis, we illustrate how the relatively new emission mechanism, known as spinning dust, can be used to characterize dust grains in the interstellar medium. We demonstrate this by using spinning dust emission observations to constrain the abundance of very small dust grains (a ≲ 10 nm) in a sample of Galactic cold cores. Using the physical properties of the cores in our sample as inputs to a spinning dust model, we predict the expected level of emission at a wavelength of 1 cm for four different very small dust grain abundances, which we constrain by comparing to 1 cm CARMA observations. For all of our cores, we find a depletion of very small grains, which we suggest is due to the process of grain growth. This work represents the first time that spinning dust emission has been used to constrain the physical properties of interstellar dust grains
The C-Band All-Sky Survey: Instrument design, status, and first-look data
The C-Band All-Sky Survey (C-BASS) aims to produce sensitive, all-sky maps of
diffuse Galactic emission at 5 GHz in total intensity and linear polarization.
These maps will be used (with other surveys) to separate the several
astrophysical components contributing to microwave emission, and in particular
will allow an accurate map of synchrotron emission to be produced for the
subtraction of foregrounds from measurements of the polarized Cosmic Microwave
Background. We describe the design of the analog instrument, the optics of our
6.1 m dish at the Owens Valley Radio Observatory, the status of observations,
and first-look data.Comment: 10 pages, 11 figures, published in Proceedings of SPIE MIllimeter,
Submillimeter, and Far-Infrared Detectors and Instrumentation for Astronomy V
(2010), Vol. 7741, 77411I-1 - 77411I-1
The C-Band All-Sky Survey (C-BASS): Constraining diffuse Galactic radio emission in the North Celestial Pole region
The C-Band All-Sky Survey C-BASS is a high-sensitivity all-sky radio survey
at an angular resolution of 45 arcmin and a frequency of 4.7 GHz. We present a
total intensity 4.7 GHz map of the North Celestial Pole (NCP) region of sky,
above declination +80 deg, which is limited by source confusion at a level of
~0.6 mK rms. We apply the template-fitting (cross-correlation) technique to
WMAP and Planck data, using the C-BASS map as the synchrotron template, to
investigate the contribution of diffuse foreground emission at frequencies
~20-40 GHz. We quantify the anomalous microwave emission (AME) that is
correlated with far-infrared dust emission. The AME amplitude does not change
significantly (<10%) when using the higher frequency C-BASS 4.7 GHz template
instead of the traditional Haslam 408 MHz map as a tracer of synchrotron
radiation. We measure template coefficients of and
K per unit when using the Haslam and C-BASS synchrotron templates,
respectively. The AME contributes K rms at 22.8 GHz and accounts
for ~60% of the total foreground emission. Our results suggest that a harder
(flatter spectrum) component of synchrotron emission is not dominant at
frequencies >5 GHz; the best-fitting synchrotron temperature spectral index is
from 4.7 to 22.8 GHz and from 22.8 to
44.1 GHz. Free-free emission is weak, contributing ~K rms (~7%) at 22.8
GHz. The best explanation for the AME is still electric dipole emission from
small spinning dust grains.Comment: 18 pages, 6 figures, version matches version accepted by MNRA
C-Band All-Sky Survey: A First Look at the Galaxy
We present an analysis of the diffuse emission at 5 GHz in the first quadrant
of the Galactic plane using two months of preliminary intensity data taken with
the C-Band All Sky Survey (C-BASS) northern instrument at the Owens Valley
Radio Observatory, California. Combining C-BASS maps with ancillary data to
make temperature-temperature plots we find synchrotron spectral indices of
between 0.408 GHz and 5 GHz and between 1.420 GHz and 5 GHz for ,
. Through the subtraction of a radio recombination
line (RRL) free-free template we determine the synchrotron spectral index in
the Galactic plane () to be between
0.408 GHz and 5 GHz, with a contribution of per cent from free-free
emission at 5\,GHz. These results are consistent with previous low frequency
measurements in the Galactic plane. By including C-BASS data in spectral fits
we demonstrate the presence of anomalous microwave emission (AME) associated
with the HII complexes W43, W44 and W47 near 30 GHz, at 4.4 sigma, 3.1 sigma
and 2.5 sigma respectively. The CORNISH VLA 5 GHz source catalogue rules out
the possibility that the excess emission detected around 30\;GHz may be due to
ultra-compact HII regions. Diffuse AME was also identified at a 4 sigma level
within , between 5
GHz and 22.8 GHz.Comment: 16 pages, 9 figures, submitted to MNRAS, referee's corrections made,
awaiting for final approval for publicatio
Using Spinning Dust Emission To Constrain The Abundance Of Very Small Dust Grains In Dense Cores
We present the first analysis of using spinning dust emission as a method to characterise the properties of very small interstellar dust grains in dense cores
Astronomical Receiver Modelling Using Scattering Matrices
Proper modelling of astronomical receivers is vital: it describes the
systematic errors in the raw data, guides the receiver design process, and
assists data calibration. In this paper we describe a method of analytically
modelling the full signal and noise behaviour of arbitrarily complex radio
receivers. We use electrical scattering matrices to describe the signal
behaviour of individual components in the receiver, and noise correlation
matrices to describe their noise behaviour. These are combined to produce the
full receiver model. We apply this approach to a specified receiver
architecture: a hybrid of a continous comparison radiometer and correlation
polarimeter designed for the C-Band All-Sky Survey. We produce analytic
descriptions of the receiver Mueller matrix and noise temperature, and discuss
how imperfections in crucial components affect the raw data. Many of the
conclusions drawn are generally applicable to correlation polarimeters and
continuous comparison radiometers.Comment: 18 pages, 8 figures, accepted for publication in MNRA
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