584 research outputs found
Could the next generation of cosmology experiments exclude supergravity?
Gravitinos are expected to be produced in any local supersymmetric model.
Using their abundance prediction as a function of the reheating energy scale,
it is argued that the next generation of Cosmic Microwave Background
experiments could exclude supergravity or strongly favor "thermal-like"
inflation models if B mode polarized radiation were detected. Galactic
cosmic--ray production by evaporating primordial black holes is also
investigated as a way of constraining the Hubble mass at the end of inflation.
Subsequent limits on the gravitino mass and on the related grand unification
parameters are derived.Comment: 8 pages, 5 figures, published version with minor changes, results
unchange
Bi-layer Kinetic Inductance Detectors for space observations between 80-120 GHz
We have developed Lumped Element Kinetic Inductance Detectors (LEKID)
sensitive in the frequency band from 80 to 120~GHz. In this work, we take
advantage of the so-called proximity effect to reduce the superconducting gap
of Aluminium, otherwise strongly suppressing the LEKID response for frequencies
smaller than 100~GHz. We have designed, produced and optically tested various
fully multiplexed arrays based on multi-layers combinations of Aluminium (Al)
and Titanium (Ti). Their sensitivities have been measured using a dedicated
closed-circle 100 mK dilution cryostat and a sky simulator allowing to
reproduce realistic observation conditions. The spectral response has been
characterised with a Martin-Puplett interferometer up to THz frequencies, and
with a resolution of 3~GHz. We demonstrate that Ti-Al LEKID can reach an
optical sensitivity of about ~ (best pixel), or
~ when averaged over the whole array. The optical
background was set to roughly 0.4~pW per pixel, typical for future space
observatories in this particular band. The performance is close to a
sensitivity of twice the CMB photon noise limit at 100~GHz which drove the
design of the Planck HFI instrument. This figure remains the baseline for the
next generation of millimetre-wave space satellites.Comment: 7 pages, 9 figures, submitted to A&
Correlated Anisotropies in the Cosmic Far-Infrared Background Detected by MIPS/Spitzer: Constraint on the Bias
We report the detection of correlated anisotropies in the Cosmic Far-Infrared
Background at 160 microns. We measure the power spectrum in the Spitzer/SWIRE
Lockman Hole field. It reveals unambiguously a strong excess above cirrus and
Poisson contributions, at spatial scales between 5 and 30 arcminutes,
interpreted as the signature of infrared galaxy clustering. Using our model of
infrared galaxy evolution we derive a linear bias b=1.74 \pm 0.16. It is a
factor 2 higher than the bias measured for the local IRAS galaxies. Our model
indicates that galaxies dominating the 160 microns correlated anisotropies are
at z~1. This implies that infrared galaxies at high redshifts are biased
tracers of mass, unlike in the local Universe.Comment: ApJ Letters, in pres
Submillimetre point sources from the Archeops experiment: Very Cold Clumps in the Galactic Plane
Archeops is a balloon-borne experiment, mainly designed to measure the Cosmic
Microwave Background (CMB) temperature anisotropies at high angular resolution
(~ 12 arcminutes). By-products of the mission are shallow sensitivity maps over
a large fraction of the sky (about 30 %) in the millimetre and submillimetre
range at 143, 217, 353 and 545 GHz. From these maps, we produce a catalog of
bright submillimetre point sources. We present in this paper the processing and
analysis of the Archeops point sources. Redundancy across detectors is the key
factor allowing to sort out glitches from genuine point sources in the 20
independent maps. We look at the properties of the most reliable point sources,
totalling 304. Fluxes range from 1 to 10,000 Jy (at the frequencies covering
143 to 545 GHz). All sources are either planets (2) or of galactic origin.
Longitude range is from 75 to 198 degrees. Some of the sources are associated
with well-known Lynds Nebulae and HII compact regions in the galactic plane. A
large fraction of the sources have an IRAS counterpart. Except for Jupiter,
Saturn, the Crab and Cas A, all sources show a dust-emission-like modified
blackbody emission spectrum. Temperatures cover a range from 7 to 27 K. For the
coldest sources (T<10 K), a steep nu^beta emissivity law is found with a
surprising beta ~ 3 to 4. An inverse relationship between T and beta is
observed. The number density of sources at 353 GHz with flux brighter than 100
Jy is of the order of 1 per degree of Galactic longitude. These sources will
provide a strong check for the calibration of the Planck HFI focal plane
geometry as a complement to planets. These very cold sources observed by
Archeops should be prime targets for mapping observations by the Akari and
Herschel space missions and ground--based observatories.Comment: Version matching the published article (English improved). Published
in Astron. Astrophys, 21 pages, 13 figures, 4 tables Full article (with
complete tables) can be retrieved at
http://www.archeops.org/Archeops_Publicatio
Charting the New Frontier of the Cosmic Microwave Background Polarization
The anisotropies of the cosmic microwave background are a gold mine for
cosmology and fundamental physics. ESA's Planck satellite should soon extract
all information from the temperature vein but will be limited concerning the
measurement of the degree of polarization of the anisotropies. This
polarization information allows new independent tests of the standard
cosmological paradigm, improves knowledge of cosmological parameters and last
but not least is the best window available for constraining the physics of the
very early universe, particularly the expected background of primordial
gravitational waves. But exploiting this vein will be a challenge, since the
sensitivity required is {\em at least} 10 times better than what Planck might
achieve at best, with the necessary matching level of control of all
systematics effects, both instrumental and astrophysical (foregrounds). We here
recall the cosmological context and the case for CMB polarization studies. We
also briefly introduce the SAMPAN project, a design study at CNES that aims at
detecting the primoridal gravitational wave background for a tensor to scalar
ratio T/S as small as 0.001.Comment: 4 pages, to appear in SF2A 2005 proceeding
Development and application of metamaterial-based half-wave plates for the NIKA and NIKA2 polarimeters
Context. Large field-of-view imaging and polarimetry instruments operating at millimetre and sub-millimetre wavelengths are fundamental tools to understand the role of magnetic fields in channelling filament material into prestellar cores, providing unique insight in the physics of galactic star-forming regions. Among other topics, at extra-galactic scales, polarisation observations of Active Galactic Nuclei (AGNs) will allow us to constrain the possible physical conditions of the emitting plasma from the jets and/or explore the physics of dust inside supernova remnants. The kilo-pixel New IRAM KIDs Array 2 (NIKA2) camera, installed today at the Institut de Radioastronomie Millimétrique (IRAM) 30-m telescope, represents one of the best tools available to astronomers to produce simultaneous intensity and polarimetry maps over large fields at 260 GHz (1.15 mm). Aims. The polarisation measurement, in NIKA and NIKA2, is achieved by rapidly modulating the total incoming polarisation. In the end, this allows one to safely isolate the small science signal from the large, un-polarised, and strongly variable, atmospheric background. Methods. The polarisation modulation is achieved by inserting a fast rotating half-wave plate (HWP) in the optical beam. In order to allow wide field-of-view observations, the plate has to be large, with a diameter of 250 mm. The modulation of the polarised signal at 12 Hz also requires the waveplate to be sufficiently light. In addition, this key optical element has to exhibit optimal electromagnetic characteristics in terms of transmission and differential phase-shift. For this purpose, three metamaterial HWPs have been developed using the mesh-filter technology. The knowledge acquired in developing the first two single-band HWPs was used to achieve the more challenging performance requirements of the last dual-band HWP. The first and the third waveplates met the requirements for both the NIKA and NIKA2 instruments. Results. We first illustrate the design, the technical developments, the fabrication, and laboratory characterisation of the three mesh-HWPs. The deployment of two such elements in the NIKA and NIKA2 instruments at the 30-metre telescope is then described. We conclude with representative examples of astrophysical maps integrating polarimetry
The NIKA instrument: results and perspectives towards a permanent KID based camera for the Pico Veleta observatory
The New IRAM KIDs Array (NIKA) is a pathfinder instrument devoted to
millimetric astronomy. In 2009 it was the first multiplexed KID camera on the
sky; currently it is installed at the focal plane of the IRAM 30-meters
telescope at Pico Veleta (Spain). We present preliminary data from the last
observational run and the ongoing developments devoted to the next NIKA-2
kilopixels camera, to be commissioned in 2015. We also report on the latest
laboratory measurements, and recent improvements in detector cosmetics and
read-out electronics. Furthermore, we describe a new acquisition strategy
allowing us to improve the photometric accuracy, and the related automatic
tuning procedure.Comment: 24th International Symposium on Space Terahertz Technology, ISSTT
2013, April 8 to 10, 2013, Groningen, the Netherland
LEKID sensitivity for space applications between 80 and 600 GHz
We report the design, fabrication and testing of Lumped Element Kinetic
Inductance Detectors (LEKID) showing performance in line with the requirements
of the next generation space telescopes operating in the spectral range from 80
to 600 GHz. This range is of particular interest for Cosmic Microwave
Background (CMB) studies. For this purpose we have designed and fabricated
100-pixel arrays covering five distinct bands. These wafers have been measured
via multiplexing, where a full array is read out using a single pair of lines.
We adopted a custom cold black-body installed in front of the detectors and
regulated at temperatures between 1 K and 20 K. We will describe in the present
paper the main design considerations, the fabrication processes, the testing
and the data analysis
Latest NIKA results and the NIKA-2 project
NIKA (New IRAM KID Arrays) is a dual-band imaging instrument installed at the
IRAM (Institut de RadioAstronomie Millimetrique) 30-meter telescope at Pico
Veleta (Spain). Two distinct Kinetic Inductance Detectors (KID) focal planes
allow the camera to simultaneously image a field-of-view of about 2 arc-min in
the bands 125 to 175 GHz (150 GHz) and 200 to 280 GHz (240 GHz). The
sensitivity and stability achieved during the last commissioning Run in June
2013 allows opening the instrument to general observers. We report here the
latest results, in particular in terms of sensitivity, now comparable to the
state-of-the-art Transition Edge Sensors (TES) bolometers, relative and
absolute photometry. We describe briefly the next generation NIKA-2 instrument,
selected by IRAM to occupy, from 2015, the continuum imager/polarimeter slot at
the 30-m telescope.Comment: Proceedings of Low Temperature Detectors 15 (LTD-15), Pasadena, June
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