The cosmic microwave background: observing directly the early universe

The Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) is a relict of the early universe. Its perfect 2.725K blackbody spectrum demonstrates that the universe underwent a hot, ionized early phase; its anisotropy (about 80 \mu K rms) provides strong evidence for the presence of photon-matter oscillations in the primeval plasma, shaping the initial phase of the formation of structures; its polarization state (about 3 \mu K rms), and in particular its rotational component (less than 0.1 \mu K rms) might allow to study the inflation process in the very early universe, and the physics of extremely high energies, impossible to reach with accelerators. The CMB is observed by means of microwave and mm-wave telescopes, and its measurements drove the development of ultra-sensitive bolometric detectors, sophisticated modulators, and advanced cryogenic and space technologies. Here we focus on the new frontiers of CMB research: the precision measurements of its linear polarization state, at large and intermediate angular scales, and the measurement of the inverse-Compton effect of CMB photons crossing clusters of Galaxies. In this framework, we will describe the formidable experimental challenges faced by ground-based, near-space and space experiments, using large arrays of detectors. We will show that sensitivity and mapping speed improvement obtained with these arrays must be accompanied by a corresponding reduction of systematic effects (especially for CMB polarimeters), and by improved knowledge of foreground emission, to fully exploit the huge scientific potential of these missions.Comment: In press. Plenary talk. Copyright 2012 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers. One print or electronic copy may be made for personal use only. Systematic reproduction and distribution, duplication of any material in this paper for a fee or for commercial purposes, or modification of the content of the paper are prohibite

Common-mode rejection in Martin-Puplett spectrometers for astronomical observations at mm-wavelengths

The Martin-Puplett interferometer (MPI) is a differential Fourier transform spectrometer (FTS), measuring the difference between spectral brightness at two input ports. This unique feature makes the MPI an optimal zero instrument, able to detect small brightness gradients embeddend in a large common background. In this paper we investigate experimentally the common-mode rejection achievable in the MPI at mm wavelengths, and discuss the use of the instrument to measure the spectrum of cosmic microwave background (CMB) anisotropy

A multi-frequency study of the SZE in giant radio galaxies

Radio-galaxy (RG) lobes contain relativistic electrons embedded in a tangled magnetic field that produce, in addition to low-frequency synchrotron radio emission, inverse-Compton scattering (ICS) of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) photons. This produces a relativistic, non-thermal Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effect (SZE). We study the spectral and spatial properties of the non-thermal SZE in a sample of radio galaxies and make predictions for their detectability in both the negative and the positive part of the SZE, with space experiments like Planck, OLIMPO, and Herschel-SPIRE. These cover a wide range of frequencies, from radio to sub-mm. We model the SZE in a general formalism that is equivalent to the relativistic covariant one and describe the electron population contained in the lobes of the radio galaxies with parameters derived from their radio observations, namely, flux, spectral index, and spatial extension. We further constrain the electron spectrum and the magnetic field of the RG lobes using X-ray, gamma-ray, and microwave archival observations. We determine the main spectral features of the SZE in RG lobes, namely, the minimum, the crossover, and the maximum of the SZE. We show that these typical spectral features fall in the frequency ranges probed by the available space experiments. We provide the most reliable predictions for the amplitude and spectral shape of the SZE in a sample of selected RGs with extended lobes. In three of these objects, we also derive an estimate of the magnetic field in the lobe at the muG level by combining radio (synchrotron) observations and X-ray (ICS) observations. These data, together with the WMAP upper limits, set constraints on the minimum momentum of the electrons residing in the RG lobes and allow realistic predictions for the visibility of their SZE to be derived with Planck, OLIMPO, and Herschel-SPIRE. [abridged]Comment: 26 pages, 21 figures; Astronomy and Astrophysics, in pres

Multiparameter ergodic Cesàro-α averages

Let (X,F,ν) be a σ-finite measure space. Associated with k Lamperti operators on Lp(ν), T1,…,Tk, nˉ=(n1,…,nk)∈Nk and αˉ=(α1,…,αk) with 0<αj≤1, we define the ergodic Cesàro-αˉ averages Rnˉ,αˉf=1∏kj=1Aαjnj∑ik=0nk⋯∑i1=0n1∏j=1kAαj−1nj−ijTikk⋯Ti11f. For these averages we prove the almost everywhere convergence on X and the convergence in the Lp(ν) norm, when n1,…,nk→∞ independently, for all f∈Lp(dν) with p>1/α∗ where α∗=min1≤j≤kαj. In the limit case p=1/α∗, we prove that the averages Rnˉ,αˉf converge almost everywhere on X for all f in the Orlicz–Lorentz space Λ(1/α∗,φm−1) with φm(t)=t(1+log+t)m. To obtain the result in the limit case we need to study inequalities for the composition of operators Ti that are of restricted weak type (pi,pi). As another application of these inequalities we also study the strong Cesàro-αˉ continuity of functions.Fil: Bernardis, Ana Lucia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Santa Fe. Instituto de Matemática Aplicada del Litoral. Universidad Nacional del Litoral. Instituto de Matemática Aplicada del Litoral; ArgentinaFil: Crescimbeni, Raquel Liliana. Universidad Nacional del Comahue; ArgentinaFil: Ferrari Freire, Cecilia. Universidad Nacional del Comahue; Argentin

Large Radio Telescopes for Anomalous Microwave Emission Observations

We discuss in this paper the problem of the Anomalous Microwave Emission (AME) in the light of ongoing or future observations to be performed with the largest fully steerable radio telescope in the world. High angular resolution observations of the AME will enable astronomers to drastically improve the knowledge of the AME mechanisms as well as the interplay between the different constituents of the interstellar medium in our galaxy. Extragalactic observations of the AME have started as well, and high resolution is even more important in this kind of observations. When cross-correlating with IR-dust emission, high angular resolution is also of fundamental importance in order to obtain unbiased results. The choice of the observational frequency is also of key importance in continuum observation. We calculate a merit function that accounts for the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) in AME observation given the current state-of-the-art knowledge and technology. We also include in our merit functions the frequency dependence in the case of multifrequency observations. We briefly mention and compare the performance of four of the largest radiotelescopes in the world and hope the observational programs in each of them will be as intense as possible.Comment: Review accepted for publication in Advances in Astronom

A cryogenic waveplate rotator for polarimetry at mm and sub-mm wavelengths

Mm and sub-mm waves polarimetry is the new frontier of research in Cosmic Microwave Background and Interstellar Dust studies. Polarimeters working in the IR to MM range need to be operated at cryogenic temperatures, to limit the systematic effects related to the emission of the polarization analyzer. In this paper we study the effect of the temperature of the different components of a waveplate polarimeter, and describe a system able to rotate, in a completely automated way, a birefringent crystal at 4K. We simulate the main systematic effects related to the temperature and non-ideality of the optical components in a Stokes polarimeter. To limit these effects, a cryogenic implementation of the polarimeter is mandatory. In our system, the rotation produced by a step motor, running at room temperature, is transmitted down to cryogenic temperatures by means of a long shaft and gears running on custom cryogenic bearings. Our system is able to rotate, in a completely automated way, a birefringent crystal at 4K, dissipating only a few mW in the cold environment. A readout system based on optical fibers allows to control the rotation of the crystal to better than 0.1{\deg}. This device fulfills the stringent requirements for operation in cryogenic space experiments, like the forthcoming PILOT, BOOMERanG and LSPE.Comment: Submitted to Astronomy and Astrophysics. v1: 10 pages, 8 figures. v2: corrected labels for the bibliographic references (no changes in the bibliography). v3: revised version. 9 pages, 7 figures. Added a new figure. Updated with a more realistic simulation for the interstellar dust and with the latest cryogenic test

Can the quintessence be a complex scalar field?

In light of the recent observations of type Ia supernovae suggesting an accelerating expansion of the Universe, we wish in this paper to point out the possibility of using a complex scalar field as the quintessence to account for the acceleration. In particular, we extend the idea of Huterer and Turner in deriving the reconstruction equations for the complex quintessence, showing the feasibility of making use of a complex scalar field (instead of a real scalar field) while maintaining the uniqueness feature of the reconstruction for two possible situations, respectively. We discuss very briefly how future observations may help to distinguish the different quintessence scenarios, including the scenario with a positive cosmological constant.Comment: 9 pages, LaTeX, final versio