Z-Spec: A MM-Wave Spectrometer For Measuring Redshifts Of Submillimeter Galaxies

We are building a background-limited, broadband millimeter-wave spectrometer (Z-Spec) for observations of CO rotational transitions from high-redshift dusty galaxies. The large instantaneous bandwidth (195 to 310 GHz) will enable redshifts of dust obscured galaxies to be unambiguously measured. Z-Spec uses a waveguide-coupled grating architecture in which the light propagation is confined within a parallel-plate waveguide. The grating is extremely compact compared to a classical free-space system. An array of silicon nitride bolometers cooled to 100 mK will provide background-limited performance. Z-Spec serves as a technology demonstration for a future space-borne far-infrared grating spectrometer

The Robinson Gravitational Wave Background Telescope (BICEP): a bolometric large angular scale CMB polarimeter

The Robinson Telescope (BICEP) is a ground-based millimeter-wave bolometric array designed to study the polarization of the cosmic microwave background radiation (CMB) and galactic foreground emission. Such measurements probe the energy scale of the inflationary epoch, tighten constraints on cosmological parameters, and verify our current understanding of CMB physics. Robinson consists of a 250-mm aperture refractive telescope that provides an instantaneous field-of-view of 17 degrees with angular resolution of 55 and 37 arcminutes at 100 GHz and 150 GHz, respectively. Forty-nine pair of polarization-sensitive bolometers are cooled to 250 mK using a 4He/3He/3He sorption fridge system, and coupled to incoming radiation via corrugated feed horns. The all-refractive optics is cooled to 4 K to minimize polarization systematics and instrument loading. The fully steerable 3-axis mount is capable of continuous boresight rotation or azimuth scanning at speeds up to 5 deg/s. Robinson has begun its first season of observation at the South Pole. Given the measured performance of the instrument along with the excellent observing environment, Robinson will measure the E-mode polarization with high sensitivity, and probe for the B-modes to unprecedented depths. In this paper we discuss aspects of the instrument design and their scientific motivations, scanning and operational strategies, and the results of initial testing and observations.Comment: 18 pages, 11 figures. To appear in Millimeter and Submillimeter Detectors and Instrumentation for Astronomy III, Proceedings of SPIE, 6275, 200

Z-Spec: a broadband millimeter-wave grating spectrometer: design, construction, and first cryogenic measurements

We present the design, integration, and first ryogenic testing of our new broad-band millimeter-wave spectrometer, Z-Spec. Z-Spec uses a novel architecture called WaFIRS (Waveguide Far-IR Spectrometer), which employs a curved diffraction grating in a parallel-plate waveguide propagation medium. The instrument will provide a resolving power betwee 200 and 350 across an instantaneous bandwidth of 190-310 GHz, all packaged within a cryostat that is of order 1 meter in size. For background-limited astronomical observations in the 1mm terrestrial window, Z-Spec uses 160 silicon nitride micro-mesh bolometers and the detectors and waveguide grating are cooled to ~0.1 K. Our first cryogenic measurements at 225 GHz show resolving power greater than 200, and the end-to-end throughput is estimated to be greater than 30%, possibly as high as 40%. Z-Spec represents the first systematic approach to cosmological redshift measurement that is not based on optical or near-IR identifications. With its good sensitivity and large bandwidth, Z-Spec provides a new capability for millimeter-wave astrophysics. The instrument will be capable of measureing rotational carbon monoxide line emission from bright dusty galaxies at redshifts of up to 4, and the broad bandwidth insures that at least two lines will be simultaneously detected, providing an unambiguous redshift determination. In addition to Z-Spec's observations over the next 1-3 years, the WaFIRS spectrometer architecture makes an excellent candidate for mid-IR to millimeter-wave spectrometers on future space-borned and suborbital platforms such as SPICA and SAFIR. The concept is dramatically more compact and lightweight than conventional free-space grating spectrometers, and no mirrors or lenses are used in the instrument. After the progress report on Z-Spec we highlight this capability

Liquid Nitrogen Energy Storage Units

Presented at the 16th International Cryocooler Conference, held May 17-20, 2008 in Atlanta, Georgia.The energy storage units (ESU) described in this article are to be attached to the cold finger of a cryocooler with the objective of holding the low temperature environment constant while the cooler may be temporarily stopped to provide a totally vibration-free environment. Or, it may be used to damp out temperature fluctuations if a sudden cooling power increase is momentarily necessary. The developed ESU consists of a nitrogen cell coupled to a GM cryocooler by a gas-gap heat switch, and connected to an expansion volume at room temperature to limit the pressure increase. It was designed to store ≈3600 J between ≈65 K and ≈80 K. After condensing the nitrogen into the liquid phase, the heat switch is used to decouple the cell from the cryocooler, and a constant heating power is applied. During the liquid evaporation, the temperature drift obtained is very slow. In this paper, we present the tests performed using a 35 cm³ cell and an expansion volume of 6 litres or 24 litres. Applying 1 W to the ESU, about 4 kJ were stored with a slow drift from 76 K up to 80 K using the 24 litres expansion volume. Modelling of the experiment agrees within 5% with the experimental results. Software, written for sizing such an ESU, includes parameters for the ESU's stored energy, the cell and expansion volumes, and the cryogenic fluid used. An ESU using the liquid-gas latent heat leads to a slow temperature drift, while a triple-point cell keeps the temperature strictly constant. However, such an ESU stores a thermal energy one order of magnitude larger than a triple-point one for the same low temperature cell volume. Preliminary results for a gravity insensitive ESU are presented

CMB polarimetry with BICEP: instrument characterization, calibration, and performance

BICEP is a ground-based millimeter-wave bolometric array designed to target the primordial gravity wave signature on the polarization of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) at degree angular scales. Currently in its third year of operation at the South Pole, BICEP is measuring the CMB polarization with unprecedented sensitivity at 100 and 150 GHz in the cleanest available 2% of the sky, as well as deriving independent constraints on the diffuse polarized foregrounds with select observations on and off the Galactic plane. Instrument calibrations are discussed in the context of rigorous control of systematic errors, and the performance during the first two years of the experiment is reviewed.Comment: 12 pages, 15 figures, updated version of a paper accepted for Millimeter and Submillimeter Detectors and Instrumentation for Astronomy IV, Proceedings of SPIE, 7020, 200

A Millimeter-Wave Galactic Plane Survey With The BICEP Polarimeter

In addition to its potential to probe the Inflationary cosmological paradigm, millimeter-wave polarimetry is a powerful tool for studying the Milky Way galaxy's composition and magnetic field structure. Towards this end, presented here are Stokes I, Q, and U maps of the Galactic plane from the millimeter-wave polarimeter BICEP covering the Galactic longitude range 260 - 340 degrees in three atmospheric transmission windows centered on 100, 150, and 220 GHz. The maps sample an optical depth 1 < AV < 30, and are consistent with previous characterizations of the Galactic millimeter-wave frequency spectrum and the large-scale magnetic field structure permeating the interstellar medium. Polarized emission is detected over the entire region within two degrees of the Galactic plane and indicates that the large-scale magnetic field is oriented parallel to the plane of the Galaxy. An observed trend of decreasing polarization fraction with increasing total intensity rules out the simplest model of a constant Galactic magnetic field throughout the Galaxy. Including WMAP data in the analysis, the degree-scale frequency spectrum of Galactic polarization fraction is plotted between 23 and 220 GHz for the first time. A generally increasing trend of polarization fraction with electromagnetic frequency is found, which varies from 0.5%-1.5%at frequencies below 50 GHz to 2.5%-3.5%above 90 GHz. The BICEP and WMAP data are fit to a two-component (synchrotron and dust) model showing that the higher frequency BICEP data are necessary to tightly constrain the amplitude and spectral index of Galactic dust. Furthermore, the dust amplitude predicted by this two-component fit is consistent with model predictions of dust emission in the BICEP bands

Absolute polarization angle calibration using polarized diffuse Galactic emission observed by BICEP

We present a method of cross-calibrating the polarization angle of a polarimeter using BICEP Galactic observations. \bicep\ was a ground based experiment using an array of 49 pairs of polarization sensitive bolometers observing from the geographic South Pole at 100 and 150 GHz. The BICEP polarimeter is calibrated to +/-0.01 in cross-polarization and less than +/-0.7 degrees in absolute polarization orientation. BICEP observed the temperature and polarization of the Galactic plane (R.A= 100 degrees ~ 270 degrees and Dec. = -67 degrees ~ -48 degrees). We show that the statistical error in the 100 GHz BICEP Galaxy map can constrain the polarization angle offset of WMAP Wband to 0.6 degrees +\- 1.4 degrees. The expected 1 sigma errors on the polarization angle cross-calibration for Planck or EPIC are 1.3 degrees and 0.3 degrees at 100 and 150 GHz, respectively. We also discuss the expected improvement of the BICEP Galactic field observations with forthcoming BICEP2 and Keck observations.Comment: 13 pages, 10 figures and 2 tables. To appear in Proceedings of SPIE Astronomical Telescopes and Instrumentation 201

The Photodetector Array Camera and Spectrometer (PACS) on the Herschel Space Observatory

The Photodetector Array Camera and Spectrometer (PACS) is one of the three science instruments on ESA's far infrared and submillimetre observatory. It employs two Ge:Ga photoconductor arrays (stressed and unstressed) with 16x25 pixels, each, and two filled silicon bolometer arrays with 16x32 and 32x64 pixels, respectively, to perform integral-field spectroscopy and imaging photometry in the 60-210\mu\ m wavelength regime. In photometry mode, it simultaneously images two bands, 60-85\mu\ m or 85-125\mu\m and 125-210\mu\ m, over a field of view of ~1.75'x3.5', with close to Nyquist beam sampling in each band. In spectroscopy mode, it images a field of 47"x47", resolved into 5x5 pixels, with an instantaneous spectral coverage of ~1500km/s and a spectral resolution of ~175km/s. We summarise the design of the instrument, describe observing modes, calibration, and data analysis methods, and present our current assessment of the in-orbit performance of the instrument based on the Performance Verification tests. PACS is fully operational, and the achieved performance is close to or better than the pre-launch predictions