Future Developments in Low Temperature Detectors for CMB and Submm Astronomy

We summarize the wide range of current and upcoming developments in low temperature detectors for CMB and submillimeter astronomy. We discuss work in sensor development, photon coupling and filtering architectures, and polarimetry and how these tie to applications requirements

Sunyaev-Zeldovich Effect Studies of Galaxy Clusters with Bolocam (and Future Instrumentation)

Galaxy clusters are excellent laboratories for studying the astrophysics of gravitational collapse and the non-self-similar processes that can affect it. A number of different techniques allow us to study the distribution of the consituents of galaxy clusters. The thermal Sunyaev-Zeldovich effect measures the line-of-sight integral of the the pressure in the ICM plasma. Comparison to and combination with other probes enables a variety of studies of the ICM and of clusters: scaling relations, radial profiles, tests of hydrostatic equilibrium, etc. We report on the status of our program to image clusters in the thermal Sunyaev-Zeldovich effect at 150 GHz using Bolocam and perform such tests. We also describe the upcoming MKIDCam long-wavelength multi-color facility camera for the CSO, which will provide new capabilities in thermal Sunyaev-Zeldovich effect imaging. We comment on the role Tom Phillips and the CSO have played in facilitating the development of mm-wave SZ observations

Millimeter-Wave Lumped Element Superconducting Bandpass Filters for Multi-Color Imaging

The opacity due to water vapor in the Earth's atmosphere obscures portions of the sub-THz spectrum (mm/sub-mm wavelengths) to ground based astronomical observation. For maximum sensitivity, instruments operating at these wavelengths must be designed to have spectral responses that match the available windows in the atmospheric transmission that occur in between the strong water absorption lines. Traditionally, the spectral response of mm/sub-mm instruments has been set using optical, metal-mesh bandpass filters [1]. An alternative method for defining the passbands, available when using superconducting detectors coupled with planar antennas, is to use on-chip, superconducting filters [2]. This paper presents the design and testing of superconducting, lumped element, on-chip bandpass filters (BPFs), placed inline with the microstrip connecting the antenna and the detector, covering the frequency range from 209–416 GHz. Four filters were designed with pass bands 209–274 GHz, 265–315 GHz, 335–361 GHz and 397–416 GHz corresponding to the atmospheric transmission windows. Fourier transform spectroscopy was used to verify that the spectral response of the BPFs is well predicted by the computer simulations. Two-color operation of the pixels was demonstrated by connecting two detectors to a single broadband antenna through two BPFs. Scalability of the design to multiple (four) colors is discussed

A high signal to noise ratio map of the Sunyaev-Zel'dovich increment at 1.1 mm wavelength in Abell 1835

We present an analysis of an 8 arcminute diameter map of the area around the galaxy cluster Abell 1835 from jiggle map observations at a wavelength of 1.1 mm using the Bolometric Camera (Bolocam) mounted on the Caltech Submillimeter Observatory (CSO). The data is well described by a model including an extended Sunyaev-Zel'dovich (SZ) signal from the cluster gas plus emission from two bright background submm galaxies magnified by the gravitational lensing of the cluster. The best-fit values for the central Compton value for the cluster and the fluxes of the two main point sources in the field: SMM J140104+0252, and SMM J14009+0252 are found to be $y_{0}=(4.34\pm0.52\pm0.69)\times10^{-4}$, 6.5$\pm{2.0}\pm0.7$ mJy and 11.3$\pm{1.9}\pm1.1$ mJy, where the first error represents the statistical measurement error and the second error represents the estimated systematic error in the result. This measurement assumes the presence of dust emission from the cluster's central cD galaxy of $1.8\pm0.5$ mJy, based on higher frequency observations of Abell 1835. The cluster image represents one of the highest-significance SZ detections of a cluster in the positive region of the thermal SZ spectrum to date. The inferred central intensity is compared to other SZ measurements of Abell 1835 and this collection of results is used to obtain values for $y_{0} = (3.60\pm0.24)\times10^{-4}$ and the cluster peculiar velocity $v_{z} = -226\pm275$ km/s.Comment: 9 pages, 5 figure

Thermodynamic Profiles of Galaxy Clusters from a Joint X-ray/SZ Analysis

We jointly analyze Bolocam Sunyaev-Zeldovich (SZ) effect and Chandra X-ray data for a set of 45 clusters to derive gas density and temperature profiles without using spectroscopic information. The sample spans the mass and redshift range $3 \times 10^{14} M_{\odot} \le M_{500} \le 25 \times 10^{14} M_{\odot}$ and $0.15\le z \le 0.89$. We define cool-core (CC) and non-cool core (NCC) subsamples based on the central X-ray luminosity, and 17/45 clusters are classified as CC. In general, the profiles derived from our analysis are found to be in good agreement with previous analyses, and profile constraints beyond $r_{500}$ are obtained for 34/45 clusters. In approximately 30% of the CC clusters our analysis shows a central temperature drop with a statistical significance of $>3\sigma$; this modest detection fraction is due mainly to a combination of coarse angular resolution and modest S/N in the SZ data. Most clusters are consistent with an isothermal profile at the largest radii near $r_{500}$, although 9/45 show a significant temperature decrease with increasing radius. The sample mean density profile is in good agreement with previous studies, and shows a minimum intrinsic scatter of approximately 10% near $0.5 \times r_{500}$. The sample mean temperature profile is consistent with isothermal, and has an intrinsic scatter of approximately 50% independent of radius. This scatter is significantly higher compared to earlier X-ray-only studies, which find intrinsic scatters near 10%, likely due to a combination of unaccounted for non-idealities in the SZ noise, projection effects, and sample selection.Comment: 42 pages, 52 figure

A multi-chroic kinetic inductance detectors array using hierarchical phased array antenna

We present a multi-chroic kinetic inductance detector (KID) pixel design integrated with a broadband hierarchical phased-array antenna. Each low-frequency pixel consists of four high-frequency pixels. Four passbands are designed from 125 to 365 GHz according to the atmospheric windows. The lumped element KIDs are designed with 100 nm Al as the inductor and with Nb parallel plate capacitors using hydrogenated amorphous Si as the dielectric. Due to the broadband coverage, two different types of structures are needed to couple light from microstrip lines to the KIDs. The KIDs designs are optimized for a 10-m-class telescope at a high, dry site.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures, submitted to Journal of Low Temperature Physic

A Comparison and Joint Analysis of Sunyaev-Zel'dovich Effect Measurements from Planck and Bolocam for a set of 47 Massive Galaxy Clusters

We measure the SZ signal toward a set of 47 clusters with a median mass of $9.5 \times 10^{14}$ M$_{\odot}$ and a median redshift of 0.40 using data from Planck and the ground-based Bolocam receiver. When Planck XMM-like masses are used to set the scale radius $\theta_{\textrm{s}}$, we find consistency between the integrated SZ signal, $Y_{\textrm{5R500}}$, derived from Bolocam and Planck based on gNFW model fits using A10 shape parameters, with an average ratio of $1.069 \pm 0.030$ (allowing for the $\simeq 5$% Bolocam flux calibration uncertainty). We also perform a joint fit to the Bolocam and Planck data using a modified A10 model with the outer logarithmic slope $\beta$ allowed to vary, finding $\beta = 6.13 \pm 0.16 \pm 0.76$ (measurement error followed by intrinsic scatter). In addition, we find that the value of $\beta$ scales with mass and redshift according to $\beta \propto M^{0.077 \pm 0.026} \times (1+z)^{-0.06 \pm 0.09}$. This mass scaling is in good agreement with recent simulations. We do not observe the strong trend of $\beta$ with redshift seen in simulations, though we conclude that this is most likely due to our sample selection. Finally, we use Bolocam measurements of $Y_{500}$ to test the accuracy of the Planck completeness estimate. We find consistency, with the actual number of Planck detections falling approximately $1 \sigma$ below the expectation from Bolocam. We translate this small difference into a constraint on the the effective mass bias for the Planck cluster cosmology results, with $(1-b) = 0.93 \pm 0.06$.Comment: Updated to include one additional co-author. Also some minor changes to the text based on initial feedbac

The large Atacama submillimeter telescope

Cornell and Caltech are undertaking a two year conceptual design study for a 25-m class sub-mm telescope. The nominal location for this facility will be the high Atacama Desert of Northern Chile. The baseline design is a segmented mirror telescope optimized for operation at wavelengths longer than 200 microns to take advantage of a low precipitable water vapor at the site. We discuss science drivers and their implications for telescope design and technical requirements, and planned technical study areas