Person: Orlando, Abigail
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Publication BICEP2 and Keck array operational overview and status of observations
(SPIE, 2012) Ogburn, R. W.; Ade, P. A. R.; Aikin, R. W.; Amiri, M.; Benton, S. J.; Bischoff, Colin; Bock, J. J.; Bonetti, J. A.; Brevik, J. A.; Bullock, E.; Burger, B.; Davis, G.; Dowell, C. D.; Duband, L.; Filippini, J. P.; Fliescher, S.; Golwala, S. R.; Gordon, M.; Halpern, M.; Hasselfield, M.; Hilton, G.; Hristov, V. V.; Hui, H.; Irwin, K.; Kaufman, J. P.; Keating, B. G.; Kernasovskiy, S. A.; Kovac, John; Kuo, C. L.; Leitch, E. M.; Lueker, M.; Montroy, T.; Netterfield, C. B.; Nguyen, H. T.; O, R.; Orlando, Abigail; Pryke, C; Reintsema, C.; Richter, Sonja Valeska; Ruhl, J. E.; Runyan, M. C.; Schwarz, R.; Sheehy, C. D.; Staniszewski, Z. K.; Sudiwala, R. V.; Teply, G. P.; Thompson, K.; Tolan, J. E.; Turner, A. D.; Vieregg, A. G.; Wiebe, D. V.; Wilson, P.; Wong, C. L.The Bicep2 and Keck Array experiments are designed to measure the polarization of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) on angular scales of 2-4 degrees (ℓ = 50–100). This is the region in which the B-mode signal, a signature prediction of cosmic inflation, is expected to peak. Bicep2 was deployed to the South Pole at the end of 2009 and is in the middle of its third year of observing with 500 polarization-sensitive detectors at 150 GHz. The Keck Array was deployed to the South Pole at the end of 2010, initially with three receivers—each similar to Bicep2. An additional two receivers have been added during the 2011-12 summer. We give an overview of the two experiments, report on substantial gains in the sensitivity of the two experiments after post-deployment optimization, and show preliminary maps of CMB polarization from Bicep2.
Publication Antenna-coupled TES bolometer arrays for BICEP2/Keck and SPIDER
(SPIE, 2010) Orlando, Abigail; Aikin, R. W.; Amiri, M.; Bock, J. J.; Bonetti, J. A.; Brevik, J. A.; Burger, B.; Chattopadthyay, G.; Day, P. K.; Filippini, J. P.; Golwala, S. R.; Halpern, M.; Hasselfield, M.; Hilton, G. C.; Irwin, K. D.; Kenyon, M.; Kovac, John; Kuo, C. L.; Lange, A. E.; LeDuc, H. G.; Llombart, N.; Nguyen, H. T.; Ogburn, R. W.; Reintsema, C. D.; Runyan, M. C.; Staniszewski, Z.; Sudiwala, R.; Teply, G.; Trangsrud, A. R.; Turner, A. D.; Wilson, P.BICEP2/Keck and SPIDER are cosmic microwave background (CMB) polarimeters targeting the B-mode polarization induced by primordial gravitational waves from inflation. They will be using planar arrays of polarization sensitive antenna-coupled TES bolometers, operating at frequencies between 90 GHz and 220 GHz. At 150 GHz each array consists of 64 polarimeters and four of these arrays are assembled together to make a focal plane, for a total of 256 dual-polarization elements (512 TES sensors). The detector arrays are integrated with a time-domain SQUID multiplexer developed at NIST and read out using the multi-channel electronics (MCE) developed at the University of British Columbia. Following our progress in improving detector parameters uniformity across the arrays and fabrication yield, our main effort has focused on improving detector arrays optical and noise performances, in order to produce science grade focal planes achieving target sensitivities. We report on changes in detector design implemented to optimize such performances and following focal plane arrays characterization. BICEP2 has deployed a first 150 GHz science grade focal plane to the South Pole in December 2009.