BICEP2. II. Experiment and three-year data set

P. A R Ade; R. W. Aikin; M. Amiri; D. Barkats; S. J. Benton; C. A. Bischoff; J. J. Bock; J. A. Brevik; I. Buder; E. Bullock; G. Davis; P. K. Day; C. D. Dowell; L. Duband; J. P. Filippini; S. Fliescher; S. R. Golwala; M. Halpern; M. Hasselfield; S. R. Hildebrandt; G. C. Hilton; K. D. Irwin; K. S. Karkare; J. P. Kaufman; B. G. Keating; S. A. Kernasovskiy; J. M. Kovac; C. L. Kuo; E. M. Leitch; N. Llombart; M. Lueker; C. B. Netterfield; H. T. Nguyen; R. O'Brient; R. W. Ogburn IV; A. Orlando; C. Pryke; C. D. Reintsema; S. Richter; R. Schwarz; C. D. Sheehy; Z. K. Staniszewski; K. T. Story; R. V. Sudiwala; G. P. Teply; J. E. Tolan; A. D. Turner; A. G. Vieregg; P. Wilson; C. L. Wong; K. W. Yoon

doi:10.1088/0004-637X/792/1/62

BICEP2. II. Experiment and three-year data set

P. A R Ade, R. W. Aikin, M. Amiri, D. Barkats, S. J. Benton, C. A. Bischoff, J. J. Bock, J. A. Brevik, I. Buder, E. Bullock, G. Davis, P. K. Day, C. D. Dowell, L. Duband, J. P. Filippini, S. Fliescher, S. R. Golwala, M. Halpern, M. Hasselfield, S. R. HildebrandtG. C. Hilton, K. D. Irwin, K. S. Karkare, J. P. Kaufman, B. G. Keating, S. A. Kernasovskiy, J. M. Kovac, C. L. Kuo, E. M. Leitch, N. Llombart, M. Lueker, C. B. Netterfield, H. T. Nguyen, R. O'Brient, R. W. Ogburn IV, A. Orlando, C. Pryke, C. D. Reintsema, S. Richter, R. Schwarz, C. D. Sheehy, Z. K. Staniszewski, K. T. Story, R. V. Sudiwala, G. P. Teply, J. E. Tolan, A. D. Turner, A. G. Vieregg, P. Wilson, C. L. Wong, K. W. Yoon

Physics and Astronomy (Twin Cities)

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Abstract

We report on the design and performance of the BICEP2 instrument and on its three-year data set. BICEP2 was designed to measure the polarization of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) on angular scales of 1°-5°(ℓ = 40-200), near the expected peak of the B-mode polarization signature of primordial gravitational waves from cosmic inflation. Measuring B-modes requires dramatic improvements in sensitivity combined with exquisite control of systematics. The BICEP2 telescope observed from the South Pole with a 26 cm aperture and cold, on-axis, refractive optics. BICEP2 also adopted a new detector design in which beam-defining slot antenna arrays couple to transition-edge sensor (TES) bolometers, all fabricated on a common substrate. The antenna-coupled TES detectors supported scalable fabrication and multiplexed readout that allowed BICEP2 to achieve a high detector count of 500 bolometers at 150 GHz, giving unprecedented sensitivity to B-modes at degree angular scales. After optimization of detector and readout parameters, BICEP2 achieved an instrument noise-equivalent temperature of . The full data set reached Stokes Q and U map depths of 87.2 nK in square-degree pixels (5.′2 μK) over an effective area of 384 deg² within a 1000 deg² field. These are the deepest CMB polarization maps at degree angular scales to date. The power spectrum analysis presented in a companion paper has resulted in a significant detection of B-mode polarization at degree scales.

Original language	English (US)
Article number	62
Journal	Astrophysical Journal
Volume	792
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/792/1/62
State	Published - Sep 1 2014

Keywords

cosmic background radiation cosmology
observations gravitational waves inflation instrumentation
polarimeters telescopes

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Ade, P. A. R., Aikin, R. W., Amiri, M., Barkats, D., Benton, S. J., Bischoff, C. A., Bock, J. J., Brevik, J. A., Buder, I., Bullock, E., Davis, G., Day, P. K., Dowell, C. D., Duband, L., Filippini, J. P., Fliescher, S., Golwala, S. R., Halpern, M., Hasselfield, M., ... Yoon, K. W. (2014). BICEP2. II. Experiment and three-year data set. Astrophysical Journal, 792(1), Article 62. https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/792/1/62

Ade, PAR, Aikin, RW, Amiri, M, Barkats, D, Benton, SJ, Bischoff, CA, Bock, JJ, Brevik, JA, Buder, I, Bullock, E, Davis, G, Day, PK, Dowell, CD, Duband, L, Filippini, JP, Fliescher, S, Golwala, SR, Halpern, M, Hasselfield, M, Hildebrandt, SR, Hilton, GC, Irwin, KD, Karkare, KS, Kaufman, JP, Keating, BG, Kernasovskiy, SA, Kovac, JM, Kuo, CL, Leitch, EM, Llombart, N, Lueker, M, Netterfield, CB, Nguyen, HT, O'Brient, R, Ogburn IV, RW, Orlando, A, Pryke, C, Reintsema, CD, Richter, S, Schwarz, R, Sheehy, CD, Staniszewski, ZK, Story, KT, Sudiwala, RV, Teply, GP, Tolan, JE, Turner, AD, Vieregg, AG, Wilson, P, Wong, CL & Yoon, KW 2014, 'BICEP2. II. Experiment and three-year data set', Astrophysical Journal, vol. 792, no. 1, 62. https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/792/1/62

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abstract = "We report on the design and performance of the BICEP2 instrument and on its three-year data set. BICEP2 was designed to measure the polarization of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) on angular scales of 1°-5°(ℓ = 40-200), near the expected peak of the B-mode polarization signature of primordial gravitational waves from cosmic inflation. Measuring B-modes requires dramatic improvements in sensitivity combined with exquisite control of systematics. The BICEP2 telescope observed from the South Pole with a 26 cm aperture and cold, on-axis, refractive optics. BICEP2 also adopted a new detector design in which beam-defining slot antenna arrays couple to transition-edge sensor (TES) bolometers, all fabricated on a common substrate. The antenna-coupled TES detectors supported scalable fabrication and multiplexed readout that allowed BICEP2 to achieve a high detector count of 500 bolometers at 150 GHz, giving unprecedented sensitivity to B-modes at degree angular scales. After optimization of detector and readout parameters, BICEP2 achieved an instrument noise-equivalent temperature of . The full data set reached Stokes Q and U map depths of 87.2 nK in square-degree pixels (5.′2 μK) over an effective area of 384 deg2 within a 1000 deg2 field. These are the deepest CMB polarization maps at degree angular scales to date. The power spectrum analysis presented in a companion paper has resulted in a significant detection of B-mode polarization at degree scales.",

keywords = "cosmic background radiation cosmology, observations gravitational waves inflation instrumentation, polarimeters telescopes",

author = "Ade, {P. A R} and Aikin, {R. W.} and M. Amiri and D. Barkats and Benton, {S. J.} and Bischoff, {C. A.} and Bock, {J. J.} and Brevik, {J. A.} and I. Buder and E. Bullock and G. Davis and Day, {P. K.} and Dowell, {C. D.} and L. Duband and Filippini, {J. P.} and S. Fliescher and Golwala, {S. R.} and M. Halpern and M. Hasselfield and Hildebrandt, {S. R.} and Hilton, {G. C.} and Irwin, {K. D.} and Karkare, {K. S.} and Kaufman, {J. P.} and Keating, {B. G.} and Kernasovskiy, {S. A.} and Kovac, {J. M.} and Kuo, {C. L.} and Leitch, {E. M.} and N. Llombart and M. Lueker and Netterfield, {C. B.} and Nguyen, {H. T.} and R. O'Brient and {Ogburn IV}, {R. W.} and A. Orlando and C. Pryke and Reintsema, {C. D.} and S. Richter and R. Schwarz and Sheehy, {C. D.} and Staniszewski, {Z. K.} and Story, {K. T.} and Sudiwala, {R. V.} and Teply, {G. P.} and Tolan, {J. E.} and Turner, {A. D.} and Vieregg, {A. G.} and P. Wilson and Wong, {C. L.} and Yoon, {K. W.}",

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T1 - BICEP2. II. Experiment and three-year data set

AU - Ade, P. A R

AU - Aikin, R. W.

AU - Amiri, M.

AU - Barkats, D.

AU - Benton, S. J.

AU - Bischoff, C. A.

AU - Bock, J. J.

AU - Brevik, J. A.

AU - Buder, I.

AU - Bullock, E.

AU - Davis, G.

AU - Day, P. K.

AU - Dowell, C. D.

AU - Duband, L.

AU - Filippini, J. P.

AU - Fliescher, S.

AU - Golwala, S. R.

AU - Halpern, M.

AU - Hasselfield, M.

AU - Hildebrandt, S. R.

AU - Hilton, G. C.

AU - Irwin, K. D.

AU - Karkare, K. S.

AU - Kaufman, J. P.

AU - Keating, B. G.

AU - Kernasovskiy, S. A.

AU - Kovac, J. M.

AU - Kuo, C. L.

AU - Leitch, E. M.

AU - Llombart, N.

AU - Lueker, M.

AU - Netterfield, C. B.

AU - Nguyen, H. T.

AU - O'Brient, R.

AU - Ogburn IV, R. W.

AU - Orlando, A.

AU - Pryke, C.

AU - Reintsema, C. D.

AU - Richter, S.

AU - Schwarz, R.

AU - Sheehy, C. D.

AU - Staniszewski, Z. K.

AU - Story, K. T.

AU - Sudiwala, R. V.

AU - Teply, G. P.

AU - Tolan, J. E.

AU - Turner, A. D.

AU - Vieregg, A. G.

AU - Wilson, P.

AU - Wong, C. L.

AU - Yoon, K. W.

PY - 2014/9/1

Y1 - 2014/9/1

N2 - We report on the design and performance of the BICEP2 instrument and on its three-year data set. BICEP2 was designed to measure the polarization of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) on angular scales of 1°-5°(ℓ = 40-200), near the expected peak of the B-mode polarization signature of primordial gravitational waves from cosmic inflation. Measuring B-modes requires dramatic improvements in sensitivity combined with exquisite control of systematics. The BICEP2 telescope observed from the South Pole with a 26 cm aperture and cold, on-axis, refractive optics. BICEP2 also adopted a new detector design in which beam-defining slot antenna arrays couple to transition-edge sensor (TES) bolometers, all fabricated on a common substrate. The antenna-coupled TES detectors supported scalable fabrication and multiplexed readout that allowed BICEP2 to achieve a high detector count of 500 bolometers at 150 GHz, giving unprecedented sensitivity to B-modes at degree angular scales. After optimization of detector and readout parameters, BICEP2 achieved an instrument noise-equivalent temperature of . The full data set reached Stokes Q and U map depths of 87.2 nK in square-degree pixels (5.′2 μK) over an effective area of 384 deg2 within a 1000 deg2 field. These are the deepest CMB polarization maps at degree angular scales to date. The power spectrum analysis presented in a companion paper has resulted in a significant detection of B-mode polarization at degree scales.

AB - We report on the design and performance of the BICEP2 instrument and on its three-year data set. BICEP2 was designed to measure the polarization of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) on angular scales of 1°-5°(ℓ = 40-200), near the expected peak of the B-mode polarization signature of primordial gravitational waves from cosmic inflation. Measuring B-modes requires dramatic improvements in sensitivity combined with exquisite control of systematics. The BICEP2 telescope observed from the South Pole with a 26 cm aperture and cold, on-axis, refractive optics. BICEP2 also adopted a new detector design in which beam-defining slot antenna arrays couple to transition-edge sensor (TES) bolometers, all fabricated on a common substrate. The antenna-coupled TES detectors supported scalable fabrication and multiplexed readout that allowed BICEP2 to achieve a high detector count of 500 bolometers at 150 GHz, giving unprecedented sensitivity to B-modes at degree angular scales. After optimization of detector and readout parameters, BICEP2 achieved an instrument noise-equivalent temperature of . The full data set reached Stokes Q and U map depths of 87.2 nK in square-degree pixels (5.′2 μK) over an effective area of 384 deg2 within a 1000 deg2 field. These are the deepest CMB polarization maps at degree angular scales to date. The power spectrum analysis presented in a companion paper has resulted in a significant detection of B-mode polarization at degree scales.

KW - cosmic background radiation cosmology

KW - observations gravitational waves inflation instrumentation

KW - polarimeters telescopes

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UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84906256781&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1088/0004-637X/792/1/62

DO - 10.1088/0004-637X/792/1/62

M3 - Article

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SN - 0004-637X

VL - 792

JO - Astrophysical Journal

JF - Astrophysical Journal

IS - 1

M1 - 62

ER -

BICEP2. II. Experiment and three-year data set

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