Precision Mapping of the Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation

宇宙微波背景辐射的精确测绘

• 批准号: 9619374
• 负责人: Stephan Meyer
• 金额: $ 20万
• 依托单位: University of Chicago
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 1997
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 1997-07-01 至 2001-06-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=9619374&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Precision; Mapping; Cosmic; Microwave; Background

Abstract 9619374 Meyer The TopHat long-duration balloon experiment is designed to measure the spatial variations in the cosmic microwave background radiation (CMBR). It utilizes a novel configuration of the balloon payload, with the telescope itself being mounted on the top of the balloon in order to eliminate many of the sources of systematic errors caused by the balloon's structures and the Earth being in the sidelobes of the telescope antenna, while the electronics and control equipment will be suspended below the balloon in the usual fashion. The resulting map of the cosmos in five spectral bands with wavelengths between 0.45 and 2.3 mm, will provide unprecedented detail in the CMBR anisotropy over a large (1800 square degree) patch of the sky. The variations in the CMBR carry the imprint of the distribution of matter in the early universe, approximately 300,000 years after the big bang. The nature of the anisotropy can be used to sensitively test various models of the nature of the universe, both early-on and now; hence, TopHat will contribute to the resolution of such questions as whether the universe is open or closed and what is the nature of the missing (dark) mass in the universe. This experiment will be flown from McMurdo, Antarctica. The project is jointly sponsored by the Danish Space Research Institute, NASA and NSF. ***

摘要：TopHat长时间气球实验旨在测量宇宙微波背景辐射（CMBR）的空间变化。它采用了一种新颖的气球有效载荷配置，望远镜本身被安装在气球的顶部，以消除许多系统误差的来源，这些误差是由气球的结构和地球在望远镜天线的副瓣引起的，而电子和控制设备将以通常的方式悬挂在气球下方。在波长在0.45到2.3毫米之间的五个光谱波段中绘制的宇宙图，将提供前所未有的CMBR各向异性的细节，这些各向异性覆盖了大片（1800平方度）的天空。宇宙微波背景辐射的变化带有早期宇宙中物质分布的印记，大约在大爆炸后30万年。各向异性的性质可以用来灵敏地测试宇宙性质的各种模型，无论是早期还是现在；因此，TopHat将有助于解决诸如宇宙是开放的还是封闭的以及宇宙中缺失（暗）质量的性质等问题。这个实验将从南极洲的麦克默多起飞。该项目由丹麦空间研究所、美国国家航空航天局和美国国家科学基金会共同赞助。＊＊＊