An Arcminute-Scale Search for Polarization of the Cosmic Microwave Background

兰格博士正在使用一种名为Polatron的新仪器来观察宇宙微波背景辐射（CMB）的部分偏振。 这种极化是理论预测的，但还没有观测到。宇宙微波背景辐射被认为是宇宙的印记，只有300万年。 在那个时代，辐射和物质彼此分离，宇宙变得对辐射透明，物质结构发展。 如果我们理解CMB温度各向异性起源的基本理论框架是正确的，那么存在一个偏振场，该偏振场在幅度和方向上与温度各向异性场精确相关。 该极化场的精确测量原则上提供了对初始条件的直接探测，从该初始条件形成结构作为温度各向异性的精确测量。 Polatron是一种测热接收器，将在100 GHz测量CMB偏振。 该仪器用于欧文斯谷射电天文台的5.5米望远镜。 ***

Dr. Lange is using a new instrument called Polatron to observe partial polarization of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) radiation. Such polarization is predicted by theory but not yet observed.The CMB is presumed to represent the imprint of the Universe that is only 3000,000 years old. At that age, radiation and matter decoupled from each other, the Universe became transparent to radiation, material structure developed. If the basic theoretical framework in which we understand the origins of CMB temperature anisotropies is correct, there exists a polarization field that is precisely correlated in amplitude and direction with the temperature anisotropy field. An accurate measurement of this polarization field provides, in principle, as direct a probe of the initial conditions from which structure formed as an accurate measurement of the temperature anisotropy. The Polatron is a bolometric receiver that will measure CMB polarization at 100 GHz.. The instrument is used at the 5.5 m telescope at the Owens Valley radio Observatory. ***