POLARBEAR: Ultra-high Energy Physics with Measurements of Cosmic Microwave Background Polarization

POLARBEAR：超高能物理与宇宙微波背景偏振的测量

• 批准号: 0618398
• 负责人: Adrian Lee
• 金额: $ 623.29万
• 依托单位: University of California-Berkeley
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2007
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2007-09-01 至 2012-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0618398&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: POLARBEAR; Ultra; Energy; Physics; Measurements

AST 0618398LeeObservations of Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) polarization are a powerful probe of cosmology and will eventually probe the standard model of physics at ultrahigh energy. With this award, Dr. Adrian Lee, University of California at Berkeley, will lead a new project called POLARBEAR (POLARization of the Background Radiation) which will use a dedicated telescope equipped with a powerful 1,200-bolometer array receiver to produce maps of CMB polarization with unprecedented accuracy. The most exciting possibility is that POLARBEAR will detect the signature of gravitational waves from the end of the inflationary period, 10-38 seconds after the Big Bang. If detected, these signals will provide an independent verification of the inflationary paradigm and test specific models for inflation. Another important scientific motivation is to characterize the gravitational lensing of the CMBpolarization. An accurate lensing measurement will yield constraints on Dark Energy. POLARBEAR can verify, or rule out, models with a strongly time-dependent Dark Energy equation of state w. In fact, POLARBEAR can provide information on w", the time derivative of w, which is comparable and complementary to that from a space-based supernovae search. The lensing signal is also sensitive to neutrino masses because massive neutrinos act as "hot" dark matter changing the formation of the lensing large scale structure. POLARBEAR introduces unprecedented levels of instrumental sensitivity and control of systematicerrors. The high sensitivity is achieved with an array of planar-antenna-coupled Transition-EdgeSensor (TES) bolometers operated at 250 mK. Dr. Lee and his colleagues have built and conducted tests of prototypes of these arrays. POLARBEAR's final configuration will include 1,200 bolometers distributed among three frequency bands at 90, 150, and 220 GHz.Members of the collaboration have played key roles on many of the best CMB experiments todate. They are also playing a key role in bringing the next generation of large TES focal planeinstruments. These experiments will be reaching maturity as POLARBEAR starts, and the collaboration members will be focused on building POLARBEAR. There will be significant international funding contributions from Canada on the readout electronics, from the UK on optical filters, and from France and the UK on data analysis. POLARBEAR is the most ambitious CMB polarization experiment to date, and it will explore theultimate limit of ground-based CMB polarimetry. POLARBEAR's unique combination of high sensitivity and stringent control of systematic errors will result in a search for inflationary gravitational waves over most of the experimentally accessible range.POLARBEAR will explore new technologies and methods that will carry forward to future CMB experiments such as NASA's CMBPOL mission. At UCSD, the team will connect POLARBEAR with the 'TRITONCAM' project that uses a radio telescope and polarimeter to teach physics to San Diego high school students.

AST 0618398 Lee宇宙微波背景（CMB）偏振的观测是宇宙学的一个强有力的探测，并最终将探测到高能物理学的标准模型。 凭借这一奖项，加州大学伯克利分校的Adrian Lee博士将领导一个名为POLARBEAR（背景辐射的偏振化）的新项目，该项目将使用配备有强大的1,200测辐射热计阵列接收器的专用望远镜，以前所未有的精度绘制CMB偏振图。 最令人兴奋的可能性是，北极熊将探测到宇宙大爆炸后10-38秒的暴胀期结束时的引力波信号。如果被检测到，这些信号将提供对通货膨胀范式的独立验证，并测试特定的通货膨胀模型。 另一个重要的科学动机是描述CMB偏振的引力透镜。精确的透镜测量将对暗能量产生限制。 POLARBEAR可以验证或排除具有强烈时间依赖性暗能量状态方程w的模型。 事实上，北极熊可以提供关于w”的信息，即w的时间导数，这与天基超新星搜索的信息是可比和互补的。 透镜信号对中微子质量也很敏感，因为大质量的中微子作为“热”暗物质改变了透镜大尺度结构的形成。 POLARBEAR引入了前所未有的仪器灵敏度和系统误差控制水平。高灵敏度是实现与平面天线耦合的Transition-EdgeSensor（TES）测辐射热计在250 mK下工作的阵列。 李博士和他的同事们已经建造并测试了这些阵列的原型。POLARBEAR的最终配置将包括分布在90、150和220 GHz三个频段的1,200个测辐射热计。它们也在带来下一代大型TES焦平面仪器方面发挥着关键作用。随着北极熊的启动，这些实验将逐渐成熟，合作成员将专注于构建北极熊。 加拿大将为读出电子设备提供大量国际资金，英国将为光学滤波器提供大量国际资金，法国和英国将为数据分析提供大量国际资金。POLARBEAR是迄今为止最雄心勃勃的CMB偏振实验，它将探索地基CMB偏振测量的极限。 POLARBEAR的高灵敏度和严格的系统误差控制的独特组合将导致在实验可达范围内的大部分暴胀引力波的搜索。POLARBEAR将探索新的技术和方法，将继续进行未来的CMB实验，如美国宇航局的CMBPOL使命。 在UCSD，该团队将把POLARBEAR与“TRITONCAM”项目连接起来，该项目使用射电望远镜和偏振计向圣地亚哥高中生教授物理。