Probing the Universe

在规划的宏伟时期，我课题组将开发和使用气球载仪器，研究各种天文研究课题。在长达数周的飞行中，从超过35公里的高度飞行，有效载荷高达4吨，平流层气球平台允许以低得多的成本进入类似太空的环境，适合研究生和博士后研究仪器和分析项目。蜘蛛是毫米波偏振仪，于2015年首次飞行。Spider的科学目标是测量或限制原始引力波，并确定标量与张量模比r。第一次飞行的数据分析和公布以及第二次飞行的增强能力计划在本赠款期间进行。SuperBIT是一个0.5米的可见光/近紫外光学成像望远镜，它将在0.4度的视场上拍摄衍射有限的图像。“超级比特”将在南半球的一个超压气球平台上飞行，飞行时间长达三个月。SuperBIT将利用强引力透镜和弱引力透镜，在一次100个夜晚的飞行中，绘制出从宇宙网到150个星系团核心的暗物质分布。除了具有令人兴奋的科学潜力外，SuperBIT还是下一代1.4米级气球天文台技术开发的试验台，该天文台将提供波长低至300纳米的0.1英寸成像，速度比HST快一个数量级。我们将在拟议的拨款期内开发该仪器，并于2021年首次启用。我们还将使用我们团队开发的技术来支持其他令人兴奋的机遇任务。BFORE是一种毫米波偏振计，被提出用于测量宇宙微波背景和星际尘埃的大尺度偏振，以确定再电离的光学深度，并测量可能限制下一代宇宙微波背景偏振实验最终灵敏度的尘埃前景。

In the proposed grand period, my research group will develop and use balloon-borne instruments to study a variety of astronomical research topics. Flying from an altitude of over 35 km on flights up many weeks long, with payloads up to four tons, the stratospheric balloon platform permits access to a space like environment at a far lower cost suitable for Graduate student and postdoc research instrumentation and analysis projects.Spider is mm-wave polarimeter which made its first flight in 2015. Spider's science goals are to measure or place limits on primordial gravitational waves, and determine r, the scalar to tensor mode ratio. The analysis and publication of data from the first flight, as well as a second flight with enhanced capabilities are scheduled for this grant period.SuperBIT is a 0.5m visible/near-UV optical imaging telescope which will take diffraction-limited images over a 0.4 degree field of view. SuperBIT will fly from a Super-pressure balloon platform over the southern hemisphere, with flight lengths up to three months. SuperBIT will use strong and weak gravitational lensing to map out the distributionof dark matter from the cosmic web down into the cores of 150 galaxy clusters in a single 100 night flight.As well as having exciting scientific potential, SuperBIT is a test-bed for the development of technologies for a next-generation 1.4 m class balloon-born observatory which will provide 0.1" imaging at wavelengths down to 300nm, at speeds more than an order of magnitude faster than HST. We will develop this instrument during the proposed grant period, with first light in 2021.We will also use the technologies our group has developed in support of other exciting missions of opportunity. BFORE is a mm-wave polarimeter which has been proposed to measure large scale polarisation of the Cosmic Microwave Background and interstellar dust to determine the optical depth to reionization, and to measure the dust foregrounds which may limit the ultimate sensitivity of next-generation Cosmic Microwave Background polarisation experiments.