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

宇宙微波背景（CMB）极化观测是一项强大的宇宙学探测，最终将探测超高能量下的物理标准模型。有了这个奖项，加州大学伯克利分校的Adrian Lee博士将领导一个名为POLARBEAR（背景辐射偏振）的新项目，该项目将使用一台配备强大的1200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，POLARBEAR将探测到宇宙大爆炸后10-38秒，暴胀期末期的引力波信号。如果检测到，这些信号将为暴胀范式提供独立的验证，并测试暴胀的特定模型。另一个重要的科学动机是描述宇宙微波背景偏振的引力透镜效应。精确的透镜测量将产生对暗能量的限制。POLARBEAR可以验证或排除具有强烈时间依赖性的暗能量状态方程w的模型。事实上，POLARBEAR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相比较和互补。透镜信号对中微子质量也很敏感，因为大质量中微子充当“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。高灵敏度是通过一组平面天线耦合过渡边缘传感器（TES）辐射热计来实现的，工作在250 mK。李博士和他的同事们已经建立并进行了这些阵列的原型测试。POLARBEAR的最终配置将包括1200个辐射热计，分布在90ghz、150 GHz和220 GHz三个频段。该合作的成员在许多迄今为止最好的CMB实验中发挥了关键作用。他们在引进下一代大型TES焦平面仪器方面也发挥着关键作用。随着POLARBEAR的启动，这些实验将趋于成熟，合作成员将专注于构建POLARBEAR。加拿大在读出电子器件方面，英国在光学滤光片方面，法国和英国在数据分析方面将提供重要的国际资助。POLARBEAR是迄今为止最雄心勃勃的CMB偏振实验，它将探索地面CMB偏振测量的最终极限。POLARBEAR独特的高灵敏度和严格控制系统误差的组合将导致在大多数实验可达范围内搜索暴胀引力波。北极星熊将探索新的技术和方法，将推进未来的CMB实验，如美国宇航局的CMB pol任务。在加州大学圣地亚哥分校，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的高中生教授物理。

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.