POLOCALC: A Novel Method to Measure the Absolute Polarization Orientation of the Cosmic Microwave Background

Journal of Astronomical Instrumentation

K. KUEHN¹  R. HUPE² 

[1] Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, IL 60439, USA;Department of Physics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA

关键词: Cosmic microwave background;    polarization;    systematics;    B-modes;    high-altitude balloons;   

DOI  :  10.1142/S2251171717400086

学科分类：天文学(综合)

来源: World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd.

【 摘 要 】

We describe a novel method to measure the absolute orientation of the polarization plane of the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) photons with arcsecond accuracy, enabling unprecedented measurements for cosmology and fundamental physics. Existing and planned CMB polarization instruments looking for primordial B-mode signals need an independent, experimental method for systematics control on the absolute polarization orientation. The lack of such a method limits the accuracy of the detection of inflationary gravitational waves, the constraining power on the neutrino sector through measurements of gravitational lensing of the CMB, the possibility of detecting Cosmic Birefringence (CB), and the ability to measure primordial magnetic fields. Sky signals used for calibration and direct measurements of the detector orientation cannot provide an accuracy better than 1∘. Self-calibration methods provide better accuracy, but may be affected by foreground signals and rely heavily on model assumptions, losing constr...

【 授权许可】

Unknown