Center for Astrophysical Research in Antarctica
CARA Science: ACBAR
Summary
ACBAR, the Arcminute Cosmology Bolometer Array Receiver, is
a 16 element, 300 mK bolometer array designed specifically
for observations of CMB anisotropy and the
SZE. It will operate in atmospheric windows spanning millimeter to
submillimeter
wavelengths; extending the spectral range over which observations of
CMB anisotropies are made is necessary to separate CMB
signals from foreground contamination. Multifrequency observations
will make it possible to measure CMB anisotropies to l about 3000,
determine galaxy
cluster peculiar velocities via the kinetic SZE, and perform
sensitive searches for
distant galaxy clusters. To improve foreground removal, the beam sizes are
matched at 4' for all four bands. Because of its stable atmosphere and
extremely low water vapor, the South Pole is the best known terrestrial site
from which to carry out this program of observations.
ACBAR is scheduled to be deployed on the Viper telescope and begin
observations in December, 2000. The bolometers,
filters, feed structures, cryostat, refrigerator read-out electronics,
data aquisition system, tertiary mirror, cryostat mount and cabling
are either complete or being fabricated (see
Figures 4 and
5).
CARA's final year will be the first for ACBAR observing; we
plan to acquire several months of integration during that
austral winter, leading to our first results on the science goals
mentioned above.
Results
Since the telescope has not yet seen first light, there are no
scientific results available.
Pictures
See
Figures 4 and
5.
For more information
This group does not yet have a website.
ACBAR is based in California at Univ Calif/Berkeley, Univ Calif/Santa
Barbara, and CalTech.
For more information, contact Bill Holzapfel,
swlh@cfpa.Berkeley.edu, or
John Ruhl, ruhl@physics.ucsb.edu.
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CARA's research and education programs are supported in
part by the National Science Foundation under a cooperative
agreement, grant number NSF OPP 89-20223.
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Last modified Thursday, 28-Oct-1999 09:14:52 CDT
http://astro.uchicago.edu/cara/research/cmbr/acbar.html