Polarization Observations with the Cosmic Background Imager

Readhead, A. C. S.; Myers, S. T.; Pearson, T. J.; Sievers, Jonathan; Mason, B. S.; Contaldi, C. R.; Bond, J. R.; Bustos, R.; Altamirano, Pablo; Achermann, C.; Bronfman, L.; Carlstrom, J. E.; Cartwright, J. K.; Casassus, S.; Dickinson, C.; Holzapfel, W. L.; Kovac, J. M.; Leitch, E. M.; May, J.; Padin, S.; Pogosyan, D.; Pospieszalski, M.W.; Pryke, C.; Reeves, R.; Shepherd, M. C.; Torres, S.

doi:10.1126/science.1105598

Cited by 190 publications

(184 citation statements)

References 54 publications

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“…Also the Cosmic Background Imager [8] used the IAU convention. However the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) decided to use the opposite convention (PA increasing clockwise, when looking at the source, see Fig.…”

Section: The Problem Of the Two Opposite Conventionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The conventions for the polarization angle

Alighieri

2016

Exp Astron

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Since more than a century astronomers measure the position angle of the major axis of the polarization ellipse starting from the North direction and increasing counter-clockwise, when looking at the source. This convention has been enforced by the IAU with a Resolution in 1973. Much later the WMAP satellite, which has observed the polarization of the cosmic microwave background, has unfortunately adopted the opposite convention: the polarization position angle is measured starting from the South and increasing clockwise, when looking at the source. This opposite convention has been followed by most cosmic microwave background polarization experiments and is causing obvious problems and misunderstandings. The attempts and prospects to enforce the official IAU convention are described.

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Section: The Problem Of the Two Opposite Conventionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The conventions for the polarization angle

Alighieri

2016

Exp Astron

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“…It has already led to spectacular results concerning the cosmological model (Kovac et al 2002;Readhead et al 2004;Nolta et al 2009;Ade et al 2008) describing our Universe. Even more challenging is the detection of the so-called B-modes in the CMB polarization, associated with pure tensor modes originating from primordial gravitational waves enhanced by inflation.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

An efficient phase-shifting scheme for bolometric additive interferometry

Charlassier¹,

Hamilton²,

Bréelle³

et al. 2009

A&A

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Context. Most upcoming CMB polarization experiments will use direct imaging to search for primordial gravitational waves through the B-modes. Bolometric interferometry is an appealing alternative to direct imaging that combines the advantages of interferometry in terms of systematic effects handling and those of bolometric detectors in terms of sensitivity. Aims. We calculate the signal from a bolometric interferometer in order to investigate its sensitivity to the Stokes parameters paying particular attention to the choice of the phase shifting scheme applied to the input channels in order to modulate the signal. Methods. The signal is expressed as a linear combination of the Stokes parameter visibilities whose coefficients are functions of the phase shifts. Results. We show that the signal to noise ratio on the reconstructed visibilities can be maximized provided the fact that the phase shifting scheme is chosen in a particular way called "coherent summation of equivalent baselines". As a result, a bolometric interferometer is competitive with an imager having the same number of horns, but only if the coherent summation of equivalent baselines is performed. We confirm our calculations using a Monte-Carlo simulation. We also discuss the impact of the uncertainties on the relative calibration between bolometers and propose a way to avoid this systematic effect.

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“…1 The total energy absorbed will eventually be dissipated as heat, corresponding to an 1 Entropy is an average property of a system and hence it is sufficient to consider the average number of photons absorbed n i0 , as opposed to a particular realization of the observation process in which n i photons are absorbed.…”

Section: Efficiency Of Observationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Applications vary from astronomy, microscopy, remote sensing, and biomedical diagnosis [1][2][3] to more fundamental crystallographic, material, and singlemolecule studies [4,5]. Polarization can also be utilized in quantum cryptography and communication [6].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Information and resolution in electromagnetic optical systems

Foreman

Török

2010

Phys. Rev. A

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Quantitative analysis can play a vital role in a number of polarization-based optical systems, yet to date no definition regarding resolution in the polarization domain exists. By adopting a stochastic framework, a suitable metric is developed in this article, allowing a number of polarimetric systems to be assessed and compared. In so doing, the performance dependencies of polarization-based systems are demonstrated and fundamental trends are identified.

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Polarization Observations with the Cosmic Background Imager

Cited by 190 publications

References 54 publications

The conventions for the polarization angle

The conventions for the polarization angle

An efficient phase-shifting scheme for bolometric additive interferometry

Information and resolution in electromagnetic optical systems

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