Showing papers by "G. Polenta published in 2010"

Planck Pre-Launch Status: The Planck Mission

Abstract: The European Space Agency's Planck satellite, launched on 14 May 2009, is the third-generation space experiment in the field of cosmic microwave background (CMB) research. It will image the anisotropies of the CMB over the whole sky, with unprecedented sensitivity ( ~ 2 × 10-6) and angular resolution (~5 arcmin). Planck will provide a major source of information relevant to many fundamental cosmological problems and will test current theories of the early evolution of the Universe and the origin of structure. It will also address a wide range of areas of astrophysical research related to the Milky Way as well as external galaxies and clusters of galaxies. The ability of Planck to measure polarization across a wide frequency range (30-350 GHz), with high precision and accuracy, and over the whole sky, will provide unique insight, not only into specific cosmological questions, but also into the properties of the interstellar medium. This paper is part of a series which describes the technical capabilities of the Planck scientific payload. It is based on the knowledge gathered during the on-ground calibration campaigns of the major subsystems, principally its telescope and its two scientific instruments, and of tests at fully integrated satellite level. It represents the best estimate before launch of the technical performance that the satellite and its payload will achieve in flight. In this paper, we summarise the main elements of the payload performance, which is described in detail in the accompanying papers. In addition, we describe the satellite performance elements which are most relevant for science, and provide an overview of the plans for scientific operations and data analysis.

On the effect of cosmic rays in bolometric CMB measurements from the stratosphere

Abstract: Context. Precision measurements of the anisotropy of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) are able to detect low-level nonGaussian features caused by either topological defects or t he inflation process. These measurements are becoming feasa ble with the development of large arrays of ultra-sensitive bolometric detectors and their use in balloon-borne or satellite missi ons. However, the space environment includes a population of cosmic rays (CRs), which produce spurious spikes in bolometric signals. Aims. We analyze the effect of CRs on the measurement of CMB anisotropy maps and the estimate of cosmological non-Gaussianity and angular power spectra of the CMB. Methods. Using accurate simulations of noise and CR events in bolometric detectors, and de-spiking techniques, we produce simulated measured maps and analyze the Gaussianity and power spectrum of the maps for different levels and rates of CR events. Results. We find that a de-spiking technique based on outlier removal i n the detector signals contributing to the same sky pixel is effective in removing CR events larger than the noise. However, low level events hidden in the noise produce a positive shift of the average power signal measured by a bolometer, and increase its variance. If the number of hits per pixel is large enough, t he data distribution for each sky pixel is approximately Gaussian, but the skewness and the kurtosis of the temperatures of the pixels indicate the presence of some low-level non-Gaussianity. The standard noise estimation pipeline produces a positive bias in the power spectrum at high multipoles. Conclusions. In the case of a typical balloon-borne survey, the CR-induced non-Gaussianity will be marginally detectable in the membrane bolometer channels, but be negligible in the spider-web bolometer channels. In experiments with detector sensitivity better than 100� K= p Hz, in an environment less favorable than the earth stratosphere, the CR-induced non-Gaussianity is likely to significant ly

On the effect of cosmic rays in bolometric cosmic microwave background measurements from the stratosphere

Abstract: Context. Precision measurements of the anisotropy of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) are able to detect low-level non-Gaussian features caused by either topological defects or the inflation process. These measurements are becoming feasable with the development of large arrays of ultra-sensitive bolometric detectors and their use in balloon-borne or satellite missions. However, the space environment includes a population of cosmic rays (CRs), which produce spurious spikes in bolometric signals. Aims. We analyze the effect of CRs on the measurement of CMB anisotropy maps and the estimate of cosmological non-Gaussianity and angular power spectra of the CMB. Methods. Using accurate simulations of noise and CR events in bolometric detectors, and de-spiking techniques, we produce simulated measured maps and analyze the Gaussianity and power spectrum of the maps for different levels and rates of CR events. Results. We find that a de-spiking technique based on outlier removal in the detector signals contributing to the same sky pixel is effective in removing CR events larger than the noise. However, low level events hidden in the noise produce a positive shift of the average power signal measured by a bolometer, and increase its variance. If the number of hits per pixel is large enough, the data distribution for each sky pixel is approximately Gaussian, but the skewness and the kurtosis of the temperatures of the pixels indicate the presence of some low-level non-Gaussianity. The standard noise estimation pipeline produces a positive bias in the power spectrum at high multipoles. Conclusions. In the case of a typical balloon-borne survey, the CR-induced non-Gaussianity will be marginally detectable in the membrane bolometer channels, but be negligible in the spider-web bolometer channels. In experiments with detector sensitivity better than 100 μK/ √Hz, in an environment less favorable than the earth stratosphere, the CR-induced non-Gaussianity is likely to significantly affect the results.

SAGACE: the Spectroscopic Active Galaxies And Clusters Explorer

Abstract: The SAGACE experiment consists of a mm/sub-mm telescope with a 3-m diameter primary mirror, coupled to a cryogenic multi-beam differential spectrometer. SAGACE explores the sky in the 100-760 GHz frequency range, using four diffraction-limited bolometer arrays. The instrument is designed to perform spectroscopic surveys of the Sunyaev-Zeldovich effects of thousands of galaxy clusters, of the spectral energy distribution of active galactic nuclei, and of the [CII] line of a thousand galaxies in the redshift desert. In 2008 a full phase-A study for a national small mission was completed and delivered to the Italian Space Agency (ASI). We have shown that taking advantage of the differential operation of the Fourier Transform Spectrometer, this ambitious instrument can operate from a Molniya orbit, and can be built and operated within the tight budget of a small mission.