First results from the Very Small Array - I. Observational methods

Robert A. Watson; Pedro Carreira; Kieran Cleary; Rod D. Davies; Richard J. Davis; Clive Dickinson; Keith Grainge; Carlos M. Gutiérrez; Michael P. Hobson; Michael E. Jones; Rüdiger Kneissl; Anthony Lasenby; Klaus Maisinger; Guy G. Pooley; Rafael Rebolo; José Alberto Rubiño-Martin; Ben Rusholme; Richard D E Saunders; Richard Savage; Paul F. Scott; Anže Slosar; Pedro J Sosa Molina; Angela C. Taylor; David Titterington; Elizabeth Waldram; Althea Wilkinson

doi:10.1046/j.1365-8711.2003.06338.x

First results from the Very Small Array - I. Observational methods

Robert A. Watson, Pedro Carreira, Kieran Cleary, Rod D. Davies, Richard J. Davis, Clive Dickinson, Keith Grainge, Carlos M. Gutiérrez, Michael P. Hobson, Michael E. Jones, Rüdiger Kneissl, Anthony Lasenby, Klaus Maisinger, Guy G. Pooley, Rafael Rebolo, José Alberto Rubiño-Martin, Ben Rusholme, Richard D E Saunders, Richard Savage, Paul F. ScottAnže Slosar, Pedro J Sosa Molina, Angela C. Taylor, David Titterington, Elizabeth Waldram, Althea Wilkinson

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

The Very Small Array (VSA) is a synthesis telescope designed to image faint structures in the cosmic microwave background on degree and sub-degree angular scales. The VSA has key differences from other CMB interferometers with the result that different systematic errors are expected. We have tested the operation of the VSA with a variety of blank-field and calibrator observations, and cross-checked its calibration scale against independent measurements. We find that systematic effects can be suppressed below the thermal noise level in long observations; the overall calibration accuracy of the flux density scale is 3.5 per cent and is limited by the external absolute calibration scale.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	1057-1065
Number of pages	8
Journal	Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Volume	341
Issue number	4
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-8711.2003.06338.x
Publication status	Published - 1 Jun 2003

Keywords

Cosmic microwave background
Cosmology: observations
Instrumentation: interferometers

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10.1046/j.1365-8711.2003.06338.x

Cite this

Watson, R. A., Carreira, P., Cleary, K., Davies, R. D., Davis, R. J., Dickinson, C., Grainge, K., Gutiérrez, C. M., Hobson, M. P., Jones, M. E., Kneissl, R., Lasenby, A., Maisinger, K., Pooley, G. G., Rebolo, R., Rubiño-Martin, J. A., Rusholme, B., Saunders, R. D. E., Savage, R., ... Wilkinson, A. (2003). First results from the Very Small Array - I. Observational methods. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 341(4), 1057-1065. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-8711.2003.06338.x

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title = "First results from the Very Small Array - I. Observational methods",

abstract = "The Very Small Array (VSA) is a synthesis telescope designed to image faint structures in the cosmic microwave background on degree and sub-degree angular scales. The VSA has key differences from other CMB interferometers with the result that different systematic errors are expected. We have tested the operation of the VSA with a variety of blank-field and calibrator observations, and cross-checked its calibration scale against independent measurements. We find that systematic effects can be suppressed below the thermal noise level in long observations; the overall calibration accuracy of the flux density scale is 3.5 per cent and is limited by the external absolute calibration scale.",

keywords = "Cosmic microwave background, Cosmology: observations, Instrumentation: interferometers",

author = "Watson, {Robert A.} and Pedro Carreira and Kieran Cleary and Davies, {Rod D.} and Davis, {Richard J.} and Clive Dickinson and Keith Grainge and Guti{\'e}rrez, {Carlos M.} and Hobson, {Michael P.} and Jones, {Michael E.} and R{\"u}diger Kneissl and Anthony Lasenby and Klaus Maisinger and Pooley, {Guy G.} and Rafael Rebolo and Rubi{\~n}o-Martin, {Jos{\'e} Alberto} and Ben Rusholme and Saunders, {Richard D E} and Richard Savage and Scott, {Paul F.} and An{\v z}e Slosar and Molina, {Pedro J Sosa} and Taylor, {Angela C.} and David Titterington and Elizabeth Waldram and Althea Wilkinson",

year = "2003",

month = jun,

day = "1",

doi = "10.1046/j.1365-8711.2003.06338.x",

language = "English",

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pages = "1057--1065",

journal = "Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society",

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Watson, RA, Carreira, P, Cleary, K, Davies, RD, Davis, RJ, Dickinson, C , Grainge, K, Gutiérrez, CM, Hobson, MP, Jones, ME, Kneissl, R, Lasenby, A, Maisinger, K, Pooley, GG, Rebolo, R, Rubiño-Martin, JA, Rusholme, B, Saunders, RDE, Savage, R, Scott, PF, Slosar, A, Molina, PJS, Taylor, AC, Titterington, D, Waldram, E & Wilkinson, A 2003, 'First results from the Very Small Array - I. Observational methods', Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, vol. 341, no. 4, pp. 1057-1065. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-8711.2003.06338.x

TY - JOUR

T1 - First results from the Very Small Array - I. Observational methods

AU - Watson, Robert A.

AU - Carreira, Pedro

AU - Cleary, Kieran

AU - Davies, Rod D.

AU - Davis, Richard J.

AU - Dickinson, Clive

AU - Grainge, Keith

AU - Gutiérrez, Carlos M.

AU - Hobson, Michael P.

AU - Jones, Michael E.

AU - Kneissl, Rüdiger

AU - Lasenby, Anthony

AU - Maisinger, Klaus

AU - Pooley, Guy G.

AU - Rebolo, Rafael

AU - Rubiño-Martin, José Alberto

AU - Rusholme, Ben

AU - Saunders, Richard D E

AU - Savage, Richard

AU - Scott, Paul F.

AU - Slosar, Anže

AU - Molina, Pedro J Sosa

AU - Taylor, Angela C.

AU - Titterington, David

AU - Waldram, Elizabeth

AU - Wilkinson, Althea

PY - 2003/6/1

Y1 - 2003/6/1

N2 - The Very Small Array (VSA) is a synthesis telescope designed to image faint structures in the cosmic microwave background on degree and sub-degree angular scales. The VSA has key differences from other CMB interferometers with the result that different systematic errors are expected. We have tested the operation of the VSA with a variety of blank-field and calibrator observations, and cross-checked its calibration scale against independent measurements. We find that systematic effects can be suppressed below the thermal noise level in long observations; the overall calibration accuracy of the flux density scale is 3.5 per cent and is limited by the external absolute calibration scale.

AB - The Very Small Array (VSA) is a synthesis telescope designed to image faint structures in the cosmic microwave background on degree and sub-degree angular scales. The VSA has key differences from other CMB interferometers with the result that different systematic errors are expected. We have tested the operation of the VSA with a variety of blank-field and calibrator observations, and cross-checked its calibration scale against independent measurements. We find that systematic effects can be suppressed below the thermal noise level in long observations; the overall calibration accuracy of the flux density scale is 3.5 per cent and is limited by the external absolute calibration scale.

KW - Cosmic microwave background

KW - Cosmology: observations

KW - Instrumentation: interferometers

U2 - 10.1046/j.1365-8711.2003.06338.x

DO - 10.1046/j.1365-8711.2003.06338.x

M3 - Article

SN - 1365-2966

VL - 341

SP - 1057

EP - 1065

JO - Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

JF - Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

IS - 4

ER -

First results from the Very Small Array - I. Observational methods

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Keywords

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