The Large-Scale Polarization Explorer (LSPE)

S Aiola, G Amico, P Battaglia, E Battistelli, A BaÛ, P de Bernardis, M Bersanelli, A Boscaleri, F Cavaliere, A Coppolecchia, A Cruciani, F Cuttaia, A D'Addabbo, G D'Alessandro, S De Gregori, F Del Torto, M De Petris, L Fiorineschi, C Franceschet, E FranceschiM Gervasi, D Goldie, A Gregorio, V Haynes, N Krachmalnicoff, L Lamagna, B Maffei, D Maino, S Masi, A Mennella, G Morgante, F Nati, M W Ng, L Pagano, A Passerini, O Peverini, F Piacentini, L Piccirillo, G Pisano, S Ricciardi, P Rissone, G Romeo, M Salatino, M Sandri, A Schillaci, L Stringhetti, A Tartari, R Tascone, L Terenzi, M Tomasi, E Tommasi, F Villa, G Virone, S Withington, A Zacchei, M Zannoni

    Research output: Chapter in Book/Conference proceedingConference contribution

    Abstract

    The LSPE is a balloon-borne mission aimed at measuring the polarization of the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) at large angular scales, and in particular to constrain the curl component of CMB polarization (B-modes) produced by tensor perturbations generated during cosmic inflation, in the very early universe. Its primary target is to improve the limit on the ratio of tensor to scalar perturbations amplitudes down to r = 0.03, at 99.7% confidence. A second target is to produce wide maps of foreground polarization generated in our Galaxy by synchrotron emission and interstellar dust emission. These will be important to map Galactic magnetic fields and to study the properties of ionized gas and of diffuse interstellar dust in our Galaxy. The mission is optimized for large angular scales, with coarse angular resolution (around 1.5 degrees FWHM), and wide sky coverage (25% of the sky). The payload will fly in a circumpolar long duration balloon mission during the polar night. Using the Earth as a giant solar shield, the instrument will spin in azimuth, observing a large fraction of the northern sky. The payload will host two instruments. An array of coherent polarimeters using cryogenic HEMT amplifiers will survey the sky at 43 and 90 GHz. An array of bolometric polarimeters, using large throughput multi-mode bolometers and rotating Half Wave Plates (HWP), will survey the same sky region in three bands at 95, 145 and 245 GHz. The wide frequency coverage will allow optimal control of the polarized foregrounds, with comparable angular resolution at all frequencies.
    Original languageEnglish
    Title of host publicationhost publication
    Volume8446
    Publication statusPublished - 2012
    EventSociety of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE) Conference Series -
    Duration: 1 Jan 1824 → …
    http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2012SPIE.8452E..0IO

    Conference

    ConferenceSociety of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE) Conference Series
    Period1/01/24 → …
    Internet address

    Fingerprint

    Dive into the research topics of 'The Large-Scale Polarization Explorer (LSPE)'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

    Cite this