QUaD: A High-Resolution Cosmic Microwave Background Polarimeter

TL;DR

The QUaD experiment is a high-resolution polarimeter designed to observe the CMB's temperature and polarization anisotropies from the South Pole, utilizing a cryogenic bolometer array at 100 and 150 GHz frequencies.

Contribution

It introduces a high-resolution CMB polarimeter with a 2.64 m telescope and 62 bolometers, enabling detailed anisotropy measurements at multiple scales.

Findings

Operated successfully over three winter seasons.

Achieved angular resolutions of 3.5 to 5 arcmin.

Collected extensive CMB polarization data.

Abstract

We describe the QUaD experiment, a millimeter-wavelength polarimeter designed to observe the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) from a site at the South Pole. The experiment comprises a 2.64 m Cassegrain telescope equipped with a cryogenically cooled receiver containing an array of 62 polarization-sensitive bolometers. The focal plane contains pixels at two different frequency bands, 100 GHz and 150 GHz, with angular resolutions of 5 arcmin and 3.5 arcmin, respectively. The high angular resolution allows observation of CMB temperature and polarization anisotropies over a wide range of scales. The instrument commenced operation in early 2005 and collected science data during three successive Austral winter seasons of observation.