EBEX: A balloon-borne CMB polarization experiment

TL;DR

EBEX is a balloon-borne experiment designed to measure the polarization of the cosmic microwave background across multiple frequencies, aiming to detect primordial B-modes and lensing signals with high resolution.

Contribution

It introduces a novel balloon-borne CMB polarization instrument with broad frequency coverage and advanced modulation techniques for improved foreground separation and B-mode detection.

Findings

Predicted constraints on tensor-to-scalar ratio r below 0.035 without foregrounds.

Demonstrated feasibility of high-resolution polarization measurements from a balloon platform.

Achieved initial engineering flight success and planned long-duration Antarctic flight.

Abstract

EBEX is a NASA-funded balloon-borne experiment designed to measure the polarization of the cosmic microwave background (CMB). Observations will be made using 1432 transition edge sensor (TES) bolometric detectors read out with frequency multiplexed SQuIDs. EBEX will observe in three frequency bands centered at 150, 250, and 410 GHz, with 768, 384, and 280 detectors in each band, respectively. This broad frequency coverage is designed to provide valuable information about polarized foreground signals from dust. The polarized sky signals will be modulated with an achromatic half wave plate (AHWP) rotating on a superconducting magnetic bearing (SMB) and analyzed with a fixed wire grid polarizer. EBEX will observe a patch covering ~1% of the sky with 8' resolution, allowing for observation of the angular power spectrum from \ell = 20 to 1000. This will allow EBEX to search for both the primordial B-mode signal predicted by inflation and the anticipated lensing B-mode signal. Calculations to predict EBEX constraints on r using expected noise levels show that, for a likelihood centered around zero and with negligible foregrounds, 99% of the area falls below r = 0.035. This value increases by a factor of 1.6 after a process of foreground subtraction. This estimate does not include systematic uncertainties. An engineering flight was launched in June, 2009, from Ft. Sumner, NM, and the long duration science flight in Antarctica is planned for 2011. These proceedings describe the EBEX instrument and the North American engineering flight.