Mexico-UK Sub-millimeter Camera for AsTronomy

TL;DR

MUSCAT is a large-format mm-wave camera designed for the LMT, utilizing horn-coupled kinetic inductance detectors for high-resolution sub-millimeter astronomy, with a focus on background-limited performance and continuous cooling.

Contribution

This paper introduces the design and upcoming deployment of MUSCAT, a novel sub-millimeter camera with advanced detectors and cooling for high-resolution astronomical observations.

Findings

Successful design of horn-coupled kinetic inductance detectors

Implementation of a continuous 100 mK cooling system

Scheduled installation on the Large Millimeter Telescope

Abstract

MUSCAT is a large format mm-wave camera scheduled for installation on the Large Millimeter Telescope Alfonso Serrano (LMT) in 2018. The MUSCAT focal plane is based on an array of horn coupled lumped-element kinetic inductance detectors optimised for coupling to the 1.1mm atmospheric window. The detectors are fed with fully baffled reflective optics to minimize stray-light contamination. This combination will enable background-limited performance at 1.1 mm across the full 4 arcminute field-of-view of the LMT. The easily accessible focal plane will be cooled to 100 mK with a new closed cycle miniature dilution refrigerator that permits fully continuous operation. The MUSCAT instrument will demonstrate the science capabilities of the LMT through two relatively short science programmes to provide high resolution follow-up surveys of Galactic and extra-galactic sources previously observed with the Herschel space observatory, after the initial observing campaigns. In this paper, we will provide an overview of the overall instrument design as well as an update on progress and scheduled installation on the LMT.