CONCERTO: a breakthrough in wide field-of-view spectroscopy at millimeter wavelengths

TL;DR

CONCERTO is a novel low-resolution spectrometer with a wide field-of-view operating at millimeter wavelengths, designed for large-scale structure studies via line intensity mapping using a large array of detectors on the APEX telescope.

Contribution

This paper introduces the CONCERTO instrument, detailing its design, operation, and current survey status, advancing millimeter-wave spectroscopy for cosmological research.

Findings

Successful deployment of the CONCERTO spectrometer on APEX

First results demonstrating effective line intensity mapping

Identification of vibration effects on the FTS beamsplitter

Abstract

CarbON CII line in post-rEionization and ReionizaTiOn (CONCERTO) is a low-resolution spectrometer with an instantaneous field-of-view of 18.6 arcmin, operating in the 130-310 GHz transparent atmospheric window. It is installed on the 12-meter Atacama Pathfinder Experiment (APEX) telescope at 5100 m above sea level. The Fourier transform spectrometer (FTS) contains two focal planes hosting a total of 4304 kinetic inductance detectors. The FTS interferometric pattern is recorded on the fly while continuously scanning the sky. One of the goals of CONCERTO is to characterize the large-scale structure of the Universe by observing the integrated emission from unresolved galaxies. This methodology is an innovative technique and is called line intensity mapping. In this paper, we describe the CONCERTO instrument, the effect of the vibration of the FTS beamsplitter, and the status of the CONCERTO main survey.