Status of the COSmological Microwave Observations CALibrator
L. Mousset, J. Aumont, S. Berta, L. Bizzarri, F. Boulanger, A. Catalano, F. Cuttaia, A. Denis, A.-L. Fontana, D. Gonz\'alez Ovejero, B. Kalemi, S. Leclercq, J.-F. Mac\'ias-P\'erez, B. Maffei, T. Mcnamara, S. Micheli, M. Migliaccio, L. Montier, P. Morfin, M. Moulin, M. Murgia
TL;DR
The COSMOCal project aims to develop a geostationary orbit polarized source for precise calibration of CMB telescopes, enhancing measurement accuracy at multiple frequencies.
Contribution
Introduction of a novel artificial polarized source in geostationary orbit for improved calibration of CMB telescopes.
Findings
Calibration campaign in March 2026 demonstrated the source’s polarization accuracy.
Instrument development is progressing towards deployment.
The project addresses the need for high-precision calibration in CMB observations.
Abstract
As the sensitivity of CMB telescopes increases, the need for precise calibration becomes critical. Started in 2022, the COSMOCal project aims to place an artificial polarized source in geostationary orbit, which will serve as a reference for CMB telescopes. This source will emit at 90, 150 and 270 GHz and will be linearly polarized with a highly precise orientation smaller than 0.1 deg. This proceeding presents the scientific motivations for the project, the current status of the development of the instrument and the results of a calibration campaign performed in March 2026 at the Institut d'Astrophysique Spatiale.
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