Aeronomy & Astrophysics

Dr. Vladimir Papitashvili Program Manager

A-366-S	NSF/OPP Award 03-38138
Station: South Pole Station
RPSC POC: Charles Kaminski
Research Site(s): South Pole Station
Dates in Antarctica: Installation in the austral summer, observing in the winter

Next generation CMB polarization measurements with the QUEST experiment on DASI

Dr. Sarah E. Church Stanford University schurch@stanford.edu http://www.stanford.edu/group/quest_telescope/

Photo not available.

Deploying Team Members:

John E. Carlstrom . Sarah E. Church . Kenneth Ganga . Walter K. Gear . James Hinderks . Erik M. Leitch . Olivier E. Mallie . Clement Pryke . Benjamin A. Rusholme . Robert Schwartz

Research Objectives: QUaD is a major upgrade to the DASI (Degree Angular Scale Interferometer) telescope (Carlstrom, A-373-S) in order to map the polarization structure of the cosmic microwave background (CMB), which was first detected by DASI. The CMB is the faint, relic heat from the Big Bang, and its appearance today is sensitive to both the formation and evolution of the Universe. The advantages of Antarctica to QUaD are + The high atmospheric transparency at the frequencies of interest (the altitude and cold leads to little overhead water vapor); + The atmospheric stability, allowing long observations; + The ability to perform identical observations of the same areas of sky throughout the year by being on the pole or axis of rotation; and + The absence or low elevation of the interfering Sun and Moon. The QUaD receiver will be transported to the South Pole Station and installed on the DASI mount this season in preparation for observations through the following winter. This installation will be internal to the existing structure.