ACTPol: The Atacama Cosmology Telescope with Polarization

ACTPol：阿塔卡马偏振宇宙学望远镜

• 批准号: 0965625
• 负责人: Lyman Page
• 金额: $ 940万
• 依托单位: Princeton University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2010
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2010-09-15 至 2016-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0965625&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: ACTPol; Atacama; Cosmology; Telescope; Polarization; ACTPol; Atacama; Cosmology; Telescope; Polarization

The Atacama Cosmology Telescope (ACT) is a project to investigate the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) at high angular resolution that was constructed and operated under NSF support over 2005-2010. The ACT facility - a 6m off-axis Gregorian telescope, detectors, and infrastructure - has had two successful seasons of science observations during 2008 and 2009. The awarded project is a follow-on program, called ACTPol, to greatly increase the number and sensitivity of the detectors, and to add linear polarization capability. ACTPol will upgrade and extend instrumentation on the existing telescope, which is located on Cerro Toco (17,030') above the ALMA site on the Chajnator Plateau in Northern Chile. It will address important questions in both basic physics and astrophysics, and if successful will perform transformative research. The program will run for five years. A new bolometer camera with polarization sensitivity will be constructed and used with the ACT for the following science goals: 1) Constrain the initial conditions of universe and measure "running" of scalar spectral index with k; 2) Measure spatial curvature of the universe and dark energy; 3) Discover or constrain the sum of the neutrino masses; 4) Measure the amount of primordial helium; 5) Determine the growth rate of structure; 6) Complement the Planck satellite on smaller angular scales; and 7) Enable future large-scale B-mode polarization measurements.ACTPol will continue to pursue the types of broader impacts already successfully undertaken by the ACT project. These include a commitment to training students and postdoctoral researchers, continuing strong international partnerships, exchange of technology and personnel with NIST, and outreach to teachers and middle school students, among other activities.

Atacama宇宙学望远镜（ACT）是一个项目，旨在调查高角度分辨率的宇宙微波背景（CMB），该分辨率是在2005年至2010年以来根据NSF支持构建和运行的。该ACT设施 - 一个600万格里高利望远镜，检测器和基础设施 - 在2008年和2009年期间有两个成功的科学观察季节。该奖励项目是一个后续计划，称为ACTPOL，可大大提高检测器的数量和敏感性，并增加线性极化能力。 ACTPOL将升级和扩展在现有望远镜上的仪器，该望远镜位于智利北部的Chajnator高原上方的Alma遗址上方的Cerro Toco（17,030'）上。 它将在基本物理和天体物理学中解决重要问题，如果成功将进行变革性研究。 该计划将运行五年。 将构建具有偏振灵敏度的新的重测摄像机，并将其与该法一起用于以下科学目标：1）约束宇宙的初始条件，并用k来衡量标量光谱指数的“运行”； 2）测量宇宙和暗能量的空间曲率； 3）发现或限制中微子质量的总和； 4）测量原始氦气的量； 5）确定结构的增长率； 6）在较小的角度尺度上补充普朗克卫星； 7）实现未来的大规模B模式极化测量。ACTPOL将继续追求该法案项目已成功实施的更广泛影响的类型。 其中包括对培训学生和博士后研究人员的承诺，继续建立强大的国际伙伴关系，与NIST交流技术和人员交流，以及向教师和中学生的宣传等其他活动。