Keck Array

Keck Array is a cosmic microwave background (CMB) experiment located at the South Pole and operated by a collaboration of scientists from Harvard University, University of California, Berkeley, University of California, San Diego, University of Chicago, and Case Western Reserve University. The Keck Array is designed to measure the polarization of the CMB with high precision, which can provide insights into the inflationary epoch of the universe. The experiment is named after the W.M. Keck Foundation, which provided significant funding for the project, and is also supported by the National Science Foundation and the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation. The Keck Array is part of a larger effort to study the CMB, which also includes experiments like BICEP2 and SPUD.

Introduction

The Keck Array is a ground-based telescope array that uses superconducting bolometers to detect the CMB radiation. The experiment is designed to operate in the atmosphere of the South Pole, which provides a unique environment for CMB observations due to its low humidity and temperature. The Keck Array is located near the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station, which provides logistical support for the experiment, and is also close to other CMB experiments like QUaD and BICEP1. The Keck Array collaboration includes scientists from University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, and California Institute of Technology, among others, and is supported by funding agencies like the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the European Research Council.

Design and Operation

The Keck Array consists of five telescopes, each with a primary mirror diameter of 0.5 meters, which are arranged in a hexagonal pattern to provide a large field of view. The telescopes use superconducting bolometers to detect the CMB radiation, which are cooled to a temperature of around 0.3 kelvin using a cryogenic system. The Keck Array operates in the frequency range of 95-150 gigahertz, which is optimal for detecting the CMB polarization. The experiment uses a scanning strategy to cover a large area of the sky, which includes regions like the Southern Hole and the Northern Hole. The Keck Array is also designed to be highly modular, with each telescope being a self-contained unit that can be easily replaced or upgraded, and is supported by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the University of Michigan.

Scientific Objectives

The primary scientific objective of the Keck Array is to measure the CMB polarization with high precision, which can provide insights into the inflationary epoch of the universe. The experiment aims to detect the B-mode polarization, which is a signature of inflation, and to constrain models of inflation like the chaotic inflation model and the hybrid inflation model. The Keck Array also aims to measure the CMB temperature and polarization power spectra with high precision, which can provide insights into the cosmological parameters like the Hubble constant and the baryon density. The experiment is also designed to study the cosmic microwave background radiation and its anisotropy, which can provide insights into the structure formation and the evolution of the universe, and is supported by the Kavli Institute for Cosmological Physics and the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics.

Observational Results

The Keck Array has made several important observational results, including the detection of the CMB polarization with high precision and the measurement of the CMB temperature and polarization power spectra. The experiment has also provided constraints on models of inflation and has measured the cosmological parameters like the Hubble constant and the baryon density with high precision. The Keck Array has also studied the cosmic microwave background radiation and its anisotropy, which has provided insights into the structure formation and the evolution of the universe. The results from the Keck Array have been published in several papers, including those in the Astrophysical Journal and the Physical Review Letters, and have been presented at conferences like the American Astronomical Society meeting and the International Conference on High Energy Physics.

Technical Specifications

The Keck Array has several technical specifications that make it a unique and powerful experiment. The telescopes have a primary mirror diameter of 0.5 meters and use superconducting bolometers to detect the CMB radiation. The experiment operates in the frequency range of 95-150 gigahertz and uses a scanning strategy to cover a large area of the sky. The Keck Array is also designed to be highly modular, with each telescope being a self-contained unit that can be easily replaced or upgraded. The experiment is supported by a cryogenic system that cools the bolometers to a temperature of around 0.3 kelvin, and is also supported by the University of California, Los Angeles and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The Keck Array is part of a larger effort to study the CMB, which also includes experiments like ACTPol and SPT-3G, and is supported by funding agencies like the Simons Foundation and the Heising-Simons Foundation. Category:Astronomical observatories