2006/09/19 by A. Kogut, David T. Chuss, D. T. Chuss +25 · 2 citations
Earth and Planetary Sciences · Physics and Astronomy · #Anisotropy #Astronomy #Bolometer #Cosmic microwave background #Cosmology and Gravitation Theories #Detector #Geophysics and Gravity Measurements #Optics #Pathfinder #Physics #Polarization (electrochemistry) #Radio Astronomy Observations and Technology #astro-ph
paper · pdf · doi:10.1016/j.newar.2006.09.024
published as New Astron.Rev. 50 (2006) 1009-1014 · 12 pages, 9 figures. Proceedings of the Fundamental Physics With CMB workshop, UC Irvine, March 23-25, 2006, to be published in New Astronomy Reviews
arxiv created 2006/09/19 · openalex publication_date 2006/11/15 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
The Primordial Anisotropy Polarization Pathfinder Array (PAPPA) is a balloon-based instrument to measure the polarization of the cosmic microwave background and search for the signal from gravity waves excited during an inflationary epoch in the early universe. PAPPA will survey a 20 x 20 deg patch at the North Celestial Pole using 32 pixels in 3 passbands centered at 89, 212, and 302 GHz. Each pixel uses MEMS switches in a superconducting microstrip transmission line to combine the phase modulation techniques used in radio astronomy with the sensitivity of transition-edge superconducting bolometers. Each switched circuit modulates the incident polarization on a single detector, allowing nearly instantaneous characterization of the Stokes I, Q, and U parameters. We describe the instrument design and status.