B. Leriche

PILOT: a balloon-borne experiment to measure the polarized FIR emission of dust grains in the interstellar medium

Future cosmology space missions will concentrate on measuring the polarization of the Cosmic Microwave Back- ground, which potentially carries invaluable information about the earliest phases of the evolution of our universe. Such ambitious projects will ultimately be limited by the sensitivity of the instrument and by the accuracy at which polarized foreground emission from our own Galaxy can be subtracted out. We present the PILOT balloon project which will aim at characterizing one of these foreground sources, the polarization of the dust continuum emission in the diffuse interstellar medium. The PILOT experiment will also constitute a test-bed for using multiplexed bolometer arrays for polarization measurements. We present the results of ground tests obtained just before the first flight of the instrument.

The ArTéMiS wide-field sub-millimeter camera: preliminary on-sky performance at 350 microns

ArTeMiS is a wide-field submillimeter camera operating at three wavelengths simultaneously (200, 350 and 450 μm). A preliminary version of the instrument equipped with the 350 μm focal plane, has been successfully installed and tested on APEX telescope in Chile during the 2013 and 2014 austral winters. This instrument is developed by CEA (Saclay and Grenoble, France), IAS (France) and University of Manchester (UK) in collaboration with ESO. We introduce the mechanical and optical design, as well as the cryogenics and electronics of the ArTéMiS camera. ArTeMiS detectors consist in Si:P:B bolometers arranged in 16×18 sub-arrays operating at 300 mK. These detectors are similar to the ones developed for the Herschel PACS photometer but they are adapted to the high optical load encountered at APEX site. Ultimately, ArTeMiS will contain 4 sub-arrays at 200 μm and 2×8 sub-arrays at 350 and 450 μm. We show preliminary lab measurements like the responsivity of the instrument to hot and cold loads illumination and NEP calculation. Details on the on-sky commissioning runs made in 2013 and 2014 at APEX are shown. We used planets (Mars, Saturn, Uranus) to determine the flat-field and to get the flux calibration. A pointing model was established in the first days of the runs. The average relative pointing accuracy is 3 arcsec. The beam at 350 μm has been estimated to be 8.5 arcsec, which is in good agreement with the beam of the 12 m APEX dish. Several observing modes have been tested, like “On- The-Fly” for beam-maps or large maps, spirals or raster of spirals for compact sources. With this preliminary version of ArTeMiS, we concluded that the mapping speed is already more than 5 times better than the previous 350 μm instrument at APEX. The median NEFD at 350 μm is 600 mJy.s1/2, with best values at 300 mJy.s1/2. The complete instrument with 5760 pixels and optimized settings will be installed during the first half of 2015.

ArTeMiS: filled bolometer arrays for next-generation sub-mm telescopes

Astronomical observations at sub-millimetre wavelengths are limited either by the angular resolution of the telescope or by the sensitivity and field of view of the detector array. New generation of radio telescopes, such as the ALMA-type antennas on Chajnantor plateau in Chile, can overcome these limitations if they are equipped with large detector arrays made of thousands of sensitive bolometer pixels. Instrumentation developments undertaken at CEA and based on the all silicon technology of CEA/Leti are able to provide such large detector arrays. The ArTeMiS project consists in developing a camera for ground-based telescopes that operates in two sets of atmospheric windows at 200-450 μm (channel 1) and 800-1200 μm (channel 2). ArTeMiS-1 consists in grid bolometer arrays similar to those developed by CEA for the Herschel Space Observatory. A prototype camera operating in this first atmospheric window was installed and successfully tested in March 2006 on the KOSMA telescope at Gornergrat (Switzerland) in collaboration with the University of Cologne. ArTeMiS-2 will consist either in antenna-coupled bolometer arrays or specific mesh bolometer arrays. By the end of 2008, ArTeMiS cameras could be operated on 10m-class telescopes on the Chajnantor ALMA site, e.g., APEX, opening new scientific prospects in the study of the early phases of star formation and in cosmology, in the study of the formation of large structures in the universe. At longer term, installation of such instrumentation at Dome-C in Antarctica is also under investigation. The present status of the ArTeMiS project is detailed in this paper.

The PILOT experiment for the measurement of interstellar dust polarization : the camera ground calibration

The Polarized Instrument for Long wavelength Observation of the Tenuous interstellar medium (PILOT) is a balloon borne experiment designed to measure the polarized emission from dust grains in the galaxy in the submillimeter range. The payload is composed of a telescope at the optical focus of which is placed a camera using 2048 bolometers cooled to 300 mK. The camera performs polarized optical measurements in two spectral bands (240 μm and 550 μm). The polarization measurement is based on a cryogenic rotating half-wave plate and a fixed mesh grid polarizer placed at 45o separating the beam into two orthogonal polarized components each detected by a detector array. The Institut d’Astrophysique Spatiale (Orsay, France) is responsible for the design, integration, tests and spectral calibration of the camera. Two optical benches have been designed for its imaging and polarization characterization and spectral calibration. Theses setups allow to validate the alignment of the camera cryogenic optics, to check the optical quality of the images, to characterize the time and intensity response of the detectors, and to measure the overall spectral response. A numerical photometric model of the instrument was developed for the optical configuration during calibration tests (spectral), functional tests (imager) on the ground, and flight configuration at the telescope focus, giving an estimate of the optical power received by the detectors for each configuration.

Large submillimeter and millimeter detector arrays for astronomy: development of NbSi superconducting bolometers

The achievement of the Planck and Herschel space missions in the submillimeter and millimeter range was made possible by a continuous effort on detector developments. Now limited by the intrinsic fluctuations of the radiation coming from the astronomical sources themselves, the sensitivity improvement requires the development of large arrays of detectors filling the focal plane of the telescopes. We present here the development of a TES array using NbSi sensors on SiN membranes. The readout electronics is based on SQUIDs and a cooled SiGe ASIC multiplexer. The detector is coupled with the input radiation by means of antenna. The present goal performance is adapted for the realisation of a ground based millimeter camera.

Status of the ArTeMiS camera to be installed on APEX

The ArTeMiS submillimetric camera will observe simultaneously the sky at 450, 350 and 200 μm using 3 different focal planes made of 2304, 2304 and 1152 bolometric pixels respectively. This camera will be mounted in the Cassegrain cabin of APEX, a 12 m antenna located on the Chajnantor plateau, Chile. To realize the bolometric arrays, we have adapted the Silicon processing technology used for the Herschel-PACS photometer to account for higher incident fluxes and longer wavelengths from the ground. In addition, an autonomous cryogenic system has been designed to cool the 3 focal planes down to 300 mK. Preliminary performances obtained in laboratory with the first of 3 focal planes are presented. Latest results obtained in 2009 with the P-ArTeMiS prototype camera are also discussed, including massive protostellar cores and several star forming regions that have been clearly identified and mapped.

Recent results obtained on the APEX 12 m antenna with the ArTeMiS prototype camera

ArTeMiS is a camera designed to operate on large ground based submillimetric telescopes in the 3 atmospheric windows 200, 350 and 450 µm. The focal plane of this camera will be equipped with 5760 bolometric pixels cooled down at 300 mK with an autonomous cryogenic system. The pixels have been manufactured, based on the same technology processes as used for the Herschel-PACS space photometer. We review in this paper the present status and the future plans of this project. A prototype camera, named P-ArTeMiS, has been developed and successfully tested on the KOSMA telescope in 2006 at Gornergrat 3100m, Switzerland. Preliminary results were presented at the previous SPIE conference in Orlando (Talvard et al, 2006). Since then, the prototype camera has been proposed and successfully installed on APEX, a 12 m antenna operated by the Max Planck Institute für Radioastronomie, the European Southern Observatory and the Onsala Space Observatory on the Chajnantor site at 5100 m altitude in Chile. Two runs have been achieved in 2007, first in March and the latter in November. We present in the second part of this paper the first processed images obtained on star forming regions and on circumstellar and debris disks. Calculated sensitivities are compared with expectations. These illustrate the improvements achieved on P-ArTeMiS during the 3 experimental campaigns.

NbSi TES Array and Readout: Development and Characterization

We are developing a detection system based on a NbSi Transition Edge Sensor (TES) bolometer array. A thermo-mechanical architecture accomodates the array and the cryogenic stage of the readout. We model the coupling of the TES bolometer to the radiation by means of twin slot antenna. We present the latest design of the cryogenic readout which includes a BiCMOS SiGe integrated circuit at 4 K controlling a Superconducting Quantum Interference Device (SQUID) amplifier.

Characterization of NbSi TES on a 23-Pixel Array

Instrumental progress allowed the development of bolometric detectors adapted to submillimeter and millimeter wavelengths. Superconducting transition-edge sensors (TESs) are currently under heavy development to be used as ultra sensitive bolometers. In addition to good performance, the choice of material depends on long term stability (both physical and chemical) along with a good reproducibility and uniformity in fabrication. For this purpose we are investigating the properties of NbSi thin films and have already developed arrays of NbSi TES. NbSi is a well-known alloy for use in resistive thermometers. We present a low temperature characterization of the NbSi films on a 23-pixel array. In order to tune the critical temperature of the NbSi thermometers down to the desired range, we have to adjust the concentration of Niobium in the NbSi alloy. In this experiment, we set for a Niobium concentration of 15 percent, to be able to run tests at a convenient temperature larger than 300 miliKelvin. Tests are made using Helium4-cooled cryostats, 300 miliKelvin Helium3 mini-fridges, resistance bridge and a commercial SQUID with its readout circuit. Parameters being measured are: critical temperature, resistance, sharpness of the transition given by the alpha parameter and noise measurements. The multiplexing is also developed to prepare the final chain for noise measurements on 23 pixel bolometers array.

Characterization of NbSi films for TES bolometers

Future space experiments will require large arrays of sensitive detectors in the submillimeter and millimeter range. Superconducting transition-edge sensors (TESs) are currently under heavy development to be used as ultra sensitive bolometers. In addition to good performance, the choice of material depends on long term stability (both physical and chemical) along with a good reproducibility and uniformity in fabrication. For this purpose we are investigating the properties of co-evaporated NbSi thin films. NbSi is a well-known alloy for use in resistive thermometers. We present a full low temperature characterization of superconductive NbSi films. In order to tune the critical temperature of the NbSi thermometers down to the desired range, we have to adjust the concentration of niobium in the NbSi alloy. Tests are made using 4He-cooled cryostats, 300mK 3He mini-fridges, Resistance Bridges and commercial SQUID. Measured parameters are the critical temperature, the sharpness of the transition. Noise measurements are on-going.