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arXiv · 1807.05215

BFORE: A CMB Balloon Payload to Measure Reionization, Neutrino Mass, and Cosmic Inflation

Sean Bryan·Peter Ade·J. Richard Bond·Francois Boulanger·Mark Devlin·Simon Doyle·Jeffrey Filippini·Laura Fissell·Christopher Groppi·Gilbert Holder·Johannes Hubmayr·Philip Mauskopf·Jeff McMahon·Johanna Nagy·C. Barth Netterfield·Michael Niemack·Giles Novak·Enzo Pascale·Giampaolo Pisano·John Ruhl·Douglas Scott·Juan Soler·Carole Tucker·Joaquin Vieira
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Abstract

BFORE is a high-altitude ultra-long-duration balloon mission to map the cosmic microwave background (CMB). During a 28-day mid-latitude flight launched from Wanaka, New Zealand, the instrument will map half the sky to improve measurements of the optical depth to reionization tau. This will break parameter degeneracies needed to detect neutrino mass. BFORE will also hunt for the gravitational wave B-mode signal, and map Galactic dust foregrounds. The mission will be the first near-space use of TES/mSQUID multichroic detectors (150/217 GHz and 280/353 GHz bands) with low-power readout electronics.

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Sean Bryan, Peter Ade, J. Richard Bond, Francois Boulanger, Mark Devlin, Simon Doyle, Jeffrey Filippini, Laura Fissell, Christopher Groppi, Gilbert Holder, Johannes Hubmayr, Philip Mauskopf, Jeff McMahon, Johanna Nagy, C. Barth Netterfield, Michael Niemack, Giles Novak, Enzo Pascale, Giampaolo Pisano, John Ruhl, Douglas Scott, Juan Soler, Carole Tucker, Joaquin Vieira. 2018-07-13. BFORE: A CMB Balloon Payload to Measure Reionization, Neutrino Mass, and Cosmic Inflation. https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2313772

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