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arXiv · 2609.00841

Combining Systematic Effects in CMB Polarization Experiments through map-based simulations: application to LiteBIRD's HWP non-idealities and detectors non-linearity

Abstract

We quantify the impact of coupled instrumental systematics on next-generation CMB polarization experiments targeting primordial $B$-mode polarization, with a focus on the forthcoming \textit{LiteBIRD} satellite mission. We study the interplay between the non-linear response of Transition-Edge Sensor (TES) bolometers and Half-Wave Plate (HWP) non-idealities, in particular synchronous signals arising from differential emissivity. We develop a map-based formalism that captures the resulting intensity-to-polarization leakage by explicitly solving the binning map-making equations, avoiding the need for computationally expensive time-ordered data simulations. We apply this framework to \textit{LiteBIRD}, adopting its baseline scanning strategy and frequency configuration, and perform analyses at both single- and multi-frequency levels, including Galactic foregrounds and blind component separation. We find that while detector non-linearity and HWP non-idealities individually induce negligible bias on the tensor-to-scalar ratio $r$, their coupling can generate non-trivial contamination, driven by large signals such as the solar dipole and amplified in high-frequency channels by foreground leakage. From these results, we derive joint requirements on detector non-linearity and HWP differential emission, and discuss their implications for the instrument design and calibration strategy of \textit{LiteBIRD} and future CMB polarization missions targeting $r \lesssim 10^{-3}$.

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Silvia Micheli, Francesco Piacentini, Tommaso Ghigna, Alessandro Carones, Alessandro Novelli, Giampaolo Pisano, Giulia Barbieri Ripamonti, Alessandro Coppolecchia, Paolo de Bernardis, Silvia Masi, Andrea Occhiuzzi, Alessandro Paiella, Simone Stellati. 2026-09-01. Combining Systematic Effects in CMB Polarization Experiments through map-based simulations: application to LiteBIRD's HWP non-idealities and detectors non-linearity. https://arxiv.org/abs/2609.00841

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