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Cesiley L. King

Publications and source records attributed to Cesiley L. King.

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Map Multi-Tool: A Map-Based Approach to Modeling Beam Systematics for Cosmic Microwave Background Experiments

Cosmic microwave background (CMB) experiments use simulations of instrumental systematic effects to ensure high-fidelity measurements of cosmological parameters. Quantifying the expected magnitude of these effects enables experiments to improve designs, set performance requirements, and understand potential measurement biases from residual systematics. Here we present a new simulation framework, called Map Multi-Tool (MMT), which models beam-related systematics for CMB instruments using a map-based approach. The pipeline convolves simulated sky realizations with distorted intensity and polarization beams, including leakage effects, to produce sky maps and power spectra. These outputs can then be used as inputs for cosmological parameter estimators. this framework enables efficient evaluation of such systematic effects. We demonstrate the capabilities of MMT with examples of non-ideal beams induced by electrical readout crosstalk and detector time constant response. The electrical crosstalk example considers eight different schemes for a time-division multiplexed readout architecture, and shows how they lead to different levels of angular power spectrum leakage for row-switching and inductive crosstalk. The detector time constant example demonstrates how associated uncertainties can alter CMB spectra at high multipoles and bias cosmological parameters. These examples illustrate some of MMT's broad capabilities to inform critical design and calibration decisions to mitigate systematic effects in CMB instruments.

astro-ph.IM

Design and Validation of a Cold Load for Characterization of CMB-S4 Detectors

We present the design and validation of a variable temperature cryogenic blackbody source, hereinafter called a cold load, that will be used to characterize detectors to be deployed by CMB-S4, the next-generation ground-based cosmic microwave background (CMB) experiment. Although cold loads have been used for detector characterization by previous CMB experiments, this cold load has three novel design features: (1) the ability to operate from the 1 K stage of a dilution refrigerator (DR), (2) a 3He gas-gap heat switch to reduce cooling time, and (3) the ability to couple small external optical signals to measure detector optical time constants under low optical loading. The efficacy of this design was validated using a 150 GHz detector array previously deployed by the Spider experiment. Thermal tests showed that the cold load can be heated to temperatures required for characterizing CMB-S4's detectors without significantly impacting the temperatures of other cryogenic stages when mounted to the DR's 1 K stage. Additionally, optical tests demonstrated that external signals can be coupled to a detector array through the cold load without imparting a significant optical load on the detectors, which will enable measurements of the CMB-S4 detectors' optical time constants.

astro-ph.IM

Sidelobe Modeling and Mitigation for a Three Mirror Anastigmat Cosmic Microwave Background Telescope

Telescopes measuring cosmic microwave background (CMB) polarization on large angular scales require exquisite control of systematic errors to ensure the fidelity of the cosmological results. In particular, far-sidelobe contamination from wide angle scattering is a potentially prominent source of systematic error for large aperture microwave telescopes. Here we describe and demonstrate a ray-tracing-based modeling technique to predict far sidelobes for a Three Mirror Anistigmat (TMA) telescope designed to observe the CMB from the South Pole. Those sidelobes are produced by light scattered in the receiver optics subsequently interacting with the walls of the surrounding telescope enclosure. After comparing simulated sidelobe maps and angular power spectra for different enclosure wall treatments, we propose a highly scattering surface that would provide more than an order of magnitude reduction in the degree-scale far-sidelobe contrast compared to a typical reflective surface. We conclude by discussing the fabrication of a prototype scattering wall panel and presenting measurements of its angular scattering profile.

astro-ph.IM