BICEP2 and SPUD South Pole Polarimetry Data for Cosmic Inflation Search

BICEP2 and SPUD data originates from a four-year program upgrading the BICEP telescope at the South Pole to search for primordial gravitational waves via cosmic microwave background polarization. The project was a collaboration between the California Institute of Technology and the University of Chicago, with data collection spanning from 2006 through upgrades in 2009 and 2010. The dataset was last updated in the NASA Earthdata system in September 2017.

Use Cases

• Analyze time-series polarimetry data at 100 GHz and 150 GHz to separate cosmic microwave background B-mode signals from galactic foregrounds.
• Model instrumental effects and noise characteristics from the BICEP2 and SPUD receiver upgrades to improve signal detection algorithms.
• Correlate polarization maps covering approximately 2% of the southern sky with models of the cosmic gravitational-wave background.
• Use data from the mechanically-cooled SPUD receivers to validate sensitivity targets for primordial gravitational wave detection.

Strengths

• Observations from the South Pole, a premier site for cosmic microwave background studies due to its stable atmosphere.
• Dual-frequency coverage at 100 GHz and 150 GHz for improved foreground separation.
• Instrument upgrades like BICEP2 provided an almost ten-fold increase in mapping speed.

Limitations

• Specific row counts, column details, and data formats are unknown.
• The dataset's last known update was in 2017, indicating potential staleness.
• Spatial coverage is limited to approximately 2% of the southern sky.

Provenance

Source

NASA Earthdata platform, contributed by AMD_USAPDC.

Collection Method

Astronomical observations from the BICEP telescope and subsequent SPUD receivers at the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station.

Time Range

Observations began in early 2006, with major receiver upgrades in 2009 (BICEP2) and 2010 (SPUD).

Freshness

Last updated in the system on 2017-09-30; update frequency is unknown.

Geography

Data collected from the South Pole, mapping a region of the southern sky free of strong Milky Way foreground radiation.