Radio source calibration for the Very Small Array and other cosmic microwave background instruments at around 30 GHz

Hafez, Yaser A.; Davies, Rod D.; Davis, Richard J.; Dickinson, Clive; Battistelli, Elia S.; Blanco, Francisco; Cleary, Kieran; Franzen, Thomas; Genova-Santos, Ricardo; Grainge, Keith; Hobson, Michael P.; Jones, Michael E.; Lancaster, Katy; Lasenby, Anthony N.; Padilla-Torres, Carmen P.; Rubiño-Martin, J. A.; Rebolo, Rafael; Saunders, Richard D. E.; Scott, Paul F.; Taylor, Angela C.; Titterington, David; Tucci, Marco; Watson, Robert A.
Referencia bibliográfica

Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Volume 388, Issue 4, pp. 1775-1786.

Fecha de publicación:
8
2008
Número de autores
23
Número de autores del IAC
6
Número de citas
28
Número de citas referidas
28
Descripción
Accurate calibration of data is essential for the current generation of cosmic microwave background (CMB) experiments. Using data from the Very Small Array (VSA), we describe procedures which will lead to an accuracy of 1 per cent or better for experiments such as the VSA and CBI. Particular attention is paid to the stability of the receiver systems, the quality of the site and frequent observations of reference sources. At 30 GHz the careful correction for atmospheric emission and absorption is shown to be essential for achieving 1 per cent precision. The sources for which a 1 per cent relative flux density calibration was achieved included Cas A, Cyg A, Tau A and NGC 7027 and the planets Venus, Jupiter and Saturn. A flux density, or brightness temperature in the case of the planets, was derived at 33 GHz relative to Jupiter which was adopted as the fundamental calibrator. A spectral index at ~30 GHz is given for each. Cas A, Tau A, NGC 7027 and Venus were examined for variability. Cas A was found to be decreasing at 0.394 +/- 0.019 per cent yr-1 over the period 2001 March to 2004 August. In the same period Tau A was decreasing at 0.22 +/- 0.07 per cent yr-1. A survey of the published data showed that the planetary nebula NGC 7027 decreased at 0.16 +/- 0.04 per cent yr-1 over the period 1967-2003. Venus showed an insignificant (1.5 +/- 1.3 per cent) variation with Venusian illumination. The integrated polarization of Tau A at 33 GHz was found to be 7.8 +/- 0.6 per cent at position angle =148° +/- 3°.
Proyectos relacionados
Mapa de todo el cielo mostrando la distribución espacial de las anisotropias primarias del Fondo Cósmico de Microondas (generadas sólo 380,000 años después del Big Bang) extraído de las observaciones del satélite Planck
Anisotropía del Fondo Cósmico de Microondas
El objetivo general de este proyecto es determinar y estudiar las variaciones espaciales y espectrales en la temperatura del Fondo Cósmico de Microondas y en su Polarización en un amplio rango de escalas angulares que van desde pocos minutos de arco hasta varios grados. Las fluctuaciones primordiales en la densidad de materia, que dieron origen a
Rafael
Rebolo López