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The Simons Observatory: gain, bandpass and polarization-angle calibration requirements for B-mode searches

Author(s): Abitbol, Maximilian H; Alonso, David; Simon, Sara M; Lashner, Jack; Crowley, Kevin T; et al

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Abstract: We quantify the calibration requirements for systematic uncertainties for next- generation ground-based observatories targeting the large-angle B-mode polarization of the Cosmic Microwave Background, with a focus on the Simons Observatory (SO). We explore uncertainties on gain calibration, bandpass center frequencies, and polarization angles, in- cluding the frequency variation of the latter across the bandpass. We find that gain cali- bration and bandpass center frequencies must be known to percent levels or less to avoid biases on the tensor-to-scalar ratio r on the order of ∆r ∼ 10−3, in line with previous find- ings. Polarization angles must be calibrated to the level of a few tenths of a degree, while their frequency variation between the edges of the band must be known to O(10) degrees. Given the tightness of these calibration requirements, we explore the level to which residual uncertainties on these systematics would affect the final constraints on r if included in the data model and marginalized over. We find that the additional parameter freedom does not degrade the final constraints on r significantly, broadening the error bar by O(10%) at most. We validate these results by reanalyzing the latest publicly available data from the BICEP2/Keck Array collaboration within an extended parameter space covering both cos- mological, foreground and systematic parameters. Finally, our results are discussed in light of the instrument design and calibration studies carried out within SO.
Publication Date: 13-May-2021
Electronic Publication Date: 13-May-2021
Citation: Abitbol, Maximilian H, Alonso, David, Simon, Sara M, Lashner, Jack, Crowley, Kevin T, Ali, Aamir M, Azzoni, Susanna, Baccigalupi, Carlo, Barron, Darcy, Brown, Michael L, Calabrese, Erminia, Carron, Julien, Chinone, Yuji, Chluba, Jens, Coppi, Gabriele, Crowley, Kevin D, Devlin, Mark, Dunkley, Jo, Errard, Josquin, Fanfani, Valentina, Galitzki, Nicholas, Gerbino, Martina, Hill, J Colin, Johnson, Bradley R, Jost, Baptiste, Keating, Brian, Krachmalnicoff, Nicoletta, Kusaka, Akito, Lee, Adrian T, Louis, Thibaut, Madhavacheril, Mathew S, McCarrick, Heather, McMahon, Jeffrey, Meerburg, P Daniel, Nati, Federico, Nishino, Haruki, Page, Lyman A, Poletti, Davide, Puglisi, Giuseppe, Randall, Michael J, Rotti, Aditya, Spisak, Jacob, Suzuki, Aritoki, Teply, Grant P, Vergès, Clara, Wollack, Edward J, Xu, Zhilei, Zannoni, Mario. (2021). The Simons Observatory: gain, bandpass and polarization-angle calibration requirements for B-mode searches. Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics, 2021 (05), 032 - 032. doi:10.1088/1475-7516/2021/05/032
DOI: doi:10.1088/1475-7516/2021/05/032
EISSN: 1475-7516
Keywords: CMBR experiments, CMBR polarisation, gravitational waves and CMBR po- larization, cosmological parameters from CMBR
Pages: 032 - 032
Type of Material: Journal Article
Journal/Proceeding Title: Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics
Version: Final published version. This is an open access article.



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