Accurate CMB foreground removal for future, ultra-high sensitive CMB experiments.
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Manchester
Department Name: Physics and Astronomy
Abstract
Accurate foreground quantification and removal will be critical for future, ultra-high sensitive CMB experiments that aim to measure anisotropies, in temperature and polarization, with a precision of <1 micro-Kevlin . Characterization and removal of astrophysical foregrounds from cosmic microwave background (CMB) data will help answer several of the nine science questions that form the STFC roadmap and these fields are both encompassed by my research. Moreover, the astrophysics of the foregrounds themselves is a rich and diverse area of astronomy, which includes the understanding of radiation mechanisms, interstellar medium, Galactic structure, the physics of dust and magnetic fields. I will lead independent foregrounds-related projects in addition to collaborating on large projects: Planck, C-BASS, QUIET and CBI2.
People |
ORCID iD |
| Clive Dickinson (Principal Investigator / Fellow) |
Publications
Ade PA
(2015)
Joint analysis of BICEP2/keck array and Planck Data.
in Physical review letters
Ade PA
(2015)
Joint analysis of BICEP2/keck array and Planck Data.
in Physical review letters
Ali-Haïmoud Y
(2009)
A refined model for spinning dust radiation
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Alves M
(2012)
A derivation of the free-free emission on the Galactic plane between l= 20° and 44° The free-free emission on the Galactic plane
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Alves M
(2015)
The HIPASS survey of the Galactic plane in radio recombination lines
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Alves M
(2010)
Diffuse radio recombination line emission on the Galactic plane between l= 36 ° and 44 °
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
André P
(2014)
PRISM (Polarized Radiation Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission): an extended white paper
in Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics
Armitage-Caplan C
(2011)
Large-scale polarized foreground component separation for Planck Foreground component separation for Planck
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Armitage-Caplan C
(2012)
Impact on the tensor-to-scalar ratio of incorrect Galactic foreground modelling Impact on the tensor-to-scalar ratio
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Battye R
(2013)
H i intensity mapping: a single dish approach
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
| Description | Found definitive evidence for spinning dust emission from molecular clouds in the interstellar medium using Planck data combined with ancillary data. Also studied the first sample of Galactic clouds to study spinning dust emission. Also studied other Galactic targets with a variety of data at higher angular resolution, finding that the spinning dust origin is compatible. Placed upper limits on the polarisation of anomalous microwave emission. This will have a significant impact/simplification for study CMB polarisation. Contributed and coordinated Galactic science papers from the Planck mission. I am coordinator of WG7 responsible for Galactic and Solar System Science. This includes papers on anomalous microwave emission (mentioned above), detection of dark gas, Galactic plane inversion, CO maps from Planck and the properties of thermal dust emission. More recently the first constraints on thermal dust polarisation have been published by Planck showing that it can be significantly polarised and therefore a significant contaminant for accurate measurements of cosmic microwave background (CMB) polarisation. Began the C-Band All-Sky Survey (C-BASS) northern observations which are almost complete. During the grant period, we have improved the instrument and developed the data analysis pipeline. First results from this survey are now coming out - my PhD student (Melis Irfan) has recently submitted the first science paper. Analysed and published a re-analysis of the Parkes HI survey (HIPASS) to map radio recombination lines (RRLs). The full Galactic plane survey is about to be submitted and released. New analysis of diffuse Galactic emission including 2.3 GHz radio data. We constrain the contribution of flat-spectrum synchrotron radiation which means that most of the observed emission must be from dust (presumably spinning dust). Developed new concepts and simulations for HI intensity mapping experiments, including a new single-dish concept called BINGO. We hope to find funding for such an experiment. |
| Exploitation Route | Important information on diffuse foreground emissions will be used for modelling foregrounds for future CMB missions, including a possible CMB satellite. |
| Sectors | Other |
| Description | My findings are being used by astrophysicists interested in i) cosmic microwave background, where modelling and subtraction of the foregrounds is critical, ii) interstellar medium, where the new radio data are informing us about the content and structure of our Galaxy. In particular, the reality of spinning dust emission potentially opens up a new window into the interstellar medium. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2010 |
| Sector | Other |
| Description | European Research Council (ERC) Re-Integration Grant (IRG) |
| Amount | € 100,000 (EUR) |
| Organisation | European Commission |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | European Union (EU) |
| Start | 09/2009 |
| End | 09/2013 |
| Description | JBCA-KACST collaboration |
| Organisation | King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences (KSAU-HS) |
| Department | National Centre for Mathematics and Physics |
| Country | Saudi Arabia |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Building of a 2nd receiver for the C-Band All-Sky Survey (C-BASS) project. Data analysis for the C-BASS project. |
| Impact | SPIE paper. Construction of a 10K cryostat. |
| Start Year | 2009 |
| Description | Big Bang Science Fair, Manchester, Feb 2010 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an open day or visit at my research institution |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | Tens of thousands of people visited the Manchester One exhibition centre. A number of pupils were interested in doing degrees at the University of Manchester. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2010 |
| Description | Planck Press Release, Paris 2011 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | ESA press release for Planck early results papers and early compact source catalogue, held in Paris, Jan 2011. Over 30 press attended including BBC, New Scientist etc. Broadcast over the internet by European Space Agency (ESA). Many interviews with press. BBC news article and various other articles (e.g. New Scientist). |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2011 |
| URL | http://www.esa.int/For_Media/Press_Releases/Planck_s_new_view_of_the_cosmic_theatre |
| Description | Royal Society Festival of Science, London, June 2009 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an open day or visit at my research institution |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Over 2000 people came to the Science Exhibition in London. We heard that the public thought that our exhibit was one of the best. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2009 |