The main goal of this project is to support, during the period 2024-2027, the scientific exploitation of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) experiments in which the IAC cosmology group is involved (QUIJOTE, TMS, GroundBIRD, LSPE-STRIP, ELFS-SA), to contribute to the design of the new generation of ground-based CMB instruments, and to prepare for the scientific exploitation of the future LiteBIRD mission to be launched in 2032. More specifically, the goals are:
1) Operation and scientific exploitation of QUIJOTE, led by IAC. QUIJOTE consists of two telescopes (QT1 and QT2) and several instruments. From the QT1, the MFI (2012-2018) has already produced scientific results, including four maps of the full northern sky at 11, 13, 17 and 19 GHz, and has been replaced recently by MFI2, an improved version with higher sensitivity (2024-). From the second telescope QT2, the TGI (30GHz) and the FGI (40GHz) are built and integrated in a single cryostat named TFGI. They have already undergone commissioning campaigns, and will re-start observations during 2024. Finally, our team is developing a 90GHz camera based on KID detectors in collaboration with the University of Rome, to be installed in QT2.
2) Operation and scientific exploitation of the Tenerife Microwave Spectrometer (TMS), an absolute spectrometer in the 10-20 GHz band that complements QUIJOTE and expands its science goals. TMS will be commissioned in 2026, and is fully funded. The system uses a digital backend based on FPGAs, a state-of-the-art technology that will be fully developed within this project. These results will be used for the preparation of future space missions to measure spectral distortions (e.g. Voyage 2050).
3) Scientific exploitation of other CMB experiments at the Teide Observatory: GroundBIRD and LSPE STRIP. These experiments are a perfect complement to QUIJOTE, expanding its frequency coverage up to 250 GHz, and will help to consolidate the Teide Observatory as a reference CMB observatory. Groundbird is now in operations, and LSPE-STRIP will be installed at the end of 2024. We will carry out joint analyses of the QUIJOTE, GroundBIRD and LSPE-STRIP data, and combination with PLANCK and WMAP.
4) Design the next-generation of European instrumentation for CMB studies, consolidating the already-existing international collaborations. In particular, we will continue the implementation of the European Low-Frequency Survey (ELFS). Within ELFS, we are involved in the construction of the ELFS-SA instrument at 6-11GHz, to be installed in Chile. We will work in the preparation, commissioning and scientific exploitation of ELFS-SA, and explore the participation of our team in the SO and CMB-S4 projects.
5) Participation in the LiteBIRD mission. Assessment of the synchrotron contamination and its impact on B-mode science using QUIJOTE and LSPE-STRIP. Participation in the scientific preparation of LiteBIRD science cases.
6) Science with Galaxy Clusters. Finalise the scientific exploitation of the optical follow-up efforts (ITP2013-15, LP2015-17, IP: J.A. Rubiño- Martín) to characterise the two Planck Sunyaev-Zeldovich catalogues (PSZ1 and PSZ2). We will work in deriving cosmological constraints on parameters such as the equation of state of dark energy and neutrino masses. Scientific exploitation of the WEAVE Cosmology Cluster Survey. Participation in the NIKA2 SZ Survey. EUCLID Cluster Science.
