Design, development, and verification of the Planck Low Frequency Instrument 70 GHz Front-End and Back-End Modules

Varis, J.; Hughes, N.; Laaninen, M.; Kilpiä, V. H.; Jukkala, P.; Tuovinen, J.; Ovaska, Sami; Sjoman, P.; Kangaslahti, Pekka; Gaier, T.; Hoyland, R. J.; Meinhold, P. R.; Mennella, A.; Bersanelli, M.; Butler, R. C.; Cuttaia, F.; Franceschi, E.; Leonardi, R.; Leutenegger, P.; Malaspina, M.; Mandolesi, N.; Miccolis, M.; Poutanen, T.; Kurki-Suonio, H.; Sandri, M.; Stringhetti, L.; Terenzi, L.; Tomasi, M.; Valenziano, L.

doi:10.1088/1748-0221/4/12/t12001

Cited by 18 publications

(21 citation statements)

References 16 publications

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“…Detailed descriptions of the 30 GHz and 44 GHz FEMs are given by Davis et al (2009), and of the 70 GHz FEMs by Varis et al (2009). Each FEM accepts four input signals, two from the rectangular waveguide outputs of the OMT and two from the 4 K reference loads viewed by rectangular horns attached to the FEMs (Fig.…”

Section: Front-end Modulesmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Planckpre-launch status: Design and description of the Low Frequency Instrument

Bersanelli

Mandolesi

Butler

et al. 2010

A&A

136

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In this paper we present the Low Frequency Instrument (LFI), designed and developed as part of the Planck space mission, the ESA programme dedicated to precision imaging of the cosmic microwave background (CMB). Planck-LFI will observe the full sky in intensity and polarisation in three frequency bands centred at 30, 44 and 70 GHz, while higher frequencies (100−850 GHz) will be covered by the HFI instrument. The LFI is an array of microwave radiometers based on state-of-the-art indium phosphide cryogenic HEMT amplifiers implemented in a differential system using blackbody loads as reference signals. The front end is cooled to 20 K for optimal sensitivity and the reference loads are cooled to 4 K to minimise low-frequency noise. We provide an overview of the LFI, discuss the leading scientific requirements, and describe the design solutions adopted for the various hardware subsystems. The main drivers of the radiometric, optical, and thermal design are discussed, including the stringent requirements on sensitivity, stability, and rejection of systematic effects. Further details on the key instrument units and the results of ground calibration are provided in a set of companion papers.

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Section: Front-end Modulesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The 44 GHz MMICs were manufactured with a process employing a 0.2 μm gate length P-HEMT on GaAs. The 70 GHz BEMs (Varis et al 2009) used the same type of InP MMIC amplifiers as in the FEMs. Although not required for performance or power dissipation constraints, this solution proved convenient in conjunction with the FEM development.…”

Section: Waveguidesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Planckpre-launch status: Design and description of the Low Frequency Instrument

Bersanelli

Mandolesi

Butler

et al. 2010

A&A

136

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“…In addition, radiometric performance was measured several times during the LFI development on individual subunits (e.g., amplifiers, phase switches, detector diodes) on integrated front-end and back-end modules (Davis et al 2009;Artal et al 2009;Varis et al 2009) and on the complete radiometric assemblies, both as independent RCAs ) and in RAA, the final integrated instrument configuration (Mennella et al 2010).…”

Section: Notesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Planckpre-launch status: ThePlanck-LFI programme

Mandolesi¹,

Bersanelli

Butler³

et al. 2010

A&A

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This paper provides an overview of the Low Frequency Instrument (LFI) programme within the ESA Planck mission. The LFI instrument has been developed to produce high precision maps of the microwave sky at frequencies in the range 27−77 GHz, below the peak of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) radiation spectrum. The scientific goals are described, ranging from fundamental cosmology to Galactic and extragalactic astrophysics. The instrument design and development are outlined, together with the model philosophy and testing strategy. The instrument is presented in the context of the Planck mission. The LFI approach to ground and inflight calibration is described. We also describe the LFI ground segment. We present the results of a number of tests demonstrating the capability of the LFI data processing centre (DPC) to properly reduce and analyse LFI flight data, from telemetry information to calibrated and cleaned time ordered data, sky maps at each frequency (in temperature and polarization), component emission maps (CMB and diffuse foregrounds), catalogs for various classes of sources (the Early Release Compact Source Catalogue and the Final Compact Source Catalogue). The organization of the LFI consortium is briefly presented as well as the role of the core team in data analysis and scientific exploitation. All tests carried out on the LFI flight model demonstrate the excellent performance of the instrument and its various subunits. The data analysis pipeline has been tested and its main steps verified. In the first three months after launch, the commissioning, calibration, performance, and verification phases will be completed, after which Planck will begin its operational life, in which LFI will have an integral part.

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“…A corrugated feed horn ), which collects the radiation from the telescope, T sky , is connected to an ortho-mode transducer (D'Arcangelo et al 2009b), which divides the signal into two orthogonal polarizations, namely "M" (main) and "S" (side) branches. The OMT is connected to the front-end section (Davis et al 2009;Varis et al 2009), in which each polarization of the sky signal is mixed with the signal from a stable reference load, T ref , via a hybrid coupler (Valenziano et al 2009). The signal is then amplified by a factor G fe and shifted in phase by 0-180 degrees at 8 kHz synchronously with the acquisition electronics.…”

Section: Radiometer Chain Assembly Descriptionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…1.75 m long waveguides (D'Arcangelo et al 2009a) are connected to the FEM in bundles of four elements providing the thermal break between 20 K and 300 K where the ambient temperature back-end section of the radiometer is located (Artal et al 2009;Varis et al 2009). The waveguides are thermally attached to the three thermal shields of the satellite, the V-grooves.…”

Section: Radiometer Chain Assembly Descriptionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Planckpre-launch status: Calibration of the Low Frequency Instrument flight model radiometers

Villa¹,

Terenzi²,

Sandri³

et al. 2010

A&A

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The Low Frequency Instrument (LFI) on-board the ESA Planck satellite carries eleven radiometer subsystems, called radiometer chain assemblies (RCAs), each composed of a pair of pseudo-correlation receivers. We describe the on-ground calibration campaign performed to qualify the flight model RCAs and to measure their pre-launch performances. Each RCA was calibrated in a dedicated flight-like cryogenic environment with the radiometer front-end cooled to 20 K and the back-end at 300 K, and with an external input load cooled to 4 K. A matched load simulating a blackbody at different temperatures was placed in front of the sky horn to derive basic radiometer properties such as noise temperature, gain, and noise performance, e.g. 1/ f noise. The spectral response of each detector was measured as was their susceptibility to thermal variation. All eleven LFI RCAs were calibrated. Instrumental parameters measured in these tests, such as noise temperature, bandwidth, radiometer isolation, and linearity, provide essential inputs to the Planck-LFI data analysis.

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Design, development, and verification of the Planck Low Frequency Instrument 70 GHz Front-End and Back-End Modules

Cited by 18 publications

References 16 publications

Planckpre-launch status: Design and description of the Low Frequency Instrument

Planckpre-launch status: Design and description of the Low Frequency Instrument

Planckpre-launch status: ThePlanck-LFI programme

Planckpre-launch status: Calibration of the Low Frequency Instrument flight model radiometers

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