Embedded Files
The Simons Observatory is a new multi-telescope cosmic microwave background observatory that began coming online the sky in the early 2020s. The project is an international collaboration of several hundred scientists across a few dozen institutions. With the full cosmological data set, the Simons Observatory is expected to set competitive limits on possible models of cosmic inflation, determine the absolute neutrino mass scale, search for light relic particles in the early universe, study the process of galaxy formation, and constrain the duration of reionization.
Photo: Gabriele Coppi
The Simons Observatory telescopes are located at an elevation of 17,000 feet in the Atacama desert in northern Chile - one of the best microwave observing sites in the world. Over 100,000 superconducting sensors will perform coordinated observations for several years across 6 small-aperture telescopes and 1 large-aperture telescope from 20 GHz to 300 GHz with unprecedented sensitivity. In the picture above from 2024, 3 small aperture telescopes are visible (each surrounded by a circular ground shield) as well as the large aperture telescope (bottom right). The other nearby structures are buildings for power generation, assembly, and storage; a few other millimeter-wave telescopes are also visible on the plateau.
One of the most ambitious technological developments that the Simons Observatory developed is a particular method for measuring the changing sensor signals to digitize them on a computer for later analysis via a novel microwave SQUID multiplexed readout scheme. Our group is currently studying the extent to which subtle readout effects from this new technology, such as non-linear cross-coupling between channels, impact the Observatory's science analyses, developing mitigation methods if needed.
We are also generally interested in the deep survey that the small aperture telescopes are carrying out, and are busy analyzing data as well as exploring potential future upgrades to expand the science reach.
Learn more about the Simons Observatory through the following links:
Report abuse