The calibration of PIXIE

D. J. Fixsen; D. T. Chuss; Alan Kogut; Paul Mirel; E. J. Wollack

doi:10.1117/12.2232836

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19 July 2016 The calibration of PIXIE

D. J. Fixsen, D. T. Chuss, Alan Kogut, Paul Mirel, E. J. Wollack

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Proceedings Volume 9914, Millimeter, Submillimeter, and Far-Infrared Detectors and Instrumentation for Astronomy VIII; 991439 (2016) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2232836
Event: SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation, 2016, Edinburgh, United Kingdom

Abstract

The FIRAS instrument demonstrated the use of an external calibrator to compare the sky to an instrumented blackbody. The PIXIE calibrator is improved from -35 dB to -65 dB. Another significant improvement is the ability to insert the calibrator into either input of the FTS. This allows detection and correction of additional errors, reduces the effective calibration noise by a factor of 2, eliminates an entire class of systematics and allows continuous observations. This paper presents the design and use of the PIXIE calibrator.

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D. J. Fixsen, D. T. Chuss, Alan Kogut, Paul Mirel, and E. J. Wollack "The calibration of PIXIE", Proc. SPIE 9914, Millimeter, Submillimeter, and Far-Infrared Detectors and Instrumentation for Astronomy VIII, 991439 (19 July 2016); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2232836

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