Millipol, a millimeter/submillimeter wavelength polarimeter - Instrument, operation, and calibration
- Boston Univ., MA (USA) San Diego State Univ., CA (USA) Haystack Observatory, Westford, MA (USA)
An instrument capable of measuring the polarization characteristics of weakly polarized, cold dust at millimeter and submillimeter wavelengths is presented in detail. The operation and calibration of this polarimeter at a wavelength of 1300 microns, configured for the NRAO 12-meter telescope, are discussed. Deep observations of Jupiter using this instrument revealed a main-beam instrumental polarization at, or below, the 0.2 percent level. Lunar limb observations revealed a sidelobe polarization sensitivity, in the range 0.25 percent - 1.0 percent. Further, through these efforts the nonthermal polarized flux from Jupiter at a level of about 0.04 percent of the thermal flux has been detected. Astronomical polarization measurements to 0.03 percent are possible, limited by the uncertainties in the instrumental polarization. This instrument has been primarily employed to measure and map magnetic-field directions in the very optically opaque cores of massive molecular clouds. 15 refs.
- OSTI ID:
- 6164486
- Journal Information:
- Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific; (USA), Vol. 102; ISSN 0004-6280
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
GENERAL PHYSICS
ASTRONOMY
POLARIMETRY
INTERSTELLAR MAGNETIC FIELDS
MAPPING
COMPUTER CODES
COSMIC DUST
COSMIC GASES
INFRARED RADIATION
INTERSTELLAR SPACE
JUPITER PLANET
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
MOON
POLARIZATION
DUSTS
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
FLUIDS
GASES
MAGNETIC FIELDS
PLANETS
RADIATIONS
SATELLITES
SPACE
640100* - Astrophysics & Cosmology
640105 - Astrophysics & Cosmology- Galaxies