How to measure CMB spectral distortions with an imaging telescope

Abstract

We propose the implementation of an imaging telescope in combination with an inter-frequency calibrator to measure the spectral shape of the microwave sky by exploiting the differences in the sky intensity between multiple pairs of frequency channels. By jointly sampling the cosmological and foreground parameters in a Bayesian framework for $600$ instrument configurations, we determine the minimum calibration accuracy required in order to obtain measurements of spectral distortions and simultaneously measure spectral and spatial fluctuations of the CMB. We demonstrate the feasibility of this technique for a CMB mission like PICO (Probe of Inflation and Cosmic Origins), and show that a $10$-$\sigma$ measurement of the $y$-distortion along with a two orders of magnitude improvement on the FIRAS (Far-Infrared Absolute Spectrophotometer) $\mu$-distortion limit is feasible from this technique. We argue that longer term applications may be envisaged at even higher sensitivity, capable of attaining the $\mu$-distortion that provide a robust prediction of the $\Lambda$CDM model and even primordial recombination lines of hydrogen and helium, in the context of the ESA (European Space Agency) Voyage 2035-2050 program.

arXiv comment13 pages, 8 figures. Published in Phys. Rev. D

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Cited by in corpus (7)

• CMB spectral distortions revisited: a new take on $\mu$ distortions and primordial non-Gaussianities from FIRAS data
• Cosmology Intertwined: A Review of the Particle Physics, Astrophysics, and Cosmology Associated with the Cosmological Tensions and Anomalies
• Sensitivity forecasts for the cosmological recombination radiation in the presence of foregrounds
• Unlocking the synergy between CMB spectral distortions and anisotropies
• New Horizons in Cosmology with Spectral Distortions of the Cosmic Microwave Background
• Separation of CMB $\mu$ spectral distortions from foregrounds with poorly defined spectral shapes
• SPECTER: An Instrument Concept for CMB Spectral Distortion Measurements with Enhanced Sensitivity