Half-wave Plates for the Spider Cosmic Microwave Background Polarimeter

Understand

Spider is a balloon-borne array of six telescopes that will observe the Cosmic Microwave Background.

• The 2400 antenna-coupled bolometers in the instrument will make a polarization map of the CMB with ~degree resolution at 150 GHz and 95 GHz.
• Polarization modulation is achieved via a cryogenic sapphire half-wave plate (HWP) skyward of the primary optic.
• In this thesis, the design, construction, and lab testing of the HWP system are discussed.