Planck pre-launch status: the Planck-LFI programme
Abstract
This paper provides an overview of the Low Frequency Instrument (LFI) programme within the ESA Planck mission. The LFI instrument has been developed to produce high precision maps of the microwave sky at frequencies in the range 27-77 GHz, below the peak of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) radiation spectrum. The scientific goals are described, ranging from fundamental cosmology to Galactic and extragalactic astrophysics. The instrument design and development are outlined, together with the model philosophy and testing strategy. The instrument is presented in the context of the Planck mission. The LFI approach to ground and inflight calibration is described. We also describe the LFI ground segment. We present the results of a number of tests demonstrating the capability of the LFI data processing centre (DPC) to properly reduce and analyse LFI flight data, from telemetry information to calibrated and cleaned time ordered data, sky maps at each frequency (in temperature and polarization), component emission maps (CMB and diffuse foregrounds), catalogs for various classes of sources (the Early Release Compact Source Catalogue and the Final Compact Source Catalogue). The organization of the LFI consortium is briefly presented as well as the role of the core team in data analysis and scientific exploitation. All tests carried out on the LFI flight model demonstrate the excellent performance of the instrument and its various subunits. The data analysis pipeline has been tested and its main steps verified. In the first three months after launch, the commissioning, calibration, performance, and verification phases will be completed, after which Planck will begin its operational life, in which LFI will have an integral part.
Keywords
Cite
@article{arxiv.1001.2657,
title = {Planck pre-launch status: the Planck-LFI programme},
author = {N. Mandolesi and M. Bersanelli and R. C. Butler and E. Artal and C. Baccigalupi and A. Balbi and A. J. Banday and R. B. Barreiro and M. Bartelmann and K. Bennett and P. Bhandari and A. Bonaldi and J. Borrill and M. Bremer and C. Burigana and R. C. Bowman and P. Cabella and C. Cantalupo and B. Cappellini and T. Courvoisier and G. Crone and F. Cuttaia and L. Danese and O. D'Arcangelo and R. D. Davies and R. J. Davis and L. De Angelis and G. de Gasperis and A. De Rosa and G. De Troia and G. de Zotti and J. Dick and C. Dickinson and J. M. Diego and S. Donzelli and U. Dörl and X. Dupac and T. A. Enßlin and H. K. Eriksen and M. C. Falvella and F. Finelli and M. Frailis and E. Franceschi and T. Gaier and S. Galeotta and F. Gasparo and G. Giardino and F. Gomez and J. Gonzalez-Nuevo and K. M. Górski and A. Gregorio and A. Gruppuso and F. Hansen and R. Hell and D. Herranz and J. M. Herreros and S. Hildebrandt and W. Hovest and R. Hoyland and K. Huffenberger and M. Janssen and T. Jaffe and E. Keihänen and R. Keskitalo and T. Kisner and H. Kurki-Suonio and A. Lähteenmäki and C. R. Lawrence and S. M. Leach and J. P. Leahy and R. Leonardi and S. Levin and P. B. Lilje and M. López-Caniego and S. R. Lowe and P. M. Lubin and D. Maino and M. Malaspina and M. Maris and J. Marti-Canales and E. Martinez-Gonzalez and M. Massardi and S. Matarrese and F. Matthai and P. Meinhold and A. Melchiorri and L. Mendes and A. Mennella and G. Morgante and G. Morigi and N. Morisset and A. Moss and A. Nash and P. Natoli and R. Nesti and C. Paine and B. Partridge and F. Pasian and T. Passvogel and D. Pearson and L. Pérez-Cuevas and F. Perrotta and G. Polenta and L. A. Popa and T. Poutanen and G. Prezeau and M. Prina and J. P. Rachen and R. Rebolo and M. Reinecke and S. Ricciardi and T. Riller and G. Rocha and N. Roddis and R. Rohlfs and J. A. Rubiño-Martin and E. Salerno and M. Sandri and D. Scott and M. Seiffert and J. Silk and A. Simonetto and G. F. Smoot and C. Sozzi and J. Sternberg and F. Stivoli and L. Stringhetti and J. Tauber and L. Terenzi and M. Tomasi and J. Tuovinen and M. Türler and L. Valenziano and J. Varis and P. Vielva and F. Villa and N. Vittorio and L. Wade and M. White and S. White and A. Wilkinson and A. Zacchei and A. Zonca},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1001.2657},
year = {2015}
}
Comments
25 pages, 16 figures. In press on Astronomy and Astrophysics