Performance and calibration of the NIKA camera at the IRAM 30 m telescope

A. Catalano; M. Calvo; N. Ponthieu; R. Adam; A. Adane; P. Ade; P. André; A. Beelen; B. Belier; A. Benoît; A. Bideaud; N. Billot; N. Boudou; O. Bourrion; G. Coiffard; B. Comis; A. D'Addabbo; F. X. Désert; S. Doyle; J. Goupy; C. Kramer; S. Leclercq; J. F. Macías-Pérez; J. Martino; Philip Mauskopf; F. Mayet; A. Monfardini; F. Pajot; E. Pascale; L. Perotto; V. Revéret; L. Rodriguez; G. Savini; K. Schuster; A. Sievers; C. Tucker; R. Zylka

doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201423557

Performance and calibration of the NIKA camera at the IRAM 30 m telescope

A. Catalano, M. Calvo, N. Ponthieu, R. Adam, A. Adane, P. Ade, P. André, A. Beelen, B. Belier, A. Benoît, A. Bideaud, N. Billot, N. Boudou, O. Bourrion, G. Coiffard, B. Comis, A. D'Addabbo, F. X. Désert, S. Doyle, J. GoupyC. Kramer, S. Leclercq, J. F. Macías-Pérez, J. Martino, Philip Mauskopf, F. Mayet, A. Monfardini, F. Pajot, E. Pascale, L. Perotto, V. Revéret, L. Rodriguez, G. Savini, K. Schuster, A. Sievers, C. Tucker, R. Zylka

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

56 Scopus citations

Abstract

The New IRAM KID Array (NIKA) instrument is a dual-band imaging camera operating with kinetic inductance detectors (KID) cooled at 100 mK. NIKA is designed to observe the sky at wavelengths of 1.25 and 2.14 mm from the IRAM 30 m telescope at Pico Veleta with an estimated resolution of 13? arcsec and 18 arcsec, respectively. This work presents the performance of the NIKA camera prior to its opening to the astrophysical community as an IRAM common-user facility in early 2014. NIKA is a test bench for the final NIKA2 instrument to be installed at the end of 2015. The last NIKA observation campaigns on November 2012 and June 2013 have been used to evaluate this performance and to improve the control of systematic effects. We discuss here the dynamical tuning of the readout electronics to optimize the KID working point with respect to background changes and the new technique of atmospheric absorption correction. These modifications significantly improve the overall linearity, sensitivity, and absolute calibration performance of NIKA. This is proved on observations of point-like sources for which we obtain a best sensitivity (averaged over all valid detectors) of 40 and 14 mJy s^1/2for optimal weather conditions for the 1.25 and 2.14 mm arrays, respectively. NIKA observations of well known extended sources (DR21 complex and the Horsehead nebula) are presented. This performance makes the NIKA camera a competitive astrophysical instrument.

Original language	English (US)
Article number	A9
Journal	Astronomy and Astrophysics
Volume	569
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/201423557
State	Published - Sep 1 2014

Keywords

Methods: observational
Submillimeter: ISM
Submillimeter: galaxies
Submillimeter: general

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Astronomy and Astrophysics
Space and Planetary Science

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10.1051/0004-6361/201423557

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Catalano, A., Calvo, M., Ponthieu, N., Adam, R., Adane, A., Ade, P., André, P., Beelen, A., Belier, B., Benoît, A., Bideaud, A., Billot, N., Boudou, N., Bourrion, O., Coiffard, G., Comis, B., D'Addabbo, A., Désert, F. X., Doyle, S., ... Zylka, R. (2014). Performance and calibration of the NIKA camera at the IRAM 30 m telescope. Astronomy and Astrophysics, 569, Article A9. https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/201423557

Catalano, A, Calvo, M, Ponthieu, N, Adam, R, Adane, A, Ade, P, André, P, Beelen, A, Belier, B, Benoît, A, Bideaud, A, Billot, N, Boudou, N, Bourrion, O, Coiffard, G, Comis, B, D'Addabbo, A, Désert, FX, Doyle, S, Goupy, J, Kramer, C, Leclercq, S, Macías-Pérez, JF, Martino, J, Mauskopf, P, Mayet, F, Monfardini, A, Pajot, F, Pascale, E, Perotto, L, Revéret, V, Rodriguez, L, Savini, G, Schuster, K, Sievers, A, Tucker, C & Zylka, R 2014, 'Performance and calibration of the NIKA camera at the IRAM 30 m telescope', Astronomy and Astrophysics, vol. 569, A9. https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/201423557

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title = "Performance and calibration of the NIKA camera at the IRAM 30 m telescope",

abstract = "The New IRAM KID Array (NIKA) instrument is a dual-band imaging camera operating with kinetic inductance detectors (KID) cooled at 100 mK. NIKA is designed to observe the sky at wavelengths of 1.25 and 2.14 mm from the IRAM 30 m telescope at Pico Veleta with an estimated resolution of 13? arcsec and 18 arcsec, respectively. This work presents the performance of the NIKA camera prior to its opening to the astrophysical community as an IRAM common-user facility in early 2014. NIKA is a test bench for the final NIKA2 instrument to be installed at the end of 2015. The last NIKA observation campaigns on November 2012 and June 2013 have been used to evaluate this performance and to improve the control of systematic effects. We discuss here the dynamical tuning of the readout electronics to optimize the KID working point with respect to background changes and the new technique of atmospheric absorption correction. These modifications significantly improve the overall linearity, sensitivity, and absolute calibration performance of NIKA. This is proved on observations of point-like sources for which we obtain a best sensitivity (averaged over all valid detectors) of 40 and 14 mJy s1/2for optimal weather conditions for the 1.25 and 2.14 mm arrays, respectively. NIKA observations of well known extended sources (DR21 complex and the Horsehead nebula) are presented. This performance makes the NIKA camera a competitive astrophysical instrument.",

keywords = "Methods: observational, Submillimeter: ISM, Submillimeter: galaxies, Submillimeter: general",

author = "A. Catalano and M. Calvo and N. Ponthieu and R. Adam and A. Adane and P. Ade and P. Andr{\'e} and A. Beelen and B. Belier and A. Beno{\^i}t and A. Bideaud and N. Billot and N. Boudou and O. Bourrion and G. Coiffard and B. Comis and A. D'Addabbo and D{\'e}sert, {F. X.} and S. Doyle and J. Goupy and C. Kramer and S. Leclercq and Mac{\'i}as-P{\'e}rez, {J. F.} and J. Martino and Philip Mauskopf and F. Mayet and A. Monfardini and F. Pajot and E. Pascale and L. Perotto and V. Rev{\'e}ret and L. Rodriguez and G. Savini and K. Schuster and A. Sievers and C. Tucker and R. Zylka",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} ESO, 2014.",

year = "2014",

month = sep,

day = "1",

doi = "10.1051/0004-6361/201423557",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "569",

journal = "Astronomy and Astrophysics",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Performance and calibration of the NIKA camera at the IRAM 30 m telescope

AU - Catalano, A.

AU - Calvo, M.

AU - Ponthieu, N.

AU - Adam, R.

AU - Adane, A.

AU - Ade, P.

AU - André, P.

AU - Beelen, A.

AU - Belier, B.

AU - Benoît, A.

AU - Bideaud, A.

AU - Billot, N.

AU - Boudou, N.

AU - Bourrion, O.

AU - Coiffard, G.

AU - Comis, B.

AU - D'Addabbo, A.

AU - Désert, F. X.

AU - Doyle, S.

AU - Goupy, J.

AU - Kramer, C.

AU - Leclercq, S.

AU - Macías-Pérez, J. F.

AU - Martino, J.

AU - Mauskopf, Philip

AU - Mayet, F.

AU - Monfardini, A.

AU - Pajot, F.

AU - Pascale, E.

AU - Perotto, L.

AU - Revéret, V.

AU - Rodriguez, L.

AU - Savini, G.

AU - Schuster, K.

AU - Sievers, A.

AU - Tucker, C.

AU - Zylka, R.

PY - 2014/9/1

Y1 - 2014/9/1

N2 - The New IRAM KID Array (NIKA) instrument is a dual-band imaging camera operating with kinetic inductance detectors (KID) cooled at 100 mK. NIKA is designed to observe the sky at wavelengths of 1.25 and 2.14 mm from the IRAM 30 m telescope at Pico Veleta with an estimated resolution of 13? arcsec and 18 arcsec, respectively. This work presents the performance of the NIKA camera prior to its opening to the astrophysical community as an IRAM common-user facility in early 2014. NIKA is a test bench for the final NIKA2 instrument to be installed at the end of 2015. The last NIKA observation campaigns on November 2012 and June 2013 have been used to evaluate this performance and to improve the control of systematic effects. We discuss here the dynamical tuning of the readout electronics to optimize the KID working point with respect to background changes and the new technique of atmospheric absorption correction. These modifications significantly improve the overall linearity, sensitivity, and absolute calibration performance of NIKA. This is proved on observations of point-like sources for which we obtain a best sensitivity (averaged over all valid detectors) of 40 and 14 mJy s1/2for optimal weather conditions for the 1.25 and 2.14 mm arrays, respectively. NIKA observations of well known extended sources (DR21 complex and the Horsehead nebula) are presented. This performance makes the NIKA camera a competitive astrophysical instrument.

AB - The New IRAM KID Array (NIKA) instrument is a dual-band imaging camera operating with kinetic inductance detectors (KID) cooled at 100 mK. NIKA is designed to observe the sky at wavelengths of 1.25 and 2.14 mm from the IRAM 30 m telescope at Pico Veleta with an estimated resolution of 13? arcsec and 18 arcsec, respectively. This work presents the performance of the NIKA camera prior to its opening to the astrophysical community as an IRAM common-user facility in early 2014. NIKA is a test bench for the final NIKA2 instrument to be installed at the end of 2015. The last NIKA observation campaigns on November 2012 and June 2013 have been used to evaluate this performance and to improve the control of systematic effects. We discuss here the dynamical tuning of the readout electronics to optimize the KID working point with respect to background changes and the new technique of atmospheric absorption correction. These modifications significantly improve the overall linearity, sensitivity, and absolute calibration performance of NIKA. This is proved on observations of point-like sources for which we obtain a best sensitivity (averaged over all valid detectors) of 40 and 14 mJy s1/2for optimal weather conditions for the 1.25 and 2.14 mm arrays, respectively. NIKA observations of well known extended sources (DR21 complex and the Horsehead nebula) are presented. This performance makes the NIKA camera a competitive astrophysical instrument.

KW - Methods: observational

KW - Submillimeter: ISM

KW - Submillimeter: galaxies

KW - Submillimeter: general

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84907482022&partnerID=8YFLogxK

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84907482022&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1051/0004-6361/201423557

DO - 10.1051/0004-6361/201423557

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:84907482022

SN - 0004-6361

VL - 569

JO - Astronomy and Astrophysics

JF - Astronomy and Astrophysics

M1 - A9

ER -

Performance and calibration of the NIKA camera at the IRAM 30 m telescope

Abstract

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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