The balloon-borne large aperture submillimeter telescope: Blast

E. Pascale; P. A.R. Ade; J. J. Bock; E. L. Chapin; J. Chung; M. J. Devlin; S. Dicker; M. Griffin; J. O. Gundersen; M. Halpern; P. C. Hargrave; D. H. Hughes; J. Klein; C. J. MacTavish; G. Marsden; P. G. Martin; T. G. Martin; P. Mauskopf; C. B. Netterfield; L. Olmi; G. Patanchon; M. Rex; D. Scott; C. Semisch; N. Thomas; M. D.P. Truch; C. Tucker; G. S. Tucker; M. P. Viero; D. V. Wiebe

doi:10.1086/588541

The balloon-borne large aperture submillimeter telescope: Blast

E. Pascale, P. A.R. Ade, J. J. Bock, E. L. Chapin, J. Chung, M. J. Devlin, S. Dicker, M. Griffin, J. O. Gundersen, M. Halpern, P. C. Hargrave, D. H. Hughes, J. Klein, C. J. MacTavish, G. Marsden, P. G. Martin, T. G. Martin, P. Mauskopf, C. B. Netterfield, L. OlmiG. Patanchon, M. Rex, D. Scott, C. Semisch, N. Thomas, M. D.P. Truch, C. Tucker, G. S. Tucker, M. P. Viero, D. V. Wiebe

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

160 Scopus citations

Abstract

The Balloon-borne Large Aperture Submillimeter Telescope (BLAST) is a suborbital surveying experiment designed to study the evolutionary history and processes of star formation in local galaxies (including the Milky Way) and galaxies at cosmological distances. The BLAST continuum camera, which consists of 270 detectors distributed between three arrays, observes simultaneously in broadband (30%) spectral windows at 250, 350, and 500 μm. The optical design is based on a 2 m diameter telescope, providing a diffraction-limited resolution of 30″ at 250 μm. The gondola pointing system enables raster mapping of arbitrary geometry, with a repeatable positional accuracy of ∼30″; postflight pointing reconstruction to ≲5″ rms is achieved. The onboard telescope control software permits autonomous execution of a preselected set of maps, with the option of manual override. In this paper we describe the primary characteristics and measured in-flight performance of BLAST. BLAST performed a test flight in 2003 and has since made two scientifically productive long-duration balloon flights: a 100 hr flight from ESRANGE (Kiruna), Sweden to Victoria Island, northern Canada in 2005 June; and a 250 hr, circumpolar flight from McMurdo Station, Antarctica, in 2006 December.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	400-414
Number of pages	15
Journal	Astrophysical Journal
Volume	681
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1086/588541
State	Published - Jul 1 2008
Externally published	Yes

Keywords

Balloons
Galaxies: evolution
Instrumentation: miscellaneous
Stars: formation
Submillimeter

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Astronomy and Astrophysics
Space and Planetary Science

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10.1086/588541

Cite this

Pascale, E., Ade, P. A. R., Bock, J. J., Chapin, E. L., Chung, J., Devlin, M. J., Dicker, S., Griffin, M., Gundersen, J. O., Halpern, M., Hargrave, P. C., Hughes, D. H., Klein, J., MacTavish, C. J., Marsden, G., Martin, P. G., Martin, T. G., Mauskopf, P., Netterfield, C. B., ... Wiebe, D. V. (2008). The balloon-borne large aperture submillimeter telescope: Blast. Astrophysical Journal, 681(1), 400-414. https://doi.org/10.1086/588541

Pascale, E, Ade, PAR, Bock, JJ, Chapin, EL, Chung, J, Devlin, MJ, Dicker, S, Griffin, M, Gundersen, JO, Halpern, M, Hargrave, PC, Hughes, DH, Klein, J, MacTavish, CJ, Marsden, G, Martin, PG, Martin, TG, Mauskopf, P, Netterfield, CB, Olmi, L, Patanchon, G, Rex, M, Scott, D, Semisch, C, Thomas, N, Truch, MDP, Tucker, C, Tucker, GS, Viero, MP & Wiebe, DV 2008, 'The balloon-borne large aperture submillimeter telescope: Blast', Astrophysical Journal, vol. 681, no. 1, pp. 400-414. https://doi.org/10.1086/588541

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title = "The balloon-borne large aperture submillimeter telescope: Blast",

abstract = "The Balloon-borne Large Aperture Submillimeter Telescope (BLAST) is a suborbital surveying experiment designed to study the evolutionary history and processes of star formation in local galaxies (including the Milky Way) and galaxies at cosmological distances. The BLAST continuum camera, which consists of 270 detectors distributed between three arrays, observes simultaneously in broadband (30%) spectral windows at 250, 350, and 500 μm. The optical design is based on a 2 m diameter telescope, providing a diffraction-limited resolution of 30″ at 250 μm. The gondola pointing system enables raster mapping of arbitrary geometry, with a repeatable positional accuracy of ∼30″; postflight pointing reconstruction to ≲5″ rms is achieved. The onboard telescope control software permits autonomous execution of a preselected set of maps, with the option of manual override. In this paper we describe the primary characteristics and measured in-flight performance of BLAST. BLAST performed a test flight in 2003 and has since made two scientifically productive long-duration balloon flights: a 100 hr flight from ESRANGE (Kiruna), Sweden to Victoria Island, northern Canada in 2005 June; and a 250 hr, circumpolar flight from McMurdo Station, Antarctica, in 2006 December.",

keywords = "Balloons, Galaxies: evolution, Instrumentation: miscellaneous, Stars: formation, Submillimeter",

author = "E. Pascale and Ade, {P. A.R.} and Bock, {J. J.} and Chapin, {E. L.} and J. Chung and Devlin, {M. J.} and S. Dicker and M. Griffin and Gundersen, {J. O.} and M. Halpern and Hargrave, {P. C.} and Hughes, {D. H.} and J. Klein and MacTavish, {C. J.} and G. Marsden and Martin, {P. G.} and Martin, {T. G.} and P. Mauskopf and Netterfield, {C. B.} and L. Olmi and G. Patanchon and M. Rex and D. Scott and C. Semisch and N. Thomas and Truch, {M. D.P.} and C. Tucker and Tucker, {G. S.} and Viero, {M. P.} and Wiebe, {D. V.}",

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doi = "10.1086/588541",

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AU - Pascale, E.

AU - Ade, P. A.R.

AU - Bock, J. J.

AU - Chapin, E. L.

AU - Chung, J.

AU - Devlin, M. J.

AU - Dicker, S.

AU - Griffin, M.

AU - Gundersen, J. O.

AU - Halpern, M.

AU - Hargrave, P. C.

AU - Hughes, D. H.

AU - Klein, J.

AU - MacTavish, C. J.

AU - Marsden, G.

AU - Martin, P. G.

AU - Martin, T. G.

AU - Mauskopf, P.

AU - Netterfield, C. B.

AU - Olmi, L.

AU - Patanchon, G.

AU - Rex, M.

AU - Scott, D.

AU - Semisch, C.

AU - Thomas, N.

AU - Truch, M. D.P.

AU - Tucker, C.

AU - Tucker, G. S.

AU - Viero, M. P.

AU - Wiebe, D. V.

PY - 2008/7/1

Y1 - 2008/7/1

N2 - The Balloon-borne Large Aperture Submillimeter Telescope (BLAST) is a suborbital surveying experiment designed to study the evolutionary history and processes of star formation in local galaxies (including the Milky Way) and galaxies at cosmological distances. The BLAST continuum camera, which consists of 270 detectors distributed between three arrays, observes simultaneously in broadband (30%) spectral windows at 250, 350, and 500 μm. The optical design is based on a 2 m diameter telescope, providing a diffraction-limited resolution of 30″ at 250 μm. The gondola pointing system enables raster mapping of arbitrary geometry, with a repeatable positional accuracy of ∼30″; postflight pointing reconstruction to ≲5″ rms is achieved. The onboard telescope control software permits autonomous execution of a preselected set of maps, with the option of manual override. In this paper we describe the primary characteristics and measured in-flight performance of BLAST. BLAST performed a test flight in 2003 and has since made two scientifically productive long-duration balloon flights: a 100 hr flight from ESRANGE (Kiruna), Sweden to Victoria Island, northern Canada in 2005 June; and a 250 hr, circumpolar flight from McMurdo Station, Antarctica, in 2006 December.

AB - The Balloon-borne Large Aperture Submillimeter Telescope (BLAST) is a suborbital surveying experiment designed to study the evolutionary history and processes of star formation in local galaxies (including the Milky Way) and galaxies at cosmological distances. The BLAST continuum camera, which consists of 270 detectors distributed between three arrays, observes simultaneously in broadband (30%) spectral windows at 250, 350, and 500 μm. The optical design is based on a 2 m diameter telescope, providing a diffraction-limited resolution of 30″ at 250 μm. The gondola pointing system enables raster mapping of arbitrary geometry, with a repeatable positional accuracy of ∼30″; postflight pointing reconstruction to ≲5″ rms is achieved. The onboard telescope control software permits autonomous execution of a preselected set of maps, with the option of manual override. In this paper we describe the primary characteristics and measured in-flight performance of BLAST. BLAST performed a test flight in 2003 and has since made two scientifically productive long-duration balloon flights: a 100 hr flight from ESRANGE (Kiruna), Sweden to Victoria Island, northern Canada in 2005 June; and a 250 hr, circumpolar flight from McMurdo Station, Antarctica, in 2006 December.

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KW - Galaxies: evolution

KW - Instrumentation: miscellaneous

KW - Stars: formation

KW - Submillimeter

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JO - Astrophysical Journal

JF - Astrophysical Journal

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ER -

The balloon-borne large aperture submillimeter telescope: Blast

Abstract

Keywords

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