The MAP specification is for equal noise sensitivity per frequency band. If Galactic emission is negligible at high latitudes above 40 GHz, as was the case for COBE, the sensitivity achievable by combining the three highest frequency channels is ~20 uK per 0.3 x 0.3 degree pixel.
The MAP specification calls for an equal noise sensitivity per frequency band of 35 uK per 0.3 x 0.3 degree square pixel. The mission duration required to meet this specification is one year of continuous observation. If Galactic emission is negligible at high latitudes above 40 GHz, as was the case for COBE, the sensitivity achievable by combining the three highest frequency channels is ~20 uK per 0.3 x 0.3 degree pixel.
The following table gives the specified sensitivity for each of the five MAP frequency bands.
| Frequency | 22 GHz | 30 GHz | 40 GHz | 60 GHz | 90 GHz |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Specification | 35 | 35 | 35 | 35 | 35 |
The corresponding sensitivity to the angular power spectrum, obtained with simple analytic formulae, is illustrated in the following plots which show the predicted power spectra for a number of competing structure formation models. The gray band straddling the solid (CDM) curve indicates the MAP sensitivity after combining the three highest frequency channels, adopting a sky cut of 20 degrees galactic latitude (66% coverage) and averaging the spectrum with a bandwidth of delta_l = 10 in spherical harmonic order. The first plot shows the error band for the baseline specifications, the second plots shows the sensitivity with the sensitivity and resolution of the current design.
MAP power spectrum sensitivity (current design):
The curves plotted above correspond to a standard CDM model (solid), a highly reionized CDM model (dot-dash), an open CDM model (dotted), and a primordial baryon isocurvature (PBI) model (dashed).
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Last updated: Friday, 05-21-1999
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