Atacama B-Mode Search

The Atacama B-Mode Search telescope operates at 145 GHz frequency with 240 polarization-sensitive detectors to measure cosmic microwave background radiation at 5200 meters elevation.

From February 2012 to October 2014, this scientific installation collected data about polarization patterns from the early universe to investigate cosmic inflation theories.

Multiple research institutions, including Princeton University, Johns Hopkins University, and Chilean organizations, formed an international coalition to operate this advanced cosmic observatory.

The telescope installation fits within a standard shipping container, which enabled efficient transport to its remote location in northern Chile's high-altitude desert.

The installation uses a rotating sapphire half-wave plate at ambient temperature, spinning at 2.55 Hz to filter atmospheric interference from cosmic signals.

Location: Atacama Desert

Elevation above the sea: 5,200 m

Website: http://princeton.edu/physics/research/cosmology-experiment/abs-experiment

GPS coordinates: -22.95970,-67.78720

Latest update: March 13, 2025 09:27