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Astrophysics and Astronomy

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University of Massachusetts Amherst

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Instrumentation

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The Aztec Millimeter-Wave Camera: Design, Integration, Performance, And The Characterization Of The (Sub-)Millimeter Galaxy Population, Jason Edward Austermann May 2009

The Aztec Millimeter-Wave Camera: Design, Integration, Performance, And The Characterization Of The (Sub-)Millimeter Galaxy Population, Jason Edward Austermann

Open Access Dissertations

One of the primary drivers in the development of large format millimeter detector arrays is the study of sub-millimeter galaxies (SMGs) - a population of very luminous high-redshift dust-obscured starbursts that are widely believed to be the dominant contributor to the Far-Infrared Background (FIB). The characterization of such a population requires the ability to map large patches of the (sub-)millimeter sky to high sensitivity within a feasible amount of time. I present this dissertation on the design, integration, and characterization of the 144-pixel AzTEC millimeter-wave camera and its application to the study of the sub-millimeter galaxy population. In particular, I …