# Scientific optimization of a ground-based CMB polarization experiment Source: [Scientific optimization of a ground-based CMB polarization experiment]() Collection index: [llms.txt]() Data updated: 2025-10-24T05:38:51.010Z Authors: M. Bowden, A. N. Taylor, K. M. Ganga, P. A. R. Ade, J. J. Bock, G. Cahill, J. E. Carlstrom, S. E. Church, W. K. Gear, J. R. Hinderks, W. Hu, B. G. Keating, J. Kovac, A .E. Lange, E. M. Leitch, O. E. Mallie, S. J. Melhuish, J. A. Murphy, L. Piccirillo, C. Pryke, B. A. Rusholme, C. O'Sullivan, K. Thompson Published: 2003-09-23T11:05:42.000Z ## Abstract We investigate the science goals achievable with the upcoming generation of ground-based Cosmic Microwave Background polarization experiments and calculate the optimal sky coverage for such an experiment including the effects of foregrounds. We find that with current technology an E-mode measurement will be sample-limited, while a B-mode measurement will be detector-noise-limited. We conclude that a 300 sq deg survey is an optimal compromise for a two-year experiment to measure both E and B-modes, and that ground-based polarization experiments can make an important contribution to B-mode surveys. Focusing on one particular experiment, QUaD, a proposed bolometric polarimeter operating from the South Pole, we find that a ground-based experiment can make a high significance measurement of the acoustic peaks in the E-mode spectrum, and will be able to detect the gravitational lensing signal in the B-mode spectrum. Such an experiment could also directly detect the gravitational wave component of the B-mode spectrum if the amplitude of the signal is close to current upper limits. We also investigate how a ground-based experiment can improve constraints on the cosmological parameters. We estimate that by combining two years of QUaD data with the four-year WMAP data, an optimized ground-based polarization experiment can improve constraints on cosmological parameters by a factor of two. If the foreground contamination can be reduced, the measurement of the tensor-to-scalar ratio can be improved by up to a factor of six over that obtainable from WMAP alone. ## Recorded benchmark results A research result applies to its stated dataset, split, metric and evaluation configuration. Compare like-for-like settings, preserve the metric's unit and direction, and distinguish paper-reported results from independent reproduction. The best result recorded here is not a claim of exhaustive, current global coverage. ## Original sources and implementation [Original paper]() [PDF]()