I. Sullivan

Publications (5)6.02 Total impact

• Article: The Cosmic Infrared Background Experiment (CIBER): The Wide-Field Imagers

  J. Bock, I. Sullivan, T. Arai, J. Battle, A. Cooray, V. Hristov, B. Keating, M. G. Kim, A. C. Lam, D. H. Lee, [......], T. Matsumoto, S. Matsuura, K. Mitchell-Wynne, U. W. Nam, T. Renbarger, J. Smidt, K. Suzuki, K. Tsumura, T. Wada, M. Zemcov
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  ABSTRACT: We have developed and characterized an imaging instrument to measure the spatial properties of the diffuse near-infrared extragalactic background light in a search for fluctuations from z > 6 galaxies during the epoch of reionization. The instrument is part of the Cosmic Infrared Background Experiment (CIBER), designed to observe the extragalactic background light above the Earth's atmosphere during a suborbital sounding rocket flight. The imaging instrument incorporates a 2x2 degree field of view, to measure fluctuations over the predicted peak of the spatial power spectrum at 10 arcminutes, and 7"x7" pixels, to remove lower redshift galaxies to a depth sufficient to reduce the low-redshift galaxy clustering foreground below instrumental sensitivity. The imaging instrument employs two cameras with \Delta \lambda / \lambda ~0.5 bandpasses centered at 1.1 and 1.6 microns to spectrally discriminate reionization extragalactic background fluctuations from local foreground fluctuations. CIBER operates at wavelengths where the electromagnetic spectrum of the reionization extragalactic background is thought to peak, and complements fluctuations measurements by AKARI and Spitzer at longer wavelengths. We have characterized the instrument in the laboratory, including measurements of the sensitivity, flat-field response, stray light performance, and noise properties. Several modifications were made to the instrument following a first flight in 2009 February. The instrument performed to specifications in subsequent flights in 2010 July and 2012 March, and the scientific data are now being analyzed.
  06/2012;
• Source

  Available from: Kohji Tsumura

  Article: The Cosmic Infrared Background Experiment (CIBER): The Low Resolution Spectrometer

  K Tsumura, T Arai, J. Battle, J. Bock, S Brown, A. Cooray, V. Hristov, B. Keating, M. G. Kim, D H Lee, [......], T Matsumoto, S Matsuura, K Murata, U. W. Nam, T. Renbarger, A Smith, I. Sullivan, K Suzuki, T Wada, M. Zemcov
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  ABSTRACT: Absolute spectrophotometric measurements of diffuse radiation at 1 \mu m to 2 \mu m are crucial to our understanding of the radiative content of the Universe from nucleosynthesis since the epoch of reionization, the composition and structure of the Zodiacal dust cloud in our solar system, and the diffuse galactic light arising from starlight scattered by interstellar dust. The Low Resolution Spectrometer (LRS) on the rocket-borne Cosmic Infrared Background Experiment (CIBER) is a \lambda / \Delta \lambda \sim 15-30 absolute spectrophotometer designed to make precision measurements of the absolute near-infrared sky brightness between 0.75 \mu m < \lambda < 2.1 \mu m. This paper presents the optical, mechanical and electronic design of the LRS, as well as the ground testing, characterization and calibration measurements undertaken before flight to verify its performance. The LRS is shown to work to specifications, achieving the necessary optical and sensitivity performance. We describe our understanding and control of sources of systematic error for absolute photometry of the near-infrared extragalactic background light.
  12/2011;
• Source

  Available from: Kohji Tsumura

  Article: The Cosmic Infrared Background Experiment (CIBER): A Sounding Rocket Payload to Study the Near Infrared Extragalactic Background Light

  M. Zemcov, T Arai, J. Battle, J. Bock, A. Cooray, V. Hristov, B. Keating, M. G. Kim, D H Lee, L. R. Levenson, P. Mason, T Matsumoto, S Matsuura, U. W. Nam, T. Renbarger, I. Sullivan, K Suzuki, K Tsumura, T Wada
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  ABSTRACT: The Cosmic Infrared Background Experiment (CIBER) is a suite of four instruments designed to study the near infrared (IR) background light from above the Earth's atmosphere. The instrument package comprises two imaging telescopes designed to characterize spatial anisotropy in the extragalactic IR background caused by cosmological structure during the epoch of reionization, a low resolution spectrometer to measure the absolute spectrum of the extragalactic IR background, and a narrow band spectrometer optimized to measure the absolute brightness of the Zodiacal light foreground. In this paper we describe the design and characterization of the CIBER payload. The detailed mechanical, cryogenic, and electrical design of the system are presented, including all system components common to the four instruments. We present the methods and equipment used to characterize the instruments before and after flight, and give a detailed description of CIBER's flight profile and configurations. CIBER is designed to be recoverable and has flown twice, with modifications to the payload having been informed by analysis of the first flight data. All four instruments performed to specifications during the second flight, and the scientific data from this flight are currently being analyzed.
  12/2011;
• Source

  Available from: Kohji Tsumura

  Article: Observations of the Near-infrared Spectrum of the Zodiacal Light with CIBER

  K. Tsumura, J. Battle, J. Bock, A. Cooray, V. Hristov, B. Keating, D. H. Lee, L. R. Levenson, P. Mason, T. Matsumoto, S. Matsuura, U. W. Nam, T. Renbarger, I. Sullivan, K. Suzuki, T. Wada, and M. Zemcov
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  ABSTRACT: Interplanetary dust (IPD) scatters solar radiation which results in the zodiacal light that dominates the celestial diffuse brightness at optical and near-infrared wavelengths. Both asteroid collisions and cometary ejections produce the IPD, but the relative contribution from these two sources is still unknown. The low resolution spectrometer (LRS) onboard the Cosmic Infrared Background ExpeRiment (CIBER) observed the astrophysical sky spectrum between 0.75 and 2.1 μm over a wide range of ecliptic latitude. The resulting zodiacal light spectrum is redder than the solar spectrum, and shows a broad absorption feature, previously unreported, at approximately 0.9 μm, suggesting the existence of silicates in the IPD material. The spectral shape of the zodiacal light is isotropic at all ecliptic latitudes within the measurement error. The zodiacal light spectrum, including the extended wavelength range to 2.5 μm using Infrared Telescope in Space (IRTS) data, is qualitatively similar to the reflectance of S-type asteroids. This result can be explained by the proximity of S-type asteroidal dust to Earth's orbit, and the relatively high albedo of asteroidal dust compared with cometary dust.
  The Astrophysical Journal 07/2010; 719(1):394. · 6.02 Impact Factor
• Article: The Cosmic Infrared Background Experiment (CIBER): Instrumentation and First Results

  M. Zemcov, J. Battle, J. Bock, A. Cooray, V. Hristov, B. Keating, D H Lee, L. Levenson, P. Mason, T Matsumoto, S Matsuura, U. W. Nam, T. Renbarger, I. Sullivan, K Suzuki, K Tsumura, T Wada
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  ABSTRACT: Ultraviolet emission from the first generation of stars in the Universe ionized the intergalactic medium in a process which was completed by z similar to 6; the wavelength of these photons has been redshifted by (1 + z) into the near infrared today and can be measured using instruments situated above the Earth's atmosphere. First flying in February 2009, the Cosmic Infrared Background ExpeRiment (CIBER) comprises four instruments housed in a single reusable sounding rocket borne payload. CIBER will measure spatial anisotropies in the extragalactic IR background caused by cosmological structure from the epoch of reionization using two broadband imaging instruments, make a detailed characterization of the spectral shape of the IR background using a low resolution spectrometer, and measure the absolute brightness of the Zodiacal light foreground with a high resolution spectrometer in each of our six science fields. The scientific motivation for CIBER and details of its first and second flight instrumentation will be discussed. First flight results on the color of the zodiacal light around 1 mu m and plans for the future will also be presented.