Galaxies 09: Assembly, Gas Content and Star Formation History of Galaxies
Brian Mason
NRAO
MUSTANG, a 3mm bolometer array for the GBT
The Multiplexed SQUID TES Array for Ninety Gigahertz (MUSTANG) is a 90
GHz bolometer camera built for use as a facility instrument on the
100-meter Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope (GBT). MUSTANG comprises
an 8 by 8 focal plane of transition edge superconductor bolometers
read out using time-domain multiplexed SQUID electronics. It operates
at the Gregorian focus of the GBT in a rotating turret housing seven
other receivers. Initial engineering observations took place in late
2006 and substantial improvements to the instrument have since been
made. Two open calls for shared-risk proposals have been made in
2008; for the June 1, 2009, MUSTANG was available for general use on
the GBT and it will be available in future proposal calls. In the
near future we aim to install a larger, lower-noise detector array in
MUSTANG. Since the multiplexing electronics have substantial unused
capacity, this detector array could readily have 4 times as many
pixels as the current array and would require minimal ancillary
changes to the receiver. MUSTANG is a pathfinder for a large-format
bolometer array on the GBT. Having successfully dealt with the major
risks such an instrument would face we are now making plans for its
construction. We present an overview of the instrument, some early
science results, and our development plans for the future.
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