QMASK
Wiener-filtered QMASK map.
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QMASK Angular power spectrum.
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QMASK Uncorrelated measurements of the CMB power spectrum.
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Comparison of the QMAP and Saskatoon experiments on different angular scales.
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OverviewQMASK (QMAp and SK) combined data from the QMAP and Saskatoon (SK) experiments, a project made possible because the two experiments shared the same frequencies and similar sky footprints. The combination was intended to produce a reliable CMB power spectrum estimate with both large and intermediate angular scale information. While smaller-scale features help constrain cosmological parameters, accurate measurements on larger angular scales remain essential for validation and parameter estimation. The QMASK data were used to analyze the angular power spectrum and investigate potential scale-dependent systematic effects, including instrumental and observational uncertainties that may distort the observed fluctuations. Foreground contamination in the CMB data had been previously quantified for the Saskatoon experiment and QMAP maps using template cross-correlation methods, showing that such effects contributed only minimally to the angular power spectrum, primarily on large scales. The assumption of Gaussianity in the CMB signal was supported by QMASK analyses. To identify experiment-specific systematic errors, overlapping regions of QMASK and Saskatoon data were compared. The approach emphasized consistency tests that incorporated both amplitude and phase information to provide stronger constraints on potential systematic effects. The QMASK angular power spectrum was provided as six bandpowers from ell = 40 - 335. However, the project recommended using only the first four bandpowers (ℓ ∼ < 200), for cosmological model constraints. Experiment Information:
The archived QMASK website can be viewed HERE. |
