''LiteBIRD'' (Lite (Light) satellite for the studies of B-mode polarization and Inflation from cosmic background Radiation Detection) is a planned small space observatory that aims to detect the footprint of the primordial gravitational wave on the
cosmic microwave background
The cosmic microwave background (CMB, CMBR), or relic radiation, is microwave radiation that fills all space in the observable universe. With a standard optical telescope, the background space between stars and galaxies is almost completely dar ...
(CMB) in a form of polarization pattern called
B-mode.
''LiteBIRD'' and
OKEANOS were the two finalists for Japan's second Large-Class Mission.
[INVESTIGATION OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM DISK STRUCTURE DURING THE CRUISING PHASE OF THE SOLAR POWER SAIL MISSION.]
(PDF). T. Iwata, T. Okada, S. Matsuura, K. Tsumura, H. Yano, T. Hirai, A. Matsuoka, R. Nomura, D. Yonetoku, T. Mihara, Y. Kebukawa, M. ito, M. Yoshikawa, J. Matsu-moto, T. Chujo, and O. Mori. 49th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference 2018 (LPI Contrib. No. 2083). In May 2019, LiteBIRD was selected by the
Japanese space agency.
''LiteBIRD'' is planned to be launched in 2032 with an
H3 launch vehicle for three years of observations at the Sun-Earth
Lagrangian point
In celestial mechanics, the Lagrange points (; also Lagrangian points or libration points) are points of equilibrium (mechanics), equilibrium for small-mass objects under the gravity, gravitational influence of two massive orbit, orbiting b ...
L2.
Overview
Cosmological inflation is the leading theory of the first instant of the
universe
The universe is all of space and time and their contents. It comprises all of existence, any fundamental interaction, physical process and physical constant, and therefore all forms of matter and energy, and the structures they form, from s ...
, called the
Big Bang theory. Inflation postulates that the universe underwent a period of rapid expansion an instant after its formation, and it provides a convincing explanation for cosmological observations.
[LiteBird Science]
. JAZA/ISAS. Accessed 6 October 2018. The primordial gravitational waves are expected to be imprinted in the CMB polarization map as special patterns, called the
B-mode.
Measurements of
polarization of the CMB radiation are considered as the best probe to detect the primordial gravitational waves,
[ that could bring a profound knowledge on how the Universe began, and may open a new era of testing theoretical predictions of ]quantum gravity
Quantum gravity (QG) is a field of theoretical physics that seeks to describe gravity according to the principles of quantum mechanics. It deals with environments in which neither gravitational nor quantum effects can be ignored, such as in the v ...
, including those by the superstring theory
Superstring theory is an attempt to explain all of the particles and fundamental forces of nature in one theory by modeling them as vibrations of tiny supersymmetric strings.
'Superstring theory' is a shorthand for supersymmetric string t ...
.
. JAXA/ISAS. Accessed: 8 October 2018.
Telescopes
In order to separate CMB from the galactic emission, the measurements will cover 40 GHz to 400 GHz during a 3-year full sky survey using two telescopes on ''LiteBIRD''.
The Low Frequency Telescope (LFT) covers 40 GHz to 235 GHz, and the High Frequency Telescope (HFT) covers 280 GHz to 400 GHz. LFT has a 400 mm aperture
Crossed-Dragone telescope, and HFT has a 200 mm aperture on-axis refractor with two silicon lenses.
[ The baseline design considers an array of 2,622 superconducting polarimetric detectors.][LiteBIRD instrumentation]
. JAXA/ISAS. Accessed: 6 October 2018. The entire optical system will be cooled down to approximately to minimize the thermal emission,
See also
* POLARBEAR
* BICEP and Keck Array
References
External links
LiteBIRD Official home page
LiteBird System Overview
from 2012
{{DEFAULTSORT:LiteBIRD
2030s in spaceflight
Proposed spacecraft
Satellites of Japan
Space telescopes
Physical cosmology
Cosmic microwave background experiments