University of Cambridge
Blind and pointed Sunyaev-Zel'dovich observations with the Arcminute Microkelvin Imager
Abstract
dc:description.abstractIn this thesis I discuss my work on the Arcminute Microkelvin Imager (AMI). I focus on the detection of Sunyaev-Zel’dovich (SZ) signatures at 14-18GHz. Once the background science and operation of the instrument are described I proceed to present my contribution to the calibration of AMI, including: primary beam measurements; refinements to the known antenna geometry and flagging geostationary satellite interference. This is followed by an outline of the software that I have developed to subtract sources from visibilities, concatenate data from multiple observations, simulate data, and perform jack-knife tests to evaluate the magnitude of systematic errors. The Bayesian analysis that I use to obtain parameter estimates and to quantify the significance of putative SZ detections is described. I perform realistic simulations of clusters and use these to characterise the analysis. I then, for the first time, apply the analysis to data from the AMI blind cluster survey. I identify several previously unknown SZ decrements. Finally, I conduct pointed observations towards a high luminosity subsample of eight clusters from the Local Cluster Substructure Survey (LoCuSS). For each of these I provide probability distributions of parameters such as mass, radius, and temperature. I compare my results to those in the literature and find an overall agreement.
Degree
thesis:*- Name dc:type.qualificationname
- Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
- Level dc:type.qualificationlevel
- Doctoral
- Grantor dc:publisher.institution
- University of Cambridge
- Year dc:date.issued
- 2011
Author and committee
dc:creator, dc:contributor.*- Author dc:creator
-
- Shimwell, Timothy William
Subjects
dc:subject × 2Rights
dc:rightsIdentifiers
dc:identifier.*- DOI dc:identifier.doi
- https://doi.org/10.17863/CAM.16580
- OAI identifier oai:identifier
- oai:www.repository.cam.ac.uk:1810/241039