MISTRAL and its KIDs
A. Paiella, P. de Bernardis, F. Cacciotti, A. Coppolecchia, S. Masi, Eleonora Barbavara, E. S. Battistelli, E. Carretti, F. Columbro, A. Cruciani, G. D’Alessandro, M. De Petris, F. Govoni, Giovanni Isopi, L. Lamagna, P. Marongiu, L. Mele, E. Molinari, M. Murgia, A. Navarrini, A. Orlati, Giorgio Pettinari, F. Piacentini, Tonino Pisanu, S. Poppi, G. Presta, Federico Radiconi
Abstract
Abstract The MIllimetric Sardinia radio Telescope Receiver based on Array of Lumped elements KIDs, MISTRAL, is a cryogenic W-band (77–103 GH) LEKID camera which will be integrated at the Gregorian focus of the 64 m aperture Sardinia Radio Telescope, in Italy, in Autumn 2022. This instrument, thanks to its high angular resolution ( $$\sim 13~{\mathrm{arcsec}}$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>∼</mml:mo> <mml:mn>13</mml:mn> <mml:mspace/> <mml:mi>arcsec</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> </mml:math> ) and the wide instantaneous field of view ( $$\sim 4~{\mathrm{arcmin}}$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>∼</mml:mo> <mml:mn>4</mml:mn> <mml:mspace/> <mml:mi>arcmin</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> </mml:math> ), will allow continuum surveys of the mm-wave sky with a variety of scientific targets, spanning from extragalactic astrophysics to solar system science. In this contribution, we will describe the design of the MISTRAL camera, with a particular focus on the optimisation and test of a prototype of the focal plane.