Development of a cryogenic continuous rotation mechanism for a polarization modulator in cosmic microwave background polarization experiment

• Project/Area Number: 17K14272
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Particle/Nuclear/Cosmic ray/Astro physics
• Research Institution: The University of Tokyo
• Principal Investigator: Sakurai Yuki 東京大学, カブリ数物連携宇宙研究機構, 特任研究員 (50780847)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2019-03-31
• Project Status: Completed (Fiscal Year 2018)
• Budget Amount: ¥4,160,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,200,000、Indirect Cost: ¥960,000); Fiscal Year 2018: ¥2,080,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,600,000、Indirect Cost: ¥480,000); Fiscal Year 2017: ¥2,080,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,600,000、Indirect Cost: ¥480,000)
• Keywords: CMB / インフレーション / 偏光変調器 / 半波長板 / 極低温 / 回転機構 / 超電導磁気軸受 / 同期モーター / CMB偏光 / 低温回転機構 / 低発熱 / 宇宙物理 / 宇宙マイクロ波背景放射 / 超伝導軸受

Outline of Final Research Achievements

One of the most important topics in current cosmology is the verification of the cosmic inflation theory. A polarization modulator is a key instrument in the search for the cosmic inflation since it enables to significantly reduce systematic uncertainties in cosmic microwave background (CMB) polarization measurement. The purpose of this research is the development of a cryogenic rotation mechanism used in the polarization modulator and to establish stable rotation with low heat dissipation at 10 K or less. We have fabricated small-sized and actual-sized prototypes of the cryogenic rotation mechanism. The prototypes are implemented a superconducting magnetic bearing and a synchronous motor developed for low heat dissipation. From the evaluation of the prototype performance, we showed the feasibility of a cryogenic rotation mechanism that satisfies the requirements of polarization modulators used in satellite and ground experiments.

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

宇宙のインフレーション理論は、現代宇宙論の未解決な問題を一挙に解決可能であるため、最重要研究課題の一つである。また、インフレーションのエネルギースケールは未到達である大統一理論（GUT）スケールに対応するため、高エネルギー物理学においても重要な意義を有する。インフレーションの実験的検証のためには、CMB偏光観測実験の高感度化、つまり偏光変調器の開発が必須である。本研究では、偏光変調器の主要部である極低温回転機構を開発し、実際の実験の要求を満たす実現性を示した。これにより、インフレーションの実験的検証に向けた装置開発において、大きく前進したと言える。

Research Products

• [Journal Article] Design and thermal characteristics of a 400mm diameter levitating rotor in a superconducting magnetic bearing operating below at 10K for a CMB polarization experiment (2018)
  • Author(s): Y. Sakurai, T. Matsumura, T. Iida, H. Kanai, N. Katayama, H. Imada, H. Ohsaki, Y. Terao， T. Shimomura, H. Sugai, H. Kataza, R. Yamamoto, S. Utsunomiya
  • Journal Title: Y. Sakurai, T. Matsumura, T. Iida, H. Kanai, N. Katayama, H. Imada, H. Ohsaki, Y. Terao， T. Shimomura, H. Sugai, H. Kataza, R. Yamamoto, S. Utsunomiya Volume: 未定 Issue: 4 Pages: 1-4
  • DOI: 10.1109/tasc.2018.2797302
  • Peer Reviewed / Int'l Joint Research
• [Journal Article] Development of a cryogenic remote sensing thermometer for CMB polarization experiment (2018)
  • Author(s): Y Sakurai, T. Matsumura, N. Katayama, H. Kanai, T. Iida
  • Journal Title: Proceedings of 29th IEEE International Symposium on Space THz Technology ISSTT2018 Volume: 29 Pages: 169-174
  • Open Access
• [Journal Article] Vibrational characteristics of a superconducting magnetic bearing employed for a prototype polarization modulator (2017)
  • Author(s): Y. Sakurai, T. Matsumura, H. Sugai, N. Katayama, H. Ohsaki, Y. Terao, Y. Terachi, H. Kataza, S. Utsunomiya, and R. Yamamoto
  • Journal Title: Journal of Physics Conference Series Volume: 871 Pages: 012091-012091
  • DOI: 10.1088/1742-6596/871/1/012091
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access
• [Journal Article] Estimation of the Heat Dissipation and the Rotor Temperature of Superconducting Magnetic Bearing Below 10 K (2017)
  • Author(s): Y. Sakurai, T. Matsumura, H. Kataza, S. Utsunomiya, and R. Yamamoto
  • Journal Title: IEEE Transactions on Applied Superconductivity Volume: 27 Issue: 4 Pages: 012011-012011
  • DOI: 10.1109/tasc.2017.2672688
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access / Int'l Joint Research
• [Journal Article] Numerical analysis of fundamental characteristics of superconducting magnetic bearings for a polarization modulator (2017)
  • Author(s): Y. Terachi, Y. Terao, H. Ohsaki, Y. Sakurai, T. Matsumura, H. Sugai, S. Utsunomiya, H. Kataza, and R. Yamamoto.
  • Journal Title: Journal of Physics Conference Series Volume: 871 Pages: 012094-012094
  • DOI: 10.1088/1742-6596/871/1/012094
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access
• [Journal Article] Thermal analysis of a prototype cryogenic polarization modulator for use in a space-borne CMB polarization experiment (2017)
  • Author(s): T. Iida. Y. Sakurai, T. Matsumura, H. Sugai, H. Imada, H. Kataza, H. Ohsaki, M. Hazumi, N. Katayama, R. Yamamoto, S. Utsunomiya, Y. Terao
  • Journal Title: IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering Volume: 278 Pages: 012011-012011
  • DOI: 10.1088/1757-899x/278/1/012011
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Presentation] LiteBIRD衛星計画低周波望遠鏡搭載に向けた偏光変調器の開発概要 (2019)
  • Author(s): 桜井雄基、松村知岳、片山伸彦、小松国幹、杉山真也、高久諒太
  • Organizer: 日本物理学会 第74回年次大会
• [Presentation] LiteBIRD科学衛星のための偏光変調器の開発状況 (2018)
  • Author(s): 桜井雄基、松村知岳、片山信彦、小松国幹、杉山真也、高久諒太
  • Organizer: 第18回宇宙科学シンポジウム
• [Presentation] Development of a cryogenic remote sensing thermometer for CMB polarization experiments (2018)
  • Author(s): Yuki Sakurai, Tomotake Matsumura, Nobuhiko Katayama, Hiroaki Kanai, Teruhito Iida
  • Organizer: 29th IEEE International Symposium on Space THz Technology ISSTT2018
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] Design and development of a polarization modulator unit based on a continuous rotating half-wave plate for LiteBIRD (2018)
  • Author(s): Yuki Sakurai et al.
  • Organizer: SPIE2018 Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] Development of a contactless cryogenic rotation mechanism employed for a polarization modulator unit in cosmic microwave background polarization experiments (2018)
  • Author(s): Yuki Sakurai, Tomotake Matsumura, Teruhito Iida, Kunimoto Komatsu, Nobuhiko Katayama, Hajime Sugai, Hiroyuki Ohsaki, Yutaka Terao, Yukimasa Hirota, Hisashi Enokida
  • Organizer: The 31st International Symposium on Superconductivity ISS2018
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] Development of a cryogenic remote sensing thermometer for CMB polarization experiments (2018)
  • Author(s): Y. Sakurai, T. Matsumura, N. Katayama, H. Kanai, T. Iida
  • Organizer: 29th IEEE International Symposium on Space THz Technology (ISSTT2018)
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] LiteBIRD: lite satellite for the study of B-mode polarization and inflation from cosmic microwave background radiation detection (2017)
  • Author(s): Y. Sakurai
  • Organizer: International Symposium on Cosmology and Particle Astrophysics (CosPA2017)
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] Design and thermal characteristics of a 400mm diameter levitating rotor in a superconducting magnetic bearing operating below at 10K for a CMB polarization experiment (2017)
  • Author(s): Y. Sakurai, T. Matsumura, T. Iida, H. Kanai, N. Katayama, H. Imada, H. Ohsaki, Y. Terao， T. Shimomura, H. Sugai, H. Kataza, R. Yamamoto, S. Utsunomiya
  • Organizer: 13th European Conference on Applied Superconductivity (EUCAS2017)
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] Design of the prototype SMB system for the space-borne polarimeter (2017)
  • Author(s): Y. Sakurai, T. Matsumura, N. Katayama, H. Ohsaki, Y. Terao, T. Shimomura, H. Kanai, H. Sugai, H. Imada, H. Kataza, S. Utsunomiya, R. Yamamoto
  • Organizer: The 10th International Workshop on Processing and Applications of Superconducting (RE)BCO Large Grain Materials (PASREG 2017)
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] 宇宙マイクロ波背景放射偏光観測実験のための偏光変調器用超電導軸受の発熱特性 (2017)
  • Author(s): 桜井雄基、松村知岳、飯田光人、片山伸彦、菅井肇、大崎博之、寺尾悠、寺地祐介、下村俊貴、今田大皓、山本亮、宇都宮真、片座宏一
  • Organizer: 第２９回「電磁力関連のダイナミクス」シンポジウム(SEAD29)