AMiBA 2009

AMiBA in its 7-element compact configuration (2008) with 0.6-m antennas, as used for the first tranche of science and technology papers. The hexapod mount is in its stowed position. Note that some telescope enclosures on Mauna Kea are visible in the background.

AMiBA during its upgrade to 13 elements with 1.2-m antennas. Here the 10 antennas installed in mid-March 2009 are being tested for alignment. The hexapod mount is in its stowed position, and the slopes of Mauna Loa are visible in the background, behind the stowed clamshell enclosure.

Refereed papers from the 7-element AMiBA data-taking run in 2008. All have Bristol co-authors, and all had major Bristol input.

• AMiBA: first-year results for the Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effect
  Wu et al. (Modern Phys. Letters A 23, 1675; 2008)
• The Yuan-Tseh Lee AMiBA project
  Ho et al. (Modern Phys. Letters A 23, 1423; 2008)
• The Yuan-Tseh Lee array for microwave background anisotropy
  Ho et al. (ApJ 694, 1610; 2009)
• Array for microwave background anisotropy: observations, data analysis, and results for Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effects
  Wu et al. (ApJ 694, 1619; 2009)
• AMiBA: system performance
  Lin et al. (ApJ 694, 1629; 2009)
• Tests of AMiBA data integrity
  Nishioka et al. (ApJ 694, 1637; 2009)
• Mass and hot baryons in massive galaxy clusters from Subaru weak lensing and AMiBA Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effect observations
  Umetsu et al. (ApJ 694, 1643; 2009)
• The AMiBA hexapod telescope mount
  Koch et al. (ApJ 694, 1670; 2009)
• AMiBA: scaling relations between the integrated Compton y and X-ray derived temperature, mass, and luminosity
  Huang et al. (ApJ submitted; 2009)
• AMiBA: Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effect derived properties and scaling relations or massive galaxy clusters
  Liao et al. (ApJ submitted; 2009)
• Observing galaxy clusters with the AMiBA
  Lin et al. (ApJ submitted; 2009)
• Contamination of Sunyaev-Zel'dovich clusters in AMiBA observations
  Liu et al. (ApJ submitted; 2009)
• AMiBA 94 GHz SZE observations: an initial measurement of Ho
  Koch et al. (ApJ submitted; 2009)

One refereed paper prepares for the 13-element AMiBA data-taking run that will start later in 2009. Again Bristol authors had a major input (and the first author is a former student of Birkinshaw).

• Constraining intracluster gas models with AMiBA13
  Molnar et al. (ApJ submitted; 2009)

An example of a simulated AMiBA survey field is shown below. The top left shows the simulated SZ sky map, top right the same image with primordial CMB superimposed (and the colour scale flipped, so that the clusters appear as hot spots). At bottom left is the expected appearance of the field as observed with seven 1.2-m elements. At the bottom right is the expected appearance of the field as it will be seen by the 13 1.2-m element AMiBA, later in 2009. Circles mark 4-sigma detected clusters, and a three-week integration on the 1 square degree field is shown.

Many technical issues and reports associated with the AMiBA project are available on the AMiBA blog site or by following the links from the main AMiBA site .