The Simons Observatory: Science goals and forecasts for the enhanced large aperture telescope

The Simons Observatory Collaboration, Abitbol, M. and Giardiello, Serena 2025. The Simons Observatory: Science goals and forecasts for the enhanced large aperture telescope. [Online]. arXiv: Cornell University. Available at: https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2503.00636

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Abstract

We describe updated scientific goals for the wide-field, millimeter-wave survey that will be produced by the Simons Observatory (SO). Significant upgrades to the 6-meter SO Large Aperture Telescope (LAT) are expected to be complete by 2028, and will include a doubled mapping speed with 30,000 new detectors and an automated data reduction pipeline. In addition, a new photovoltaic array will supply most of the observatory's power. The LAT survey will cover about 60% of the sky at a regular observing cadence, with five times the angular resolution and ten times the map depth of Planck. The science goals are to: (1) determine the physical conditions in the early universe and constrain the existence of new light particles; (2) measure the integrated distribution of mass, electron pressure, and electron momentum in the late-time universe, and, in combination with optical surveys, determine the neutrino mass and the effects of dark energy via tomographic measurements of the growth of structure at ; (3) measure the distribution of electron density and pressure around galaxy groups and clusters, and calibrate the effects of energy input from galaxy formation on the surrounding environment; (4) produce a sample of more than 30,000 galaxy clusters, and more than 100,000 extragalactic millimeter sources, including regularly sampled AGN light-curves, to study these sources and their emission physics; (5) measure the polarized emission from magnetically aligned dust grains in our Galaxy, to study the properties of dust and the role of magnetic fields in star formation; (6) constrain asteroid regoliths, search for Trans-Neptunian Objects, and either detect or eliminate large portions of the phase space in the search for Planet 9; and (7) provide a powerful new window into the transient universe on time scales of minutes to years, concurrent with observations from Rubin of overlapping sky.

Item Type:	Website Content
Date Type:	Submission
Status:	Submitted
Schools:	Schools > Physics and Astronomy
Additional Information:	Full list of authors/collaborators can be found on the webpage publication https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2503.00636
Publisher:	Cornell University
Last Modified:	10 Jul 2025 11:10
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/176678

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