NIKA2 Homepage

The New IRAM KID Array 2 (NIKA2) is a dual-band camera operating with three frequency-multiplexed kilopixels arrays of Lumped Element Kinetic Inductance Detectors (LEKID) cooled at 150mK. NIKA2 is designed to observe simultaneously the intensity at 1.15 and 2.0 mm. In addition, it allows for polarisation observations at 1.15 mm. NIKA2 is built by an international consortium, led by the Institute Neel (Grenoble, France).

NIKA2 in the web:

• NIKA2 website at IPAG

• NIKA2-internal wiki at IRAM-FR.

Overview

Comments: The NEFDs and the half power beam widths are taken from Adam et al. (2018) presenting results from the commissioning. The NEFDs are extrapolated to a sky opacity of 0.

NIKA2 observing time estimator

For the upcoming semesters, the NIKA2 time estimator has been updated, together with an accompanying document describing the approach and giving examples. Please find it here.

Open Time Programs

Summer 2018, Winter 2017/2018, Summer 2017

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The five Guaranteed Time Large Programs

Four Large Programs for NIKA2 in guaranteed time were submitted to the Program Committee for the deadline in September 2016, and one for the March 2017 deadline. All 5 have been rated high by the PC and will be observed. Here, we provide the proposal abstracts together with the list of sources and map sizes. These are "fenced" against new continuum 2mm/1mm mapping projects at the 30m or NOEMA.

The three large programs in Phase I have started observations in October 2017. <15-Dec-2017>

• Source list

  • NIKA2-GT-LPs-21jun2017.pdf

  • NIKA2-GT-LPs-21jun2017.xls

• Phase I

  • Galactic Star Formation with NIKA2 - GASTON (122-16) PI is Nicolas Peretto. Abstract: The IMF is a fundamental global output of the star formation process, and the question of its origin and universality has been a long-standing open issue. While the base of the IMF (0.1 to 1 Msun) may result from Jeans-like fragmentation of interstellar filaments, the problem of how the most extreme stellar objects (brown dwarfs, intermediate- and high-mass stars) build up their masses remains unsettled. The high-sensitivity and fast mapping capability of the NIKA2 camera offer the unique opportunity to detect large populations of low-brightness sources, and probe star-forming regions as never before. We propose to use this new instrument to: i. perform a complete survey of pre-brown-dwarf cores in two nearby star-forming regions, ii. map the intertwined populations of interstellar filaments and intermediate to high-mass cores within rich galactic plane star-forming regions; iii. use the dual band capability of NIKA2 at 1.2mm and 2mm to constrain the dust properties in a broad range of environments and reduce mass uncertainties by a factor of 3. Altogether, these observations will provide new insight on the earliest stages of star formation across both ends of the stellar IMF.

  • The NIKA2 Cosmological Legacy Survey (N2CLS) (192-16) PIs: Guilaine Lagache, Alexandre Beelen, Nicolas Ponthieu Abstract: Using 300h of the NIKA2 Guaranteed Time, we will map the star formation at high redshift in two of the most popular fields. N2CLS will reach for the first time the confusion noise at the 30m, in 160 square arcminutes in GOODS-N. In COSMOS, N2CLS sensitivity will at least match or outperform the sensitivity of the S2CLS survey at 850 microns on 0.5 square degree. N2CLS will detect hundreds of dust-obscured optically-faint galaxies during their major episodes of formation in the early universe. It will fully open a new window on the faint and high-redshift dusty Universe and answer the outstanding issue of whether dusty star-formation contributes to early galaxy evolution. It will uniquely probe the transition at z~3-4 of the cosmic star-formation history between the predominantly unobscured growth in the early Universe and the obscured star formation, driven by the build-up of the most massive galaxies during the peak of cosmic assembly. The availability of this uniquely large sample of mm-selected galaxies with superb supporting multi-wavelength data will provide the opportunity to address the history of star formation, dust production and the growth of large-scale structures.

  • High-resolution tSZ observations of a large sample of clusters of galaxies (NIKA2SZ) (199-16) PIs: Frédéric Mayet, Barbara Comis Homepage: NIKA2LPSZ Abstract: The development of precision cosmology with clusters of galaxies requires high angular resolution observations to extend the understanding of galaxy clusters towards high redshift. The NIKA2 camera at the IRAM 30 m telescope is the only instrument currently in operation that is suited for this kind of observations, given its resolution, sensitivity and dual-band observation capability. We intend to observe a large sample of clusters of galaxies at high redshift (0.5 < z < 0.9), selected from the Planck and ACT catalogs. We have formed a representative cluster sample for redshift evolution and cosmological studies, with a homogeneous coverage in cluster mass as reconstructed from the integrated Compton parameter. We will use the SZ-dedicated pipeline that we have developed for the SZ observation with the NIKA camera. Our primary objective is to produce unprecedented high-quality deliverables (tSZ maps and pressure profiles) for all clusters of the sample. NIKA2 data will be complemented with ancillary data including X-ray, optical and radio observations. The full dataset will lead to significant improvements on the use of clusters of galaxies to draw cosmological constraints.

• Phase II

  • Interpreting the Millimetre Emission of Galaxies with IRAM and NIKA (IMEGIN) (160-16) PI is Jonathan Davies Abstract: The mm part of the spectrum is one of the least explored parts of a galaxy’s spectral energy distribution (SED), yet it contains emission from three fundamentally important physical processes. These processes are thermal emission from dust, free-free emission from ionized gas and synchrotron emission from charged particles moving in the galactic magnetic field. We are proposing to use the NIKA2 camera to observe a sample of 22 nearby galaxies that also have considerable ancillary data across the SED from the radio to the ultra-violet. We will investigate the dust emissivity, the relationship between the three physical processes and their relation to star formation and the gas-to-dust ratio. As the sample galaxies are of large angular size we will be able to carry out this project in a spatially resolved way and hence investigate the different environments found within galaxies.

  • Probing the B-Field in star-forming Filaments Using NIKA2-Pol (B-FUN) (015-17) PI: Philippe Andre Abstract: Recent Herschel and Planck observations of Galactic interstellar clouds support a paradigm of star formation in which magnetized filaments play a central role. Herschel results indicate that most cores/stars form in dense, supercritical filaments of ~0.1 pc width, and Planck polarization data suggest that the formation and evolution of these filaments is largely controlled by magnetic fields. The low resolution of Planck polarization data is however insufficient to probe individual cores along filaments and understand the role of B fields in filament evolution and fragmentation. To make decisive progress in this area, we propose a 1.2 mm polarimetric imaging survey with NIKA2-POL of ~8 nearby star-forming filaments spanning a range of line masses from marginally supercritical to highly supercritical. The proposed observations will constrain the role of magnetic fields in channeling matter from filaments to prestellar cores and will determine whether the B field remains roughly perpendicular to the filaments, as observed by Planck on larger scales, or becomes more parallel to the filaments in their dense interior, which would have profound implications for core formation.

Publications

• Instrument/detectors papers:
  • NIKA2

    • Adam et al. 2018, The NIKA2 large field-of-view millimeter continuum camera for the 30-m IRAM telescope, arxiv A&A

    • Catalano et al. 2016, The NIKA2 commissioning campaign: performance and first results, arxiv

    • Calvo et al. 2016, The NIKA2 instrument, a dual-band kilopixel KID array for millimetric astronomy, arxiv

  • NIKA

    • Bourrion et al. 2016, NIKEL_AMC: Readout electronics for the NIKA2 experiment, arxiv

    • Ritacco et al. 2016, First polarised light with the NIKA camera, JLTP, Volume 184, Issue 3-4, pp. 724-732, 08/2016 arxiv

    • Goupy et al. 2016, Microfabrication technology for large LEKID arrays : from NIKA2 to future applications, arxiv

    • Monfardini et al. 2014, Latest NIKA Results and the NIKA-2 Project, JLTP 176, 787, arxiv

    • Catalano et al. 2014, Performance and calibration of the NIKA camera at the IRAM 30 m telescope, A&A 569, A9, arxiv

    • Calvo et al. 2013, Improved mm-wave photometry for kinetic inductance detectors, A&A, 551, L12 ADS

    • Bourrion et al. 2012, NIKEL: Electronics and data acquisition for kilopixels kinetic inductance camera, Journal of Instrumentation, 7, 07, pp. 7014. arXiv

    • Monfardini et al. 2011, A Dual-band Millimeter-wave Kinetic Inductance Camera for the IRAM 30 m Telescope, ApJS, 194, 2, article id. 24. arXiv

    • Internal list of technical papers

• Astronomical papers:
  • NIKA2

    • Ruppin et al. 2018, First Sunyaev-Zel'dovich mapping with NIKA2: implication of cluster substructures on the pressure profile and mass estimate, A&A, 2018, 26, 615, astro-ph

  • NIKA

    • Adam, R. et al. 2018, Sub-structure and merger detection in resolved NIKA Sunyaev-Zel'dovich images of distant clusters, A&A (614, A118)

    • Romero, C. et al. 2018, A multi-instrument non-parametric reconstruction of the electron pressure profile in the galaxy cluster CLJ1226.9+3332, A&A (613, 39)

    • Rigby, A., Peretto, N., et al. 2018, A NIKA view of two star-forming infrared dark clouds: Dust emissivity variations and mass concentration, astro-ph A&A, 615, A18

    • Ritacco, A., Macias Perez, J.-F., Ponthieu, N. et al. 2018, NIKA 150 GHz polarization observations of the Crab nebula and its spectral energy distribution, A&A, 616, A35

    • Adam et al. 2017, Mapping the hot gas temperature in galaxy clusters using X-ray and Sunyaev-Zel'dovich imaging, A&A, 606, 64 ADS

    • Bracco et al. 2017, Probing changes of dust properties along a chain of solar-type prestellar and protostellar cores in Taurus with NIKA, A&A, 604, 52 ADS

    • Ritacco, A., Ponthieu, N, Catalano, A., et al, 2017, Polarimetry at millimeter wavelengths with the NIKA camera: calibration and performance, A&A 599, A34, ADS

    • Ruppin, F., Adam, R., Comis, B., et al. 2016, Non parametric deprojection of NIKA SZ observations: pressure distribution in the Planck-discovered cluster PSZ1 G045.85+57.71, A&A, in press ADS

    • Adam, R., Bartalucci, I., Pratt, G. W., et al. 2016, Mapping the kinetic Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effect toward MACS J0717.5+3745 with NIKA, A&A, ADS

    • Adam, R., Comis, B., Bartalucci, I., et al. 2016, High angular resolution Sunyaev-Zel'dovich observations of MACS J1423.8+2404 with NIKA: Multiwavelength analysis, A&A, 586, 122 ADS

    • Adam, R., Comis, B., Macias-Perez, J.-F., et al, 2015, Pressure distribution of the high-redshift cluster of galaxies CL J1226.9+3332 with NIKA, A&A, 576, A12 ADS

    • Adam, R., Comis, B., Macias-Perez, J.-F, et al, 2014, First observation of the thermal Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effect with kinetic inductance detectors, A&A, 569, 66 ADS

  • NIKA related papers

    • Aumont, J., Macias Perez, J.-F., Ritacco, A., Ponthieu, N., Mangilli, A., 2018, Absolute calibration of the polarisation angle for future CMB B-mode experiments from current and future measurements of the Crab nebula, (submitted to A&A) arxiv

• Ph.D. thesis:

  • Rémi Adam (2012-2015) - Advisors: J.F. Macías-Pérez and F.X. Désert (Observation des amas de galaxies par effet Sunyaev-Zel'dovich et de la polarisation du fond diffus cosmologique : de Planck à NIKA (in French))

  • Alessia Ritacco (2013-2016) - Advisors: J.F. Macías-Pérez, Alessandro Monfardini, Andrea Catalano, Nicolas Ponthieu (Polarimetry at millimeter wavelengths with the instruments NIKA and NIKA2)

• Talks:

  • Alessia Ritacco, November 2016, Polarimetry at Millimeter wavelengths with NIKA and NIKA2 ritacco-seminar-nika2-nov2016.pdf

• NIKA2 publications list maintained at IPAG

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Technical Documentation

• Cryostat & Electronics

  • Pulse Tube Adjustment, M.Calvo, Jan-2017

  • Guide to replace electronic boxes for thermometer readout

  • Instrument-related documentation page

  • Documentation on Cryostat, Cooling procedure, etc. by the Granada Receiver Group (internal)

  • Spectral bands

• Network

  • Computer Network, M.Calvo, June-2017

  • Remote network access to nika2-a computer

• Acquisition and tuning

  • Data Acquisition: HOWTO, M.Calvo, Feb-2017

  • Data Acquisition: Recovery, M.Calvo, Mar-2018

  • Tuning procedure and data flagging description, M.Calvo, Feb-2016

  • Checking Noise traces

• Observations

  • Pool observations provides information on the observing modes offered for NIKA2 and examples of the scripts that you must prepare to observe your project.

  • Observing session provides an example of a typical session with NIKA2 at the 30m telescope.

  • Pointing sources and calibrators provides a list of pointing sources and calibrators.

• Data reduction
  • IDL pipeline

Science runs (October 2017 - October 2018)

• Accepted projects in open time and in guaranteed time.

• See the progress of observations in the Pool data base and in TAPAS. Both databases are synchronized and can be used to write/read a logsheet.

• Observing session Page

• Science Runs Winter 2017

• 2-9 October 2018 - s18 Pool #1 [= Cryo Run 36, 21^th of NIKA2]

  • Observers and staff at the telescope

  • Daily Reports

  • Day to day logbook : Pipeline RTA logbook (Quicklook plots table)

  • Calibration : Calibration Observation Plan & Summary

• 30 October -6 November 2018 - s18 Pool #2 [= Cryo Run 37, 22^th of NIKA2]

  • Observers and staff at the telescope

  • Daily Reports

  • Day to day logbook : Pipeline RTA logbook (Quicklook plots table)

  • Calibration : Calibration Observation Plan & Summary

• 20-27 November 2018 - s18 Pool #3 [= Cryo Run 38, 24^th of NIKA2]

  • Observers and staff at the telescope

  • Daily Reports

  • Day to day logbook : Pipeline RTA logbook (Quicklook plots table)

  • Calibration : Calibration Observation Plan & Summary

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Commissioning runs

Phase I (October 2015 - April 2017)

• 1^st run of NIKA2 (test): 29-October-2015 till 10-November-2015. Installation, cool down at the 30m, testing/debugging/developing. [= Run 13 of a NIKA instrument ; numbering useful for analysis software, count numbers of cooling down the cryostat <=> Cryo Run]

  • Go to the 1st run Wiki page

  • Private Wiki detailing the organization of the run and the instrument characterization plan

• 2^nd run of NIKA2 (test): 24-November-2015 till 02-December-2015. Continue tests started during run 1, in particular Beam maps and NEFD with the 13 NIKEL boards assembled the last days of run 1. [= Run 14 of a NIKA instrument <=> Cryo Run 14]

  • Go to the 2nd run Wiki page

• 3^rd run of NIKA2 (test): 12-January-2016 till 01-February-2016. Implementation of new NIKEL boards; the 20 data lines of NIKA2 are foreseen to be plugged simultaneously. With the 3 arrays fully read, continue and redo tests started with runs 1 & 2, in particular Beam maps and NEFD. [= Run 15 of a NIKA instrument]

  • Go to the 3rd run Wiki page

• 4^th run of NIKA2 (test): 1-March-2016 till 15-March-2016. Continue tests started with previous runs, in particular investigate deeper beam patterns (XY focus, beam maps), synchronization, array 1 & 3 performances vs electronic boards, NEFD, mapping strategies. [= Run 16 of a NIKA instrument]

  • Go to the 4th run Wiki page

• Dark run: 4-May-2016. Test sensitivity of NIKA2 to external electromagnetic perturbations, with the entrance window of the cryostat closed. [= Run 17 of a NIKA instrument]

• 5^th run of NIKA2 (test): 16-September-2016 till 11-October-2016. Upgrade NIKA2 with new dichroic, new corrugated lenses and window, new 2mm array, new NIKEL boards (get the 20 lines with homogeneous electronics, v3); redo better the tests started with previous runs (mostly beam maps in best weather conditions, but also various types of scan to investigate deeper beams and noise, synchronization, NEFD, skydips, mapping strategies, possibly polarization. [= Run 18 of a NIKA instrument]

  • Go to the 5th run Wiki page

• 6^th run of NIKA2 (test): 25-October-2016 till 1-November-2016. Continue NIKA2 commissioning. [= Run 19 of a NIKA instrument]

  • Go to the 6th run Wiki page

• 7^th run of NIKA2 (test): 6-December-2016 till 13-December-2016. Test DRO based external calibrator, continue NIKA2 commissioning. [= Run 20 of a NIKA instrument]

  • Go to the 7th run Wiki page

• 8^th run of NIKA2 (test): 9-January-2017 to 13-January-2017, then 23-January to 27-January. Reverse array 1 lens to smooth version + adjust fixation of cold mirrors block (M7-M8) to get better radio alignment of the internal optics (degraded during run 5 intervention), short test on sky to see effect of the intervention. [= Run 21 of a NIKA instrument]

  • Go to the 8th run Wiki page

• 9^th run of NIKA2 (test): 21-February-2017 to 28-February-2017. Resume NIKA2 commissioning after run 8 intervention. [= Run 22 of a NIKA instrument]

  • Go to the 9th run Wiki page

• 10^th run of NIKA2 (test): 18-April-2017 to 25-April-2017. End of commissioning phase 1, science verification. [= Cryo Run 23]

  • Go to the 10th run Wiki page

Phase II (June 2017 - September 2018)

• 11^th run of NIKA2 (test): 8-June-2017 to 13-June-2017. Start commissioning phase 2: polarization. [= Cryo Run 24]

  • Go to the 11th run Wiki page

• 13^th run of NIKA2 (test): 21-November-2017 to 28-November-2017. Continuation of commissioning in polarization mode. [= Cryo Run 26]

  • Go to the 13th run Wiki page

• 16^th run of NIKA2 (test): 6 to 13-March-2018. Continuation of commissioning in polarization mode. [= Cryo Run 29] (Run lost due to bad weather)

  • Go to the 16th run Wiki page

• 19^th run of NIKA2 (test): 12 to 17-June-2018. Continuation of commissioning in polarisation mode (redo run 16 lost due to bad weather). + Spectral characterization with a Martin Puplett (named PIMP): 18 to 22 June 2018.

  • Go to the 19th run Wiki page

• Change of dichroic: 27 to 29-August-2018. Results of June's PIMP measurement; remove 2nd dichroic and install 3rd dichroic; preparation of PIMP upgrade.

  • Go to the Wiki page

• 20^th run of NIKA2 (test): 5-6 September and 18 to 25-September-2018. Performance characterization after replacement of the dichroic. [/!\: Sep 5-6 dichroic = Cryo Run 33 ; Sep 5-6 polar = Cryo Run 34 ; Sep 18-25 = Cryo Run 35]

  • Go to the 20th run Wiki page

• 23^rd run of NIKA2 (test): 13 to 20-November-2018. Continuation of polarisation commissioning. [ = Cryo Run 38]

  • Go to the 20th run Wiki page

Support teams

• Overall coordinator:

  • Samuel Leclercq (IRAM/Grenoble, <leclercq@iram.fr>)

• NIKA2 team:

  • Alessandro Monfardini <monfardini@neel.cnrs.fr> (PI, IN)

  • Alain Benoit <alain.benoit@grenoble.cnrs.fr>

  • François-Xavier Désert <francois-xavier.desert@univ-grenoble-alpes.fr> (IPAG)

  • Martino Calvo <martino.calvo@neel.cnrs.fr> (IN)

  • Johannes Goupy <johannes.goupy@neel.cnrs.fr> (IN)

  • Nicolas Ponthieu <nicolas.ponthieu@univ-grenoble-alpes.fr> (IPAG)

  • Juan Macias-Perez <macias@lpsc.in2p3.fr> (LPSC)

  • Andrea Catalano <catalano@lpsc.in2p3.fr> (LPSC)

  • Laurence Perotto <laurence.perotto@lpsc.in2p3.fr> (LPSC)

• IRAM/Granada NIKA2 support team:

  • Carsten Kramer (30m Station Manager and Scheduler, <kramer@iram.es>)

  • Alessia Ritacco (commissioning of polarization capabilities, <ritaccoa@iram.es>)

  • Bilal Ladjelate (NIKA2 Pool manager, <ladjelate@iram.es>)

  • Albrecht Sievers (IMBfits/Data, <sievers@iram.es>)

  • Hans Ungerechts (NCS/pako, <ungerechts@iram.es>)

  • Pablo Mellado, Francesco Pierfederici (Computers/Network, <mellado@iram.es>, <fpierfed@iram.es>)

  • Santiago Navarro, Dave John (Cryostat, <john@ira.es>, <navarro@iram.es>)

• IRAM/Grenoble NIKA2 support team:

  • Samuel Leclercq (Coordinator, Optics <leclercq@iram.fr>)

  • Robert Zylka (Data Processing Software, <zylka@iram.fr>)

  • Eduard Driessen (Detectors, <driessen@iram.fr>)

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Created: 2015.AUG.05 by Israel Hermelo. This page is maintained by AR, SL, CK, and the NIKA2 team.