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 the intensity at 1.15 and 2.0 mm, and the polarisation at 1.15 mm. NIKA2 is built by an international consortium, led by the Institute Neel (Grenoble, France).

Contents

  1. NIKA2 Homepage
    1. Overview
    2. Call for proposals and time estimator for winter 2017/18
    3. Open Time Programs
    4. The five Guaranteed Time Large Programs
      1. Phase I
        1. Galactic Star Formation with NIKA2 - GASTON (122-16)
        2. The NIKA2 Cosmological Legacy Survey (N2CLS) (192-16)
        3. High-resolution tSZ observations of a large sample of clusters of galaxies (NIKA2SZ) (199-16)
      2. Phase II
        1. Interpreting the Millimetre Emission of Galaxies with IRAM and NIKA (IMEGIN) (160-16)
        2. Probing the B-Field in star-forming Filaments Using NIKA2-Pol (B-FUN) (015-17)
    5. Publications
    6. Technical Documentation
    7. Science runs
      1. s17 pool: 24-31 October 2017 (First NIKA2 pool week: Start of science observations)
      2. w18 pool weeks
        1. I: 16-23 January 2018
        2. II: 13-20 February 2018
        3. III: 13-20 March 2018
    8. Commissioning runs
      1. Phase I (October 2015 - April 2017)
      2. Phase II (June, November 2017)
    9. Support teams

NIKA2 in the web:

Overview

Band

Number of KIDs

Wavelength

Bandwidth

NEFD

HPBW

FoV

NIKA2 2 mm/150 GHz

616

2.00 mm

125-170 GHz

8 mJy*s1/2

17.7"

6.5'

NIKA2 1 mm/260 GHz

2x1140

1.15 mm

240-280 GHz

33 mJy*s1/2

11.2"

6.5'

Comments: The NEFDs and the half power beam widths are taken from Adam et al. (2017) presenting results from the commissioning. The NEFDs are extrapolated to a sky opacity of 0.

Call for proposals and time estimator for winter 2017/18

In the upcoming winter semester running from 1 December 2017 to 30 May 2018, NIKA2 will be offered to the community. Please check the call for proposals when it becomes available in August. The time estimator and an accompanying document has been updated here, accounting for the commissioning results described in Adam et al..

Open Time Programs

Summer semester 2017

Winter semester 2017/2018

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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. <5-Jul-2017>

Phase I

Galactic Star Formation with NIKA2 - GASTON (122-16)

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.

PI is Nicolas Peretto.

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The NIKA2 Cosmological Legacy Survey (N2CLS) (192-16)

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.

PIs: Guilaine Lagache, Alexandre Beelen, Nicolas Ponthieu

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High-resolution tSZ observations of a large sample of clusters of galaxies (NIKA2SZ) (199-16)

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.

PIs: Frédéric Mayet, Barbara Comis

Homepage: NIKA2LPSZ

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Phase II

Interpreting the Millimetre Emission of Galaxies with IRAM and NIKA (IMEGIN) (160-16)

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.

PI is Jonathan Davies

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Probing the B-Field in star-forming Filaments Using NIKA2-Pol (B-FUN) (015-17)

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.

PI: Philippe Andre

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Publications

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Technical Documentation

Science runs

s17 pool: 24-31 October 2017 (First NIKA2 pool week: Start of science observations)

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w18 pool weeks

I: 16-23 January 2018

II: 13-20 February 2018

III: 13-20 March 2018

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Commissioning runs

Phase I (October 2015 - April 2017)

Phase II (June, November 2017)

Support teams

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