SUPERCONDUCTING DETECTORS FOR COSMOLOGY AND ASTROPHYSICS

Progress in astrophysics and cosmology is closely tied to the sensitivity of telescopes and instruments. A recent example is provided by the measurements of the CMB anisotropy made by experiments such as Boomerang, DASI, and now WMAP, which were enabled by progress in the underlying HEMT amplifier and bolometer detector technologies. In the future, the measurement of the polarization of the CMB may provide information about the inflationary epoch in the very early universe. To achieve this, it will be necessary to improve CMB instrument sensitivities by several orders of magnitude. I will describe a variety of ways in which the interesting and unusual properties of superconductors are being exploited in order to deliver the required advances in sensitivity. In addition, I will also highlight other astrophysical applications of superconducting detectors, particularly at long wavelengths.