Research database

In the framework of the thermodynamics of SU(2) Yang-Mills theory, a preconfining phase in electromagnetic propagation at microwave frequency and low temperature has been proposed as a possible explanation for the anomalies observed in the cosmic microwave background radiation. This research project aims to experimentally test this fundamental conjecture by developing an absolute cryogenic radiometer set up in a laboratory on Earth. The experiment will be designed to measure the total radiation emitted by a blackbody at temperatures between 8 K and 28 K over the frequency band ranging from 4 GHz to 20 GHz. The same experiment will realize a primary radiation thermometry technique suitable for determining the thermodynamic temperature, which is of interest for the direct dissemination of the kelvin upon its recent redefinition in the International System of Units (SI). This new definition is based on the attribution of a fixed exact value to the Boltzmann constant. The experiment must result sufficiently precise and accurate, which requires state-of-the art capabilities in radiometry, low-temperature measurements and microwave engineering. These requirements are addressed by an experienced consortium which brings together the competences and the facilities available at the National Metrological Institute of Italy (INRiM) and the expertise of the Department of Electronics and Telecommunications (DET) at the Politecnico di Torino.