Sub-Kelvin Cryogenics for a Super-Pressure Balloon-Borne CMB Polarimeter: Taurus

Abstract

Taurus is a balloon-borne cosmic microwave background (CMB) experiment designed to operate more than 10,000 transition-edge sensor bolometers at a base temperature near 100 mK during a multi-week stratospheric balloon flight. This platform provides near-space observing conditions while imposing stringent constraints on mass, power, and system robustness, driving the need for a lightweight and highly reliable cryogenic system. To meet these requirements, Taurus employs a multi-stage cryogenic architecture. A 660 L liquid helium tank provides a stable 4 K reservoir, with vapor-cooled shields establishing intermediate stages at approximately 40 K and 80 K. A superfluid helium tank provides an approximately 1.5 K takeoff point for the sub-Kelvin cooling systems. Each of the instrument's three receivers is supported by an independent sub-Kelvin cooling chain that includes closed-cycle 3He sorption refrigerators that cool to 300 mK. These provide the thermal intercept and takeoff for a Chase Research Cryogenics miniature dilution refrigerator that cools the detectors to approximately 100 mK. Here we discuss the requirements and challenges of the Taurus sub-Kelvin cryogenic system and present results of early performance tests.