The short wavelength instrument for the polarization explorer balloon-borne experiment: Polarization modulation issues
In this paper we investigate the impact of using a polarization modulator in The Short Wavelength Instrument for the Polarization Explorer (SWIPE) of the large scale polarization explorer (LSPE). The experiment is optimized to measure the linear polarization of the cosmic microwave background at large angular scales during a circumpolar long-duration stratospheric balloon mission, and uses multimode bolometers cooled to.3 K. The 330 detectors cover three bands at 140, 220, and 240 GHz.