PILOT is an experiment with a stratospheric balloon designed to measure
the thermal dust polarized emission at 240 microns which enables to
measure the geometry of the magnetic field in the Interstellar Medium
using multiplexed bolometric detectors developed by CEA for the Herschel
PACS mission. In this talk, we will describe the instrument and its
performances measured during the first two flights that took place in
2015 and 2017 from Canada and form Australia respectively.
We will discuss the first scientific results on the geometry of the
magnetic field in the central molecular zone of our Galaxy. We will
insist on the strict control of systematic instrumental effects crucial
for this type of measurements and the associated difficulties in the
data treatment and calibrations. Finally, we will talk of the future
PILOT project and in particular its evolution to COPILOT designed to
measure the integrated emission of the C+ line in the ISM and to become
a demonstrator of the detection chain for the SPICA-POL instrument.
Local contact: L. Rodriguez. Organization: M. Galametz
