NASA Logo

NTRS

NTRS - NASA Technical Reports Server

Back to Results
Interpretation of the Arcade 2 Absolute Sky Brightness MeasurementWe use absolutely calibrated data between 3 and 90 GHz from the 2006 balloon flight of the ARCADE 2 instrument, along with previous measurements at other frequencies to constrain models of extragalactic emission. Such emission is a combination of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) monopole, Galactic foreground emission, the integrated contribution of radio emission from external galaxies, any spectral distortions present in the CMB, and any other extragalactic source. After removal of estimates of foreground emission from our own Galaxy, and an estimated contribution of external galaxies, we present fits to a combination of the flat-spectrum CMB and potential spectral distortions in the CMB. We find 217 upper limits to CMB spectral distortions of u < 6x10(exp -4) and [Y(sub ff)] < 1x10(exp -4). We also find a significant detection of a residual signal beyond that, which can be explained by the CMB plus the integrated radio emission from galaxies estimated from existing surveys. This residual signal may be due to an underestimated galactic foreground contribution, an unaccounted for contribution of a background of radio sources, or some combination of both. The residual signal is consistent with emission in the form of a power law with amplitUde 18.4 +/- 2.1 K at 0.31 GHz and a spectral index of -2.57 +/- 0.05.
Document ID
20110015337
Acquisition Source
Goddard Space Flight Center
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
Authors
Seiffert, M.
(Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Fixsen, D. J.
(Maryland Univ. Baltimore County Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Kogut, A.
(Maryland Univ. Baltimore County Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Levin, S. M.
(Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Limon, M.
(Columbia Astrophysics Lab. New York, NY, United States)
Lubin, P. M.
(California Univ. Santa Barbara, CA, United States)
Mirel, P.
(Wyle Information Systems Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Singal, J.
(Kavli Inst. for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology Menlo Park, CA, United States)
Villela, T.
(Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espacias Sao Jose dos Campos, Brazil)
Wollack, E.
(Maryland Univ. Baltimore County Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Wuensche, C. A.
(Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espacias Sao Jose dos Campos, Brazil)
Date Acquired
August 25, 2013
Publication Date
June 10, 2011
Publication Information
Publication: The Astrophysical Journal
Volume: 734
Issue: 6
Subject Category
Astrophysics
Report/Patent Number
GSFC.JA.4867.2011
Funding Number(s)
CONTRACT_GRANT: CNPq 305219-2004-9
CONTRACT_GRANT: CNPq 307433/2004-8-FA
CONTRACT_GRANT: CNPq 466184/00-0
CONTRACT_GRANT: CNPq 303637/2007-2-FA
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

Available Downloads

There are no available downloads for this record.
No Preview Available