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Interpretation of the COBE FIRAS CMBR spectrumThe cosmic microwave background radiation (CMBR) spectrum measured by the Far-Infrared Absolute Spectrophotometer (FIRAS) instrument on NASA's Cosmic Background Explorer (COBE) is indistinguishable from a blackbody, implying stringent limits on energy release in the early universe later than the time t = 1 yr after the big bang. We compare the FIRAS data to previous precise measurements of the cosmic microwave background spectrum and find a reasonable agreement. We discuss the implications of the absolute value of y is less than 2.5 x 10(exp -5) and the absolute value of mu is less than 3.3 x 10(exp -4) 95% confidence limits found by Mather et al. (1994) on many processes occurring after t = 1 yr, such as explosive structure formation, reionization, and dissipation of small-scale density perturbations. We place limits on models with dust plus Population III stars, or evolving populations of IR galaxies, by directly comparing the Mather et al. spectrum to the model predictions.
Document ID
19950040017
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
External Source(s)
Authors
Wright, E. L.
(UCLA, Los Angeles, CA United States)
Mather, J. C.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Fixsen, D. J.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Kogut, A.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Shafer, R. A.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Bennett, C. L.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Boggess, N. W.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Cheng, E. S.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Silverberg, R. F.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Smoot, G. F.
(UCLA, Los Angeles, CA United States)
Date Acquired
August 16, 2013
Publication Date
January 10, 1994
Publication Information
Publication: The Astrophysical Journal, Part 1
Volume: 420
Issue: 2
ISSN: 0004-637X
Subject Category
Astrophysics
Accession Number
95A71616
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

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