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The Spectrum of the Extragalactic Far-Infrared Background from the COBE* FIRAS Observations

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D. J. Fixsen1, E. Dwek2, J. C. Mather2, C. L. Bennett2 and R. A. Shafer2

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The COBE FIRAS data contain foreground emission from interplanetary, Galactic interstellar dust and extragalactic background emission. We use three different methods to separate the various emission components, and derive the spectrum of the extragalactic far-infrared background (FIRB). Each method relies on a different set of assumptions, which affect the FIRB spectrum in different ways. Despite this, the FIRB spectra derived by these different methods are remarkably similar. The average spectrum that we derive in the ν = 5-80 cm-1 (2000-125 μm) frequency interval is I(ν) = (1.3 ± 0.4) × 10-5(ν/ν0)0.64±0.12Pν(18.5 ± 1.2 K), where ν0 = 100 cm-10 = 100 μm), and P is the Planck function. The derived FIRB spectrum is consistent with the (DIRBE) 140 and 240 μm detections. The total intensity received in the 5-80 cm-1 frequency interval is 14 nW m-2 sr-1 and comprises about 20% of the total intensity expected from the energy release from nucleosynthesis throughout the history of the universe.


Footnote
*  The National Aeronautics and Space Administration Goddard Space Flight Center (NASA GSFC) is responsible for the design, development, and operation of the Cosmic Background Explorer (COBE). Scientific guidance is provided by the COBE Science Working Group. GSFC is also responsible for the development of the analysis software and for the production of the mission data sets.
Subject headings

cosmology: observations; diffuse radiation; infrared: general; interplanetary medium


Dates

Issue 1 (1998 November 20)

Received 1998 January 9, accepted for publication 1998 June 22



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