Large-Angular-Scale Anisotropy in the Cosmic BackgroundRadiation
We report the results of an extended series of airborne measurements of large-angular-scale anisotropy in the 3 K cosmic background radiation. Observations were carried out with a dual-antenna microwave radiometer operating at 33 GHz (0.89 cm wavelength) flown on board a U-2 aircraft to 20 km altitude. In eleven flights, between December 1976 and May 1978, the radiometer measured differential intensity between pairs of directions distributed over most of the northern hemisphere with an rms sensitivity of 47 mK Hz{sup -1/2}. The measurements show clear evidence of anisotropy that is readily interpreted as due to the solar motion relative to the sources of the radiation. The anisotropy is well fit by a first order spherical harmonic of amplitude 360 {+-} 50km sec{sup -1} toward the direction 11.2 {+-} 0.5 hours of right ascension and 19 {+-} 8 degrees declination. A simultaneous fit to a combined hypothesis of dipole and quadrupole angular distributions places a 1 mK limit on the amplitude of most components of quadrupole anisotropy with 90% confidence. Additional analysis places a 0.5 mK limit on uncorrelated fluctuations (sky-roughness) in the 3 K background on an angular scale of the antenna beam width, about 7 degrees.
- Research Organization:
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Director, Office of Science
- DOE Contract Number:
- DE-AC02-05CH11231
- OSTI ID:
- 893033
- Report Number(s):
- LBL-10964; TRN: US200625%%1
- Journal Information:
- The Astrophysical Journal, Vol. 244; Related Information: Journal Publication Date: 1981
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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