Large-scale anisotropy of the cosmic microwave background radiation

Journal Article · Sun Mar 01 00:00:00 EST 1981 · Astrophys. J., Lett. Ed.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1086/183475· OSTI ID:6335898

Silk, J; Wilson, M L

Inhomogeneities in the large-scale distribution of matter inevitably lead to the generation of large-scale anisotropy in the cosmic background radiation. We have computed the dipole, quadrupole, and higher order fluctuations expected in an Einstein--de Sitter cosmological model. The dipole and quadrupole anisotropies are comparable to the measured values, and impose important constraints on the allowable spectrum of large-scale matter density fluctuations. A significant dipole anisotropy is generated by the matter distribution on scales > or approx. =100 Mpc. The large-scale anisotropy is insensitive to the ionization history of the universe since decoupling, and cannot easily be reconciled with a galaxy formation theory that is based on primordial adiabatic density functuations.

• Research Organization: Department of Astronomy, University of California, Berkeley
• OSTI ID: 6335898
• Journal Information: Astrophys. J., Lett. Ed.; (United States), Vol. 244:2
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
BACKGROUND RADIATION
ANISOTROPY
COSMIC RADIATION
COSMOLOGICAL MODELS
COSMOLOGY
FLUCTUATIONS
GALAXIES
GALAXY CLUSTERS
MASS
MICROWAVE RADIATION
SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION
DISTRIBUTION
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
IONIZING RADIATIONS
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
RADIATIONS
VARIATIONS
640101* - Astrophysics & Cosmology- Cosmic Radiation
640106 - Astrophysics & Cosmology- Cosmology