Measurements of the cosmic background radiation

Journal Article · Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1980 · Annu. Rev. Astron. Astrophys.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.aa.18.090180.002421· OSTI ID:6705315

Weiss, R

Measurements of the attributes of the 2.7-K microwave background radiation (CBR) are reviewed, with emphasis on the analytic phase of CBR studies. Methods for the direct measurement of the CBR spectrum are discussed. Attention is given to receivers, antennas, absolute receiver calibration, atmospheric emission and absorption, the galactic background contribution, the analysis of LF measurements, and recent HF observations of the CBR spectrum. Measurements of the large-angular-scale intensity distribution of the CBR (the most convincing evidence that the radiation is of cosmological origin) are examined, along with limits on the linear polarization of the CBR. A description is given of the NASA-sponsored Cosmic Background Explorer (COBE) satellite mission. The results of the COBE mission will be a set of sky maps showing, in the wave number range from 1 to 10,000 kaysers, the galactic background radiation due to synchrotron emission from galactic cosmic rays, to diffuse thermal emission from H II regions, and to diffuse thermal emission from interstellar and interplanetary dust, as well as a residue consisting of the CBR and whatever other cosmological background might exist.

• Research Organization: MIT, Cambridge, MA
• OSTI ID: 6705315
• Journal Information: Annu. Rev. Astron. Astrophys.; (United States), Vol. 18
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
BACKGROUND RADIATION
COSMIC RADIATION
AIRGLOW
CALIBRATION
DIRAC COSMOLOGY
MEASURING METHODS
MICROWAVE SPECTRA
RADIANT FLUX DENSITY
RADIO TELESCOPES
ANTENNAS
COSMOLOGY
ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT
ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT
EQUIPMENT
FLUX DENSITY
IONIZING RADIATIONS
RADIATIONS
RADIO EQUIPMENT
SPECTRA
TELESCOPES
640106* - Astrophysics & Cosmology- Cosmology