578 research outputs found
Determination of the Far-Infrared Cosmic Background Using COBE/DIRBE and WHAM Data
Determination of the cosmic infrared background (CIB) at far infrared
wavelengths using COBE/DIRBE data is limited by the accuracy to which
foreground interplanetary and Galactic dust emission can be modeled and
subtracted. Previous determinations of the far infrared CIB (e.g., Hauser et
al. 1998) were based on the detection of residual isotropic emission in skymaps
from which the emission from interplanetary dust and the neutral interstellar
medium were removed. In this paper we use the Wisconsin H-alpha Mapper (WHAM)
Northern Sky Survey as a tracer of the ionized medium to examine the effect of
this foreground component on determination of the CIB. We decompose the DIRBE
far infrared data for five high Galactic latitude regions into H I and H-alpha
correlated components and a residual component. We find the H-alpha correlated
component to be consistent with zero for each region, and we find that addition
of an H-alpha correlated component in modeling the foreground emission has
negligible effect on derived CIB results. Our CIB detections and 2 sigma upper
limits are essentially the same as those derived by Hauser et al. and are given
by nu I_nu (nW m-2 sr-1) < 75, < 32, 25 +- 8, and 13 +- 3 at 60, 100, 140, and
240 microns, respectively. Our residuals have not been subjected to a detailed
anisotropy test, so our CIB results do not supersede those of Hauser et al. We
derive upper limits on the 100 micron emissivity of the ionized medium that are
typically about 40% of the 100 micron emissivity of the neutral atomic medium.
This low value may be caused in part by a lower dust-to-gas mass ratio in the
ionized medium than in the neutral medium, and in part by a shortcoming of
using H-alpha intensity as a tracer of far infrared emission.Comment: 38 pages, 8 figures. Accepted for publication in Ap
Three-Year Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) Observations: Foreground Polarization
We present a full-sky model of polarized Galactic microwave emission based on
three years of observations by the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP)
at frequencies from 23 to 94 GHz. The model compares maps of the Stokes Q and U
components from each of the 5 WMAP frequency bands in order to separate
synchrotron from dust emission, taking into account the spatial and frequency
dependence of the synchrotron and dust components. This simple two-component
model of the interstellar medium accounts for at least 97% of the polarized
emission in the WMAP maps of the microwave sky. Synchrotron emission dominates
the polarized foregrounds at frequencies below 50 GHz, and is comparable to the
dust contribution at 65 GHz. The spectral index of the synchrotron component,
derived solely from polarization data, is -3.2 averaged over the full sky, with
a modestly flatter index on the Galactic plane. The synchrotron emission has
mean polarization fraction 2--4% in the Galactic plane and rising to over 20%
at high latitude, with prominent features such as the North Galactic Spur more
polarized than the diffuse component. Thermal dust emission has polarization
fraction 1% near the Galactic center, rising to 6% at the anti-center. Diffuse
emission from high-latitude dust is also polarized with mean fractional
polarization 0.036 +/- 0.011.Comment: 9 pages with 8 figures. For higher quality figures, see the version
posted at http://lambda.gsfc.nasa.gov/product/map/dr2/map_bibliography.cf
Nine-Year Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) Observations: Cosmological Parameter Results
We present cosmological parameter constraints based on the final nine-year
WMAP data, in conjunction with additional cosmological data sets. The WMAP data
alone, and in combination, continue to be remarkably well fit by a
six-parameter LCDM model. When WMAP data are combined with measurements of the
high-l CMB anisotropy, the BAO scale, and the Hubble constant, the densities,
Omegabh2, Omegach2, and Omega_L, are each determined to a precision of ~1.5%.
The amplitude of the primordial spectrum is measured to within 3%, and there is
now evidence for a tilt in the primordial spectrum at the 5sigma level,
confirming the first detection of tilt based on the five-year WMAP data. At the
end of the WMAP mission, the nine-year data decrease the allowable volume of
the six-dimensional LCDM parameter space by a factor of 68,000 relative to
pre-WMAP measurements. We investigate a number of data combinations and show
that their LCDM parameter fits are consistent. New limits on deviations from
the six-parameter model are presented, for example: the fractional contribution
of tensor modes is limited to r<0.13 (95% CL); the spatial curvature parameter
is limited to -0.0027 (+0.0039/-0.0038); the summed mass of neutrinos is <0.44
eV (95% CL); and the number of relativistic species is found to be 3.84+/-0.40
when the full data are analyzed. The joint constraint on Neff and the
primordial helium abundance agrees with the prediction of standard Big Bang
nucleosynthesis. We compare recent PLANCK measurements of the
Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effect with our seven-year measurements, and show their
mutual agreement. Our analysis of the polarization pattern around temperature
extrema is updated. This confirms a fundamental prediction of the standard
cosmological model and provides a striking illustration of acoustic
oscillations and adiabatic initial conditions in the early universe.Comment: 32 pages, 12 figures, v3: Version accepted to Astrophysical Journal
Supplement Series. Includes improvements in response to referee and
community; corrected 3 entries in Table 10, (w0 & wa model). See the Legacy
Archive for Microwave Background Data Analysis (LAMBDA):
http://lambda.gsfc.nasa.gov/product/map/current/ for further detai
Comparing the Mechanical Response of Di-, Tri-, and Tetra-functional Resin Epoxies with Reactive Molecular Dynamics
The influence of monomer functionality on the mechanical properties of epoxies is studied using Molecular Dynamics (MD) with the Reax Force Field (ReaxFF). From deformation simulations, the Youngs modulus, yield point, and Poissons ratio are calculated and analyzed. The results demonstrate an increase in stiffness and yield strength with increasing resin functionality. Comparison between the network structures of distinct epoxies is further advanced by the Monomeric Degree Index (MDI). Experimental validation demonstrates the MD results correctly predict the relationship in Youngs moduli. Therefore, ReaxFF is confirmed to be a useful tool for studying the mechanical behavior of epoxies
The Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) Source Catalog
We present the list of point sources found in the WMAP 5-year maps. The
technique used in the first-year and three-year analysis now finds 390 point
sources, and the five-year source catalog is complete for regions of the sky
away from the galactic plane to a 2 Jy limit, with SNR > 4.7 in all bands in
the least covered parts of the sky. The noise at high frequencies is still
mainly radiometer noise, but at low frequencies the CMB anisotropy is the
largest uncertainty. A separate search of CMB-free V-W maps finds 99 sources of
which all but one can be identified with known radio sources. The sources seen
by WMAP are not strongly polarized. Many of the WMAP sources show significant
variability from year to year, with more than a 2:1 range between the minimum
and maximum fluxes.Comment: 31 pages Latex with 4 embedded figures. Version accepted by the ApJ
Supplement
Seven-year Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) Observations: Galactic Foreground Emission
We present updated estimates of Galactic foreground emission using seven years of WMAP data. Using the power
spectrum of differences between multi-frequency template-cleaned maps, we find no evidence for foreground
contamination outside of the updated (KQ85y7) foreground mask.We place a 15μK upper bound on rms foreground
contamination in the cleaned maps used for cosmological analysis. Further, the cleaning process requires only three
power-law foregrounds outside of the mask. We find no evidence for polarized foregrounds beyond those from soft
(steep-spectrum) synchrotron and thermal dust emission; in particular we find no indication in the polarization data
of an extra “haze” of hard synchrotron emission from energetic electrons near the Galactic center. We provide an
updated map of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) using the internal linear combination method, updated
foreground masks, and updates to point source catalogs using two different techniques. With additional years of
data, we now detect 471 point sources using a five-band technique and 417 sources using a three-band CMB-free
technique. In total there are 62 newly detected point sources, a 12% increase over the five-year release. Also new
are tests of theMarkov chain Monte Carlo foreground fitting procedure against systematics in the time-stream data,
and tests against the observed beam asymmetry. Within a few degrees of the Galactic plane, the behavior in total
intensity of low-frequency foregrounds is complicated and not completely understood. WMAP data show a rapidly
steepening spectrum from 20 to 40 GHz, which may be due to emission from spinning dust grains, steepening
synchrotron, or other effects. Comparisons are made to a 1 deg 408 MHz map (Haslam et al.) and the 11 deg
ARCADE 2 data (Singal et al.).We find that spinning dust or steepening synchrotron models fit the combination of
WMAP and 408 MHz data equally well. ARCADE data appear inconsistent with the steepening synchrotron model
and consistent with the spinning dust model, though some discrepancies remain regarding the relative strength
of spinning dust emission. More high-resolution data in the 10–40 GHz range would shed much light on these
issues
Five-Year Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe Observations: Source Catalog
We present the list of point sources found in the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) five-year maps. The technique used in the first-year and three-year analyses now finds 390 point sources, and the five-year source catalog is complete for regions of the sky away from the Galactic plane to a 2 Jy limit, with SNR > 4.7 in all bands in the least covered parts of the sky. The noise at high frequencies is still mainly radiometer noise, but at low frequencies the cosmic microwave background (CMB) anisotropy is the largest uncertainty. A separate search of CMB-free V-W maps finds 99 sources of which all but one can be identified with known radio sources. The sources seen by WMAP are not strongly polarized. Many of the WMAP sources show significant variability from year to year, with more than a 2: 1 range between the minimum and maximum fluxes.NASA NNG05GE76G, NNX07AL75G S01, LTSA03-000-0090, ATPNNG04GK55G, ADP03-0000-092Astronom
The COBE Diffuse Infrared Background Experiment Search for the Cosmic Infrared Background: IV. Cosmological Implications
In this paper we examine the cosmological constraints of the recent DIRBE and
FIRAS detection of the extragalactic background light between 125-5000 microns
on the metal and star formation histories of the universe.Comment: 38 pages and 9 figures. Accepted for publications in The
Astrophysical Journa
The COBE Diffuse Infrared Background Experiment Search for the Cosmic Infrared Background: I. Limits and Detections
The DIRBE on the COBE spacecraft was designed primarily to conduct systematic
search for an isotropic CIB in ten photometric bands from 1.25 to 240 microns.
The results of that search are presented here. Conservative limits on the CIB
are obtained from the minimum observed brightness in all-sky maps at each
wavelength, with the faintest limits in the DIRBE spectral range being at 3.5
microns (\nu I_\nu < 64 nW/m^2/sr, 95% CL) and at 240 microns (\nu I_\nu < 28
nW/m^2/sr, 95% CL). The bright foregrounds from interplanetary dust scattering
and emission, stars, and interstellar dust emission are the principal
impediments to the DIRBE measurements of the CIB. These foregrounds have been
modeled and removed from the sky maps. Assessment of the random and systematic
uncertainties in the residuals and tests for isotropy show that only the 140
and 240 microns data provide candidate detections of the CIB. The residuals and
their uncertainties provide CIB upper limits more restrictive than the dark sky
limits at wavelengths from 1.25 to 100 microns. No plausible solar system or
Galactic source of the observed 140 and 240 microns residuals can be
identified, leading to the conclusion that the CIB has been detected at levels
of \nu I_\nu = 25+-7 and 14+-3 nW/m^2/sr at 140 and 240 microns respectively.
The integrated energy from 140 to 240 microns, 10.3 nW/m^2/sr, is about twice
the integrated optical light from the galaxies in the Hubble Deep Field,
suggesting that star formation might have been heavily enshrouded by dust at
high redshift. The detections and upper limits reported here provide new
constraints on models of the history of energy-releasing processes and dust
production since the decoupling of the cosmic microwave background from matter.Comment: 26 pages and 5 figures, accepted for publication in the Astrophyical
Journa
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