4 research outputs found
Sources of Radiation in the Early Universe: The Equation of Radiative Transfer and Optical Distances
We have derived the radiative-transfer equation for a point source with a
specified intensity and spectrum, originating in the early Universe between the
epochs of annihilation and recombination, at redshifts z_\s =10^8\div 10^4.
The direct radiation of the source is separated from the diffuse radiation it
produces. Optical distances from the source for Thomson scattering and
bremsstrahlung absorption at the maximum of the thermal background radiation
are calculated as a function of the redshift z.The distances grow sharply with
decreasing z, approaching asymptotic values, the absorption distance increasing
more slowly and reaching their limiting values at lower z. For the adopted z
values, the optical parameters of the Universe can be described in a flat model
with dusty material and radiation, and radiative transfer can be treated in a
grey approximation.Comment: 14 pages, 2 figure