S.D. Friedman

Low-Frequency Measurements of the Cosmic Background Radiation Spectrum

The long-wavelength spectrum of the cosmic background radiation has been measured at five wavelengths (0.33, 0.9, 3.0, 6.3, and 12.0 cm). These measurements represent a continuation of the work reported by Smoot et al. (1983). The combine results have a weighted average of 2.73 {+-} 0.05 K and are consistent with past measurements. They limit the possible Compton distortion of the Cosmic Background Radiation spectrum to less than 8%.

The temperature of the cosmic microwave background radiation at a frequency of 10 GHz

We have measured the temperature of the cosmic microwave background radiation (CMBR) at a frequency of 10 GHz (wavelength 3.0 cm) as part of a larger effort to determine the spectrum of the CMBR in the Rayleigh-leans region. The instrument used is a superheterodyne Dicke-switched radiometer. We have repeated the measurement over four summers with successively improved techniques and equipment. Our best estimate of the CMBR thermodynamic temperature at 10 GHz is 2.61 ± 0.06 K, where the error estimate is a 68% confidence level limit. Subject headings: cosmic background radiation ..

New measurements of the cosmic background radiation temperature at 3. 3 millimeter wavelength

We have measured the temperature of the cosmic background radiation (CBR) at 3.3 mm wavelength in 1982, 1983, and 1984 as part of a larger project to determine the CBR temperature at five wavelengths from 12 cm to 3.3 mm (Smoot et al. 1985). The 3.3-mm measurements yield a brightness temperature of 2.57 K with a 1{sigma} uncertainty of 20.12 K. This paper describes the instrument, the measurement techniques, and the data-analysis procedures used. Our result is in good agreement with recent measurements at comparable wavelengths by Meyer and Jura (1985) and by Peterson, Richards, and Timusk (1985), but it disagrees with the temperatures reported by Woody and Richards (1981).

New multifrequency measurements of the spectrum of the cosmic background radiation

We have continued our program to measure the long-wavelength spectrum of the cosmic background radiation. Our previous observations were at five wavelengths--0.33, 0.9, 3.0, 6.3, and 12.0 cm--and had a weighted average value of 2.73 {+-} 0.05 K and deviated from a Planckian spectrum by less than 6%. In August 1984, we repeated our observations at 3.0, 0.9, and 0.33 cm and made new observations with a radiometer tunable from 1.7 to 15 cm. Preliminary analysis indicate that the new data are consistent with our previous results.