Energetic constraints on spectral distortions of the microwave background

Lacey, Cedric G.; Field, George B.

Abstract

The energetic constraints on mechanisms for producing the spectral distortion of the microwave background claimed by Matsumoto et al., (1988) are investigated in the light of the new upper bounds on the cosmological baryon density derived by Kawano et al., (1988) from primordial nucleosynthesis. The thermal emission from dust heated by stars at large redshift and Compton scattering by a hot intergalactic medium heated by supernova explosions are considered, and it is concluded that both mechanisms fail on energetic grounds if they rely on stars formed with the same mass function as is observed in the solar neighborhood.

Citation

Lacey, C. G., & Field, G. B. (1988). Energetic constraints on spectral distortions of the microwave background. Astrophysical Journal, 330(7), L1-L4. https://doi.org/10.1086/185191

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Publication Date: Jul 1, 1988
• Deposit Date: May 22, 2015
• Publicly Available Date: May 22, 2015
• Journal: Astrophysical Journal
• Print ISSN: 0004-637X
• Electronic ISSN: 1538-4357
• Publisher: American Astronomical Society
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 330
• Issue: 7
• Pages: L1-L4
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1086/185191
• Related Public URLs: http://adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-bib_query?bibcode=1988ApJ...330L...1L&db_key=AST