The Microwave Background Radiation: Recent Advances and New Problems

Abstract

AbstractThe substantially improved intensity measurements at wavelengths longward of the intensity peak of the microwave background are fully consistent with a Planck spectrum. The most precise data disagree with non-relativistic comptonization models for the large submillimeter excess observed by the Nagoya-Berkeley collaboration. The interpretation of such excess as dust emission at high redshifts also faces severe difficulties. Reported anisotropies on scales of several degrees and of tens of arcsec may be contributed, at least in part, by discrete sources. Just because the best experiments at cm wavelengths nave already got close to the source confusion limit, they also provide interesting information on the large scale distribution of radio sources. Polarimetry may be decisive in clarifying the origin of observed fluctuations.