Engineering topics

Smoot, George F.

Publications and source records attributed to Smoot, George F..

5 records

NASA NTRS1992

Cosmic microwave background probes models of inflation

Inflation creates both scalar (density) and tensor (gravity wave) metric perturbations. We find that the tensor-mode contribution to the cosmic microwave background anisotropy on large-angular scales can only exceed that of the scalar mode in models where the spectrum of perturbations deviates significantly from scale invariance. If the tensor mode dominates at large-angular scales, then the value of DeltaT/T predicted on 1 deg is less than if the scalar mode dominates, and, for cold-dark-matter models, bias factors greater than 1 can be made consistent with Cosmic Background Explorer (COBE) DMR results.

Davis, Richard L.↗

NASA NTRS1992

An overview of the Cosmic Background Explorer (COBE) and its observations - New sky maps of the early universe

This paper discusses the three instruments aboard NASA's Cosmic Background Explorer (COBE) satellite and presents early results obtained from the first six months of observations. The three instruments (FIRAS, DMR, and DIRBE) have operated well and produced significant new results. The FIRAS measurement of the CMB spectrum supports the standard Big Bang model. The maps made from the DMR instrument measurements show a spatially smooth early universe. The maps of galactic and zodiacal emission produced by the DIRBE instrument are needed to identify the foreground emissions from extragalactic and thus to interpret its and the other COBE results in terms of events in the early universe.

Smoot, George F.↗

NASA NTRS1992

COBE DMR results and implications

This lecture presents early results obtained from the first six months of measurements of the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) by Differential Microwave Radiometers (DMR) aboard COBE and discusses significant cosmological implications. The DMR maps show the dipole anisotropy and some galactic emission but otherwise a spatially smooth early universe. The measurements are sufficiently precise that we must pay careful attention to potential systematic errors. Maps of galactic and local emission such as those produced by the FIRAS and DIRBE instruments will be needed to identify foregrounds from extragalactic emission and thus to interpret the results in terms of events in the early universe. The current DMR results are significant for Cosmology.

Smoot, George F.↗

NASA NTRS1991

The temperature of the cosmic microwave background radiation at 3.8 GHz - Results of a measurement from the South Pole site

As part of an international collaboration to measure the low-frequency spectrum of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) radiation, its temperature was measured at a frequency of 3.8 GHz, during the austral spring of 1989, obtaining a brightness temperature, T(CMB), of 2.64 +/-0.07 K (68 percent confidence level). The new result is in agreement with previous measurements at the same frequency obtained in 1986-88 from a very different site and has comparable error bars. Combining measurements from all years, T(CMB) = 2.64 +/-0.06 K is obtained.

De Amici, Giovanni↗

NASA NTRS1989

The COBE cosmic 3 K anisotropy experiment: A gravity wave and cosmic string probe

Among the experiments to be carried into orbit next year, by the COBE satellite, are differential microwave radiometers. They will make sensitive all-sky maps of the temperature of the cosmic microwave background radiation at three frequencies, giving dipole, quadrupole, and higher order multipole measurements of the background radiation. The experiment will either detect, or place significant constraints on, the existence of cosmic strings and long wavelength gravity waves.

Bennett, Charles L.↗