Cosmology and Dust from the COBE FIRAS

Session 34 - The Universe According to COBE.
Oral session, Monday, January 15
Salon del Rey North, Hilton

[34.04] Cosmology and Dust from the COBE FIRAS

J. C. Mather (IR Astrophysics Branch, NASA GSFC)

I report the results of an analysis of improved data sets from the COBE FIRAS (Far Infrared Absolute Spectrophotometer) experiment. The new data sets have been analyzed to obtain improved limits, with smaller error bars, on the distortion of the cosmic microwave background radiation relative to a pure blackbody. These place strong constraints on exotic energy releases in the early universe. Also, an extension of the Principal Component analysis has provided new information on Galactic dust and limits on a far