"Tentative Detection of Small Scale Structure in the Cosmic Infrared Background From Long Exposure 2MASS Fields"


Sten Odenwald, Alexander Kashlinsky,

John Mather, Mike Skrutskie, Roc Cutri

The Astrophysical Journal, Vol. 583, p. 535.

The Astrophysical Journal (Letters) Vol. 579, L53

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"Light emitted by the young Universe, including that from the very first stars and galaxies to those formed when it was roughly 30 - 40 percent of its current age, has been detected with the 2MASS survey. The intensity of this light, called the Cosmic Infrared Background (CIB) radiation, is two to three times what is expected based on observed galaxies. The strength of the CIB confirms prior observations indicating that an incredible burst of star formation occurred during the Universe's youth. It also supports the idea that a mysterious type of invisible matter pulled gas together shortly after the Universe's birth, permitting the first stars and galaxies to form. "

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