Skip to main content Accessibility help
×
Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-xbtfd Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-02T23:51:07.853Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

10 - The Frequency Spectrum of the CMB

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 December 2020

Ruth Durrer
Affiliation:
Université de Genève
Get access

Summary

This final chapter discusses spectral distortions of the CMB. We first introduce the relevant collision processes in a universe with photons and non-relativistic electrons: Compton scattering, Bremsstrahlung and double Compton scattering. We derive the corresponding collision terms and Boltzmann equations. For Compton scattering this leads us to the Kompaneets equation for which we present a detailed derivation. We introduce timescales corresponding to these three collision processes and determine at which redshift a given process freezes, i.e., becomes slower than cosmic expansion. We also discuss the generation of a chemical potential in the CMB spectrum by a hypothetical particle decay and by Silk damping of small scale fluctuations. Finally, we study the Sunyaev{Zel’dovich effect of CMB photons which pass through hot cluster gas.

Type
Chapter
Information
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2020

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure [email protected] is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

Available formats
×