New Synoptic Observations of the Cosmic Optical Background with New Horizons

• DOI: 10.3847/1538-4357/ad5ffc
• Publication Date: 2024-08-28T13:00:34Z
• Authors: Marc Postman; Tod R. Lauer; Joel W. Parker; John R. Spencer; Harold A. Weaver; J. Michael Shull; S. Alan Stern; Pontus Brandt; Steven J. Conard; G. Randall Gladstone; Carey M. Lisse; Simon B. Porter; Kelsi N. Singer; Anne. J. Verbiscer
• Keywords: Cosmic infrared background; Intensity

Abstract We obtained New Horizons LORRI images to measure the cosmic optical background (COB) intensity integrated over 0.4 μ m ≲ λ 0.9 m. The survey comprises 16 high-Galactic-latitude fields selected minimize scattered diffuse Galactic light (DGL) from Milky Way, as well bright stars. This work supersedes an earlier analysis based on observations of one present fields. Isolating COB contribution raw total sky levels measured in requires subtracting remaining stars and galaxies, faint within fainter than photometric detection limit, DGL foreground. is estimated 350 550 intensities by Planck High Frequency Instrument, using a new self-calibrated indicator augmented with eight additional calibration part survey. yields highly significant (6.8 σ ) at 11.16 ± 1.65 (1.47 sys, 0.75 ran) nW −2 sr −1 pivot wavelength 0.608 8.17 1.18 , can account for great majority this signal. rest signal, 2.99 2.03 (1.75 1.03 formally classified anomalous but not significantly different zero. simplest interpretation that completely due galaxies.