Further Measurements of the Submillimeter Background at Balloon Altitude

Abstract

Measurements of the far-infrared background radiation were made with a balloon-borne radiometer at an altitude of 44 km. Equivalent blackbody temperatures of ${2.55}_{\ensuremath{-}0.45}^{+0.25}$, ${2.45}_{\ensuremath{-}1.05}^{+0.45}$, and ${2.75}_{\ensuremath{-}2.75}^{+0.8}$ \ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K were obtained for the background radiation in bandwidths extending from 1 to 11.5, 13.5, and 18.5 ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$. The total measured flux in the largest bandwidth is dominated by the atmospheric emission by ozone and water. The radiation of these atmospheric components was determined independently in a separate pair of radiometer spectral responses.