Planck new results: Anomalous Microwave Emission from Galactic clouds

Richard Davis, Clive Dickinson

    Research output: Contribution to conferenceAbstract

    Abstract

    Planck data, combined with multi-frequency data, has allowed accurate spectra from the radio to far infra-red to be constructed for bright regions in our Galaxy. Spectra for the Perseus and Rho Ophiuchi molecular clouds show strong evidence for Anomalous Microwave Emission (AME) at frequencies 10-100 GHz. The residual spectra, after subtraction of the free-free, CMB and thermal dust components, represent the most precise spectra of AME to date. They show a peaked spectral shape, with a peak at ~30 GHz, as expected from electric dipole radiation from small spinning dust grains. A plausible physical model for the spinning dust can provide a good fit to the data, where the higher density molecular gas accounts for most of the AME, while the lower density atomic gas appears to play a minor role. A search for new AME regions with the Planck data has revealed a number of new candidates showing excess emission at 20-60 GHz. We make a first statistical analysis of AME and non-AME Galactic clouds. We show that a significant fraction of this new sample shows evidence of AME. The emissivity of the AME is comparable to previous detections and is shown to be tightly correlated with thermal dust tracers in the sub-mm and IR. We investigate correlations of derived parameters with the AME emissivity to investigate the nature of the spinning dust.
    Original languageEnglish
    Publication statusPublished - 2012
    Event39th COSPAR Scientific Assembly - Mysore, India
    Duration: 14 Jul 201222 Jul 2012

    Conference

    Conference39th COSPAR Scientific Assembly
    Country/TerritoryIndia
    CityMysore
    Period14/07/1222/07/12

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