Published online by Cambridge University Press: 30 March 2016
Cosmic infrared background radiation, expected to carry the radiative record of luminous objects since they first formed, has yet to be detected. The Diffuse Infrared Background Experiment (DIRBE) on the Cosmic Background Explorer (COBE) satellite is designed to search for this primeval background over the spectral range from 1 to 300 μm. Initial examination of data from this experiment show that foreground radiations from the solar system and Galaxy dominate the diffuse infrared sky brightness, with relative minima near 3.5 μm and in the submillimeter wavelength range. DIRBE measurements do not confirm some previous data from rockets and IRAS. Preliminary upper limits on the cosmic infrared background are generally above theoretical expectations for pregalactic and protogalactic sources, and substantially above estimated lower limits based upon observations of external galaxies. Careful foreground modeling is required to reduce these limits or identify an isotropic residual.