Search

A non-cosmological origin for the CMB low-order multipoles and associated anomalies is suggested in this paper. We discuss the possibility that these features of the power spectrum originate in the termination shock (TS) region of the heliosheath that surrounds the solar system. If the intrinsic CMB spectrum is assumed to be a pure monopole (2.73K) then thermal processes occurring within an ellipsoidal-shaped plasma region of the TS region could imprint the observed low-order multipoles and their alignment (so-called 'axis of exil') onto this background CMB. A key requirement of the model is that the TS plasma be characterized as an optically thin graybody with non-LTE perturbations to explain both the blackbody and non-blackbody anomalies. Non-thermal TS processes are also discussed. TS synchrotron radiation is shown as a possible cause for the reported ARCADE 2 CMB distortion. Magnetoacoustic oscillations and heliosheath turbulence are suggested as possible sources for the higher-order multipole moments of the CMB. Data from the ongoing Voyager missions is critical to this study. Research problems are identified for future work to better validate the heuristic models presented here., Comment: 10 pages, submitted to New Astronomy Journal, comments welcomed. arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:0906.1752

We discuss the possibility that the observed low-order multipole features of the cosmic microwave background radiation (CMB) all originate in the termination shock (TS) region of the heliosheath that surrounds the solar system. If the intrinsic CMB spectrum is assumed to be a pure monopole (2.73K) then thermodynamic processes occurring within the plasma region of the TS could imprint the observed power spectrum of the low-order multipoles and their alignment (the so-called "axis of evil") onto this background isotropic CMB. Conditions are outlined for the geometric shape of the TS region. A key requirement of this model is that the TS plasma be characterized as an optically thin graybody with non-LTE perturbations. Data from the ongoing Voyager missions is critical to this study. We present four significant recent observations in support of this ansatz., Comment: 4 pages. Comments Welcomed!

A non-cosmological origin for the CMB quadrupole moment is suggested in this paper. Geometric distortions to an otherwise isotropic CMB could be imprinted on the CMB radiation as it propagates through the asymmetric termination shock formed at the boundary of the solar wind and the local interstellar medium. In addition to this boundary distortion, the Voyager spacecraft observed abrupt changes in plasma properties and rapidly fluctuating magnetic and electric fields as they recently crossed the termination shock and entered the heliosheath. Several mechanisms are discussed which could potentially imprint the termination shock distortion on the CMB. Temporal variations of this distortion due to solar wind pressure wind changes could manifest in the multipole moments of the CMB. Speculations are presented for the effect of heliosheath radiative and dynamical processes on the observed small-scale angular power spectrum of the CMB., Comment: 4 pages Comments Welcomed!

A simple model is presented to explain the high Galactic latitude anomalies in the WMAP data recently reported by Diego et al (2009). It is suggested that the anomalous deviation from a thermal spectrum could be caused by the propagation of background thermal radiation through a foreground optically thin HII cloud. The background radiation may be the remnant of cooling radio lobes associated with once-active jets from Sgr A*., Comment: 4 pages. Feedback welcomed please!

This brief note speculates that the recently reported residual CMB signal [Seiffert et al 2009] may originate within the Sun's heliosheath. A temperature spectrum function is derived that has the same power law form as the fitted function in Seiffert et al. In particular a spectral index of +2 is implied. An optically thin radiating shell of thickness ~1AU could match the required 1K deg power law amplitude. A possible mechanism for the heliosheath magnetic fields is discussed based on Alfven's heliospheric current model with embedded double layers as the energy source for the relativistic electrons.

Models of lunar magnetism have involved dynamo action in a fluid core in an early hot moon; an early cold moon magnetized some time before 4 billion years ago, which has subsequently heated up; and local field sources which, in some models, are related to impact. The present work examines the second possibility and shows that, provided the moon contained a few percent of metallic iron and was exposed to an extra-lunar field of about 10 or 20 oersted while much of it was still below the Curie point of iron, a restricted class of thermal evolution models, which satisfy the known constraints, can be derived.

Metallic conduction mechanicsms are probably not important in lunar materials because of the small amounts of free metal and metallic oxides present. This is confirmed by the extremely low conductivities measured to date and the fact that the conductivity increases with temperature. The major conduction mechanicsm appears to be ionic. This conduction mechanism is very strongly controlled by temperature, by deviations from stoichiometry, by electric field strengths, and by oxygen fugacity.