The Gravitational Perturbation of the Cosmic Background Radiation by Density Concentrations

The gravitational effect of density concentrations in the Universe on the temperature distribution of the cosmic blackbody background radiation is considered, using the Swiss cheese model universe, and supposing each hole to contain an expanding, homogeneous dust sphere at its centre. The temperature profile across such a hole differs in an essential way from that obtained earlier by Rees & Sciama. The evolution of this effect with the expansion of the Universe is considered for ‘ relatively increasing ’ density contrasts emerging from the same initial singular state as the rest of the Universe. This effect becomes comparable to the bremsstrahlung and Compton effects on the isotropy of the background radiation for masses of about $$10^{19} M_{\odot},$$ and exceeds these other effects as about M^2/3 for larger masses. If large-scale condensations of the Universe can be found for $$z \sim 1-5,$$ delineated, maybe, by the clustering of quasars, etc., then this effect may be observable.