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Article Contents

ABSTRACT

1.INTRODUCTION

2.HISTORICAL REVIEW

3.OBSERVATIONS

3.1.Measurement Challenges

3.2.Background Measurements from Rockets

3.3.Background Measurements from IRAS

3.4.Background Measurements from COBE

3.5.Background Measurements from IRTS

3.6.Fluctuation Analysis

3.7.CIB Limits from TeV -ray Observations

3.8.Integrated Light from Extragalactic Source Counts

3.9.UV-Optical Background Observations

3.10.Summary of Extragalactic Background Observations

4.COSMOLOGICAL AND ASTROPHYSICAL IMPLICATIONS

4.1.Total EBL Energy

4.2.Element Production and the Cosmic Star Formation Rate

4.3.The Radio-Infrared Background Connection

4.4.Interaction with High Energy-Rays

4.5.Limit on Intergalactic Dust

5.MODELS FOR THE ORIGIN OF THE CIB

5.1.The Contribution of AGN and Other Nonnuclear Sources to the CIB

5.2.The EBL Spectrum Expected From Nucleosynthesis

6.SUMMARY AND FUTURE DIRECTIONS

REFERENCES