Peak statistics on COBE maps

Abstract

We perform the stastistics of temperature maxima and minima in COBE-DMR 2-year maps. For power-law spectra the surface distribution of peaks implies an amplitude consistent with more conventional analyses of COBE data (for instance, we get $Q_{{\rm rms-PS}}=17\pm 3\ \mu $K for a spectral index $% n=1),$ but not with the measured quadrupole $Q_{{\rm rms}}=6\pm 3\ \mu $K. This provides further support for the existence an infrared cutoff in the cosmic spectrum.