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An estimate of the mid infrared background from deep ISOCAM Central Program surveys
Francois-Xavier Desert


ISOCAM deep surveys at high galactic latitudes reveal hundreds of sources which are mostly galaxies at 7, 12 and 15 micron. The surveys cover the 0.1 to 10 mJy flux range (above 5 sigma) of high relevance for the study of galaxy formation. We will present the number counts of these sources, their optical, and radio properties and preliminary redshift distributions. From galaxy evolution models, this new population of objects make up a large fraction of the mid infrared extragalactic background, of which a lower limit can therefore be estimated: 0.9 and 1.8 nWm-2sr-1 at 7 and 15 micron respectively. Such a background cannot be observed directly because of the zodiacal light. Only a telescope sent beyond 3 AU could achieve that task.


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