  The Absolute Radiometer for Cosmology, Astrophysics, and Diffuse Emission
(ARCADE) is a balloon-borne instrument designed to measure the temperature of
the cosmic microwave background at centimeter wavelengths. ARCADE searches for
deviations from a blackbody spectrum resulting from energy releases in the
early universe. Long-wavelength distortions in the CMB spectrum are expected in
all viable cosmological models. Detecting these distortions or showing that
they do not exist is an important step for understanding the early universe. We
describe the ARCADE instrument design, current status, and future plans.
