We present a three dimensional model for the Milky Way fit to the far-infrared ( FIR ) and near-infrared ( NIR ) data from the COBE/DIRBE instrument for galactic latitudes |b| < 30 degrees and to within 20 degrees of the Galactic center .
Because of the low optical depth at 240 \micron , the FIR emission traces the distribution of Galactic dust in the Galaxy .
We model the dust distribution as due to three components : a warped exponential disk with scale length 0.28 R _ { \sun } and a flaring scale height , a spiral arm component with four arms as traced by Galactic HII regions , and the local ( Orion ) arm which produces prominent emission features at galactic longitude l \simeq 80 and -100 degrees .
A Cosmic Infrared Background of 1.07 { MJy } { sr } ^ { -1 } is recovered , consistent with previous determinations .
The dust distribution is then used to calculate absorption in J and K , and the stellar emission in these wavebands is modeled with two components : a warped exponential disk with a scale length of 0.28 R _ { \sun } and a spiral arm component dominated by two arms .
This small scale length is consistent with a maximal disk model for our Galaxy , which is inconsistent with the cuspy dark matter halos predicted in CDM models .
We find different amplitudes for the warp in the stars and dust , which starts within the Solar Circle .