Herschel Space Observatory - An ESA facility for far-infrared and submillimetre astronomy
TL;DR: Herschel was launched on 14 May 2009, and is now an operational ESA space observatory o ering unprecedented observational capabilities in the far-infrared and sub-millimetre spectral range 55 671 m.
Abstract: Herschel was launched on 14 May 2009, and is now an operational ESA space observatory o ering unprecedented observational capabilities in the far-infrared and submillimetre spectral range 55 671 m. Herschel carries a 3.5 metre diameter passively cooled Cassegrain telescope, which is the largest of its kind and utilises a novel silicon carbide technology. The science payload comprises three instruments: two direct detection cameras/medium resolution spectrometers, PACS and SPIRE, and a very high-resolution heterodyne spectrometer, HIFI, whose focal plane units are housed inside a superfluid helium cryostat. Herschel is an observatory facility operated in partnership among ESA, the instrument consortia, and NASA. The mission lifetime is determined by the cryostat hold time. Nominally approximately 20,000 hours will be available for astronomy, 32% is guaranteed time and the remainder is open to the worldwide general astronomical community through a standard competitive proposal procedure.
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Max Planck Society1, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven2, French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission3, University of Liège4, Spanish National Research Council5, University of Vienna6, European Space Agency7, European Southern Observatory8, Austrian Institute of Technology9, Graz University of Technology10, European Laboratory for Non-Linear Spectroscopy11, Konkoly Thege Miklós Astronomical Institute12
TL;DR: The Photodetector Array Camera and Spectrometer (PACS) as discussed by the authors is one of the three science instruments on ESA's far infrared and sub-mil- limetre observatory.
Abstract: The Photodetector Array Camera and Spectrometer (PACS) is one of the three science instruments on ESA's far infrared and submil- limetre observatory. It employs two Ge:Ga photoconductor arrays (stressed and unstressed) with 16 × 25 pixels, each, and two filled silicon bolometer arrays with 16 × 32 and 32 × 64 pixels, respectively, to perform integral-field spectroscopy and imaging photom- etry in the 60−210 μm wavelength regime. In photometry mode, it simultaneously images two bands, 60−85 μ mo r 85−125 μ ma nd 125−210 μm, over a field of view of ∼1.75 � × 3.5 � , with close to Nyquist beam sampling in each band. In spectroscopy mode, it images afi eld of 47 �� × 47 �� , resolved into 5 × 5 pixels, with an instantaneous spectral coverage of ∼ 1500 km s −1 and a spectral resolution of ∼175 km s −1 . We summarise the design of the instrument, describe observing modes, calibration, and data analysis methods, and present our current assessment of the in-orbit performance of the instrument based on the performance verification tests. PACS is fully operational, and the achieved performance is close to or better than the pre-launch predictions.
2,645 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors review progress over the past decade in observations of large-scale star formation, with a focus on the interface between extragalactic and Galactic studies.
Abstract: We review progress over the past decade in observations of large-scale star formation, with a focus on the interface between extragalactic and Galactic studies. Methods of measuring gas contents and star-formation rates are discussed, and updated prescriptions for calculating star-formation rates are provided. We review relations between star formation and gas on scales ranging from entire galaxies to individual molecular clouds.
2,525 citations
Cites background from "Herschel Space Observatory - An ESA..."
...This section focusses on the transformational results which have come from the Spitzer Space Telescope (Werner et al. 2004) and the Herschel Space Observatory (Pilbratt et al. 2010)....
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...The past decade has witnessed an unprecedented stream of new observational information on star formation on all scales, thanks in no small part to new facilities such as the Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX), the Spitzer Space Telescope, the Herschel Space Observatory, the introduction of powerful new instruments on the Hubble Space Telescope (HST), and a host of groundbased optical, infrared, submillimeter, and radio telescopes....
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TL;DR: The Spectral and Photometric Imaging REceiver (SPIRE) is the Herschel Space Observatory's sub-millimetre camera and spectrometer as discussed by the authors, which is used for image and spectroscopic data acquisition.
Abstract: The Spectral and Photometric Imaging REceiver (SPIRE), is the Herschel Space Observatory`s submillimetre camera and spectrometer It contains a three-band imaging photometer operating at 250, 350 and 500 mu m, and an imaging Fourier-transform spectrometer (FTS) which covers simultaneously its whole operating range of 194-671 mu m (447-1550 GHz) The SPIRE detectors are arrays of feedhorn-coupled bolometers cooled to 03 K The photometer has a field of view of 4' x 8', observed simultaneously in the three spectral bands Its main operating mode is scan-mapping, whereby the field of view is scanned across the sky to achieve full spatial sampling and to cover large areas if desired The spectrometer has an approximately circular field of view with a diameter of 26' The spectral resolution can be adjusted between 12 and 25 GHz by changing the stroke length of the FTS scan mirror Its main operating mode involves a fixed telescope pointing with multiple scans of the FTS mirror to acquire spectral data For extended source measurements, multiple position offsets are implemented by means of an internal beam steering mirror to achieve the desired spatial sampling and by rastering of the telescope pointing to map areas larger than the field of view The SPIRE instrument consists of a cold focal plane unit located inside the Herschel cryostat and warm electronics units, located on the spacecraft Service Module, for instrument control and data handling Science data are transmitted to Earth with no on-board data compression, and processed by automatic pipelines to produce calibrated science products The in-flight performance of the instrument matches or exceeds predictions based on pre-launch testing and modelling: the photometer sensitivity is comparable to or slightly better than estimated pre-launch, and the spectrometer sensitivity is also better by a factor of 15-2
2,425 citations
Cites methods from "Herschel Space Observatory - An ESA..."
...The SPIRE instrument is designed to exploit the particular advantages of theHerschelSpace Observatory (Pilbratt et al. 2010) ⋆ Herschel is an ESA space observatory with science instruments provided by European-led Principal Investigator consortia and with important participation from NASA. for…...
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...SPIRE has been developed by a consortium of institutes led by Cardiff Univ. (UK) and including Univ. Lethbridge (Canada); NAOC (China); CEA, LAM (France); IFSI, Univ. Padua (Italy); IAC (Spain); Stockholm Observatory (Sweden); Imperial College London, RAL, UCL-MSSL, UKATC, Univ. Sussex (UK); Caltech, JPL, NHSC, Univ. Colorado (USA)....
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...The SPIRE instrument is designed to exploit the particular advantages of theHerschelSpace Observatory (Pilbratt et al. 2010) ⋆ Herschel is an ESA space observatory with science instruments provided by European-led Principal Investigator consortia and with important participation from NASA. for observations in the submillimetre region: its large (3.5-m), cold (∼ 85-...
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...51 23 The Spectral and Photometric Imaging Receiver (SPIRE), is theHerschelSpace Observatory‘s submillimetre camera and spectrometer....
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Paris Diderot University1, INAF2, Cardiff University3, Herzberg Institute of Astrophysics4, Open University5, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory6, University of Paris-Sud7, Max Planck Society8, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven9, McMaster University10, University of Provence11, University of Toulouse12, Chinese Academy of Sciences13, University of Toronto14, Institut d'Astrophysique de Paris15, European Space Research and Technology Centre16, UK Astronomy Technology Centre17
TL;DR: In this paper, the first results from the Gould Belt survey, obtained toward the Aquila Rift and Polaris Flare regions during the'science demonstration phase' of Herschel, were summarized.
Abstract: We summarize the first results from the Gould Belt survey, obtained toward the Aquila Rift and Polaris Flare regions during the 'science demonstration phase' of Herschel. Our 70-500 micron images taken in parallel mode with the SPIRE and PACS cameras reveal a wealth of filamentary structure, as well as numerous dense cores embedded in the filaments. Between ~ 350 and 500 prestellar cores and ~ 45-60 Class 0 protostars can be identified in the Aquila field, while ~ unbound starless cores and no protostars are observed in the Polaris field. The prestellar core mass function (CMF) derived for the Aquila region bears a strong resemblance to the stellar initial mass function (IMF), already confirming the close connection between the CMF and the IMF with much better statistics than earlier studies. Comparing and contrasting our Herschel results in Aquila and Polaris, we propose an observationally-driven scenario for core formation according to which complex networks of long, thin filaments form first within molecular clouds, and then the densest filaments fragment into a number of prestellar cores via gravitational instability.
1,542 citations
Cites background from "Herschel Space Observatory - An ESA..."
...The Herschel Space Observatory (Pilbratt et al. 2010) offers a unique opportunity to improve our global understanding of the earliest phases of star formation....
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Paris Diderot University1, University of Crete2, Max Planck Society3, Institut d'Astrophysique de Paris4, California Institute of Technology5, Foundation for Research & Technology – Hellas6, European Space Agency7, University of Concepción8, Durham University9, Aix-Marseille University10, INAF11, University of Edinburgh12, UK Astronomy Technology Centre13, University of Arizona14, University of Hawaii15, University of Massachusetts Amherst16, University of British Columbia17, University of Paris-Sud18, Space Telescope Science Institute19, National Radio Astronomy Observatory20, Texas A&M University21
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors examined the infrared (IR) 3-500μm spectral energy distributions (SEDs) of galaxies at 0 < z < 2.5, supplemented by a local reference sample from IRAS, ISO, Spitzer, and AKARI data.
Abstract: We present the deepest 100 to 500 μm far-infrared observations obtained with the Herschel Space Observatory as part of the GOODS-Herschel key program, and examine the infrared (IR) 3–500 μm spectral energy distributions (SEDs) of galaxies at 0 < z < 2.5, supplemented by a local reference sample from IRAS, ISO, Spitzer, and AKARI data. We determine the projected star formation densities of local galaxies from their radio and mid-IR continuum sizes.
We find that the ratio of total IR luminosity to rest-frame 8 μm luminosity, IR8 (≡ L_(IR)^(tot)/L_8), follows a Gaussian distribution centered on IR8 = 4 (σ = 1.6) and defines an IR main sequence for star-forming galaxies independent of redshift and luminosity. Outliers from this main sequence produce a tail skewed toward higher values of IR8. This minority population ( 3 × 10^(10) L_⊙ kpc^(-2)) and a high specific star formation rate (i.e., starbursts). The rest-frame, UV-2700 A size of these distant starbursts is typically half that of main sequence galaxies, supporting the correlation between star formation density and starburst activity that is measured for the local sample.
Locally, luminous and ultraluminous IR galaxies, (U)LIRGs (L_(IR)^(tot)≥ 10^(11) L_☉), are systematically in the starburst mode, whereas most distant (U)LIRGs form stars in the “normal” main sequence mode. This confusion between two modes of star formation is the cause of the so-called “mid-IR excess” population of galaxies found at z > 1.5 by previous studies. Main sequence galaxies have strong polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) emission line features, a broad far-IR bump resulting from a combination of dust temperatures (T_(dust) ~ 15–50 K), and an effective T_(dust) ~ 31 K, as derived from the peak wavelength of their infrared SED. Galaxies in the starburst regime instead exhibit weak PAH equivalent widths and a sharper far-IR bump with an effective T_(dust)~ 40 K. Finally, we present evidence that the mid-to-far IR emission of X-ray active galactic nuclei (AGN) is predominantly produced by star formation and that candidate dusty AGNs with a power-law emission in the mid-IR systematically occur in compact, dusty starbursts. After correcting for the effect of starbursts on IR8, we identify new candidates for extremely obscured AGNs.
1,235 citations
Cites background from "Herschel Space Observatory - An ESA..."
...The local galaxy reference sample that we use in this paper consists of galaxies detected with theInfrared Space Observatory (ISO), AKARI, andSpitzer....
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...In this paper, we present the deepest 100 to 500µm far-IR observations obtained with theHerschelSpace Observatory as part of the GOODS–HerschelOpen Time Key Program with the PACS (Poglitsch et al. 2010) and SPIRE (Griffin et al. 2010) instruments....
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...C O ] 13 We present the deepest 100 to 500µm far-infrared observations obtained with theH rschelSpace Observatory as part of the GOODS–Herschel key program, and examine the infrared (IR) 3–500µm spectral energy distributions (SEDs) of galaxies at 0 z 2.5, supplemented by a local reference sample fromIRAS, ISO, SpitzerandAKARIdata....
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...With the launch of theHerschelSpace Observatory (Pilbratt et al. 2010), it has now become possible to measure the total IR luminosity of distant galaxies directly....
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...Observations with theH rschelSpace Observatory were obtained as part of the open time key program GOODS– Herschel(PI D.Elbaz), for a total time of 361.3 hours....
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References
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Max Planck Society1, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven2, French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission3, University of Liège4, Spanish National Research Council5, University of Vienna6, European Space Agency7, European Southern Observatory8, Austrian Institute of Technology9, Graz University of Technology10, European Laboratory for Non-Linear Spectroscopy11, Konkoly Thege Miklós Astronomical Institute12
TL;DR: The Photodetector Array Camera and Spectrometer (PACS) as discussed by the authors is one of the three science instruments on ESA's far infrared and sub-mil- limetre observatory.
Abstract: The Photodetector Array Camera and Spectrometer (PACS) is one of the three science instruments on ESA's far infrared and submil- limetre observatory. It employs two Ge:Ga photoconductor arrays (stressed and unstressed) with 16 × 25 pixels, each, and two filled silicon bolometer arrays with 16 × 32 and 32 × 64 pixels, respectively, to perform integral-field spectroscopy and imaging photom- etry in the 60−210 μm wavelength regime. In photometry mode, it simultaneously images two bands, 60−85 μ mo r 85−125 μ ma nd 125−210 μm, over a field of view of ∼1.75 � × 3.5 � , with close to Nyquist beam sampling in each band. In spectroscopy mode, it images afi eld of 47 �� × 47 �� , resolved into 5 × 5 pixels, with an instantaneous spectral coverage of ∼ 1500 km s −1 and a spectral resolution of ∼175 km s −1 . We summarise the design of the instrument, describe observing modes, calibration, and data analysis methods, and present our current assessment of the in-orbit performance of the instrument based on the performance verification tests. PACS is fully operational, and the achieved performance is close to or better than the pre-launch predictions.
2,645 citations
"Herschel Space Observatory - An ESA..." refers background in this paper
...The Photodetector Array Camera and Spectrometer (PACS, Poglitsch et al. 2010), PI: A. Poglitsch, Max-Planck-Institut für extraterrestrische Physik (MPE), Garching....
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TL;DR: The Spectral and Photometric Imaging REceiver (SPIRE) is the Herschel Space Observatory's sub-millimetre camera and spectrometer as discussed by the authors, which is used for image and spectroscopic data acquisition.
Abstract: The Spectral and Photometric Imaging REceiver (SPIRE), is the Herschel Space Observatory`s submillimetre camera and spectrometer It contains a three-band imaging photometer operating at 250, 350 and 500 mu m, and an imaging Fourier-transform spectrometer (FTS) which covers simultaneously its whole operating range of 194-671 mu m (447-1550 GHz) The SPIRE detectors are arrays of feedhorn-coupled bolometers cooled to 03 K The photometer has a field of view of 4' x 8', observed simultaneously in the three spectral bands Its main operating mode is scan-mapping, whereby the field of view is scanned across the sky to achieve full spatial sampling and to cover large areas if desired The spectrometer has an approximately circular field of view with a diameter of 26' The spectral resolution can be adjusted between 12 and 25 GHz by changing the stroke length of the FTS scan mirror Its main operating mode involves a fixed telescope pointing with multiple scans of the FTS mirror to acquire spectral data For extended source measurements, multiple position offsets are implemented by means of an internal beam steering mirror to achieve the desired spatial sampling and by rastering of the telescope pointing to map areas larger than the field of view The SPIRE instrument consists of a cold focal plane unit located inside the Herschel cryostat and warm electronics units, located on the spacecraft Service Module, for instrument control and data handling Science data are transmitted to Earth with no on-board data compression, and processed by automatic pipelines to produce calibrated science products The in-flight performance of the instrument matches or exceeds predictions based on pre-launch testing and modelling: the photometer sensitivity is comparable to or slightly better than estimated pre-launch, and the spectrometer sensitivity is also better by a factor of 15-2
2,425 citations
"Herschel Space Observatory - An ESA..." refers background in this paper
...The Spectral and Photometric Imaging REceiver (SPIRE, Griffin et al. 2010), PI: M. J. Griffin, Cardiff University....
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TL;DR: The Spectral and Photometric Imaging Receiver (SPIRE) as discussed by the authors is the Herschel Space Observatory's submillimetre camera and spectrometer, which is used for scan-mapping, whereby the field of view is scanned across the sky to achieve full spatial sampling and to cover large areas.
Abstract: The Spectral and Photometric Imaging Receiver (SPIRE), is the Herschel Space Observatory`s submillimetre camera and spectrometer. It contains a three-band imaging photometer operating at 250, 350 and 500 microns, and an imaging Fourier Transform Spectrometer (FTS) which covers simultaneously its whole operating range of 194-671 microns (447-1550 GHz). The SPIRE detectors are arrays of feedhorn-coupled bolometers cooled to 0.3 K. The photometer has a field of view of 4' x 8', observed simultaneously in the three spectral bands. Its main operating mode is scan-mapping, whereby the field of view is scanned across the sky to achieve full spatial sampling and to cover large areas if desired. The spectrometer has an approximately circular field of view with a diameter of 2.6'. The spectral resolution can be adjusted between 1.2 and 25 GHz by changing the stroke length of the FTS scan mirror. Its main operating mode involves a fixed telescope pointing with multiple scans of the FTS mirror to acquire spectral data. For extended source measurements, multiple position offsets are implemented by means of an internal beam steering mirror to achieve the desired spatial sampling and by rastering of the telescope pointing to map areas larger than the field of view. The SPIRE instrument consists of a cold focal plane unit located inside the Herschel cryostat and warm electronics units, located on the spacecraft Service Module, for instrument control and data handling. Science data are transmitted to Earth with no on-board data compression, and processed by automatic pipelines to produce calibrated science products. The in-flight performance of the instrument matches or exceeds predictions based on pre-launch testing and modelling: the photometer sensitivity is comparable to or slightly better than estimated pre-launch, and the spectrometer sensitivity is also better by a factor of 1.5-2.
2,171 citations
TL;DR: The Infrared Astronomical Satellite (IRAS) as discussed by the authors consists of a spacecraft and a liquid helium cryostat that contains a cooled IR telescope, whose focal plane assembly is cooled to less than 3 K, and contains 62 IR detectors in the survey array.
Abstract: The Infrared Astronomical Satellite (IRAS) consists of a spacecraft and a liquid helium cryostat that contains a cooled IR telescope. The telescope's focal plane assembly is cooled to less than 3 K, and contains 62 IR detectors in the survey array which are arranged so that every source crossing the field of view can be seen by at least two detectors in each of four wavelength bands. The satellite was launched into a 900 km-altitude near-polar orbit, and its cryogenic helium supply was exhausted on November 22, 1983. By mission's end, 72 percent of the sky had been observed with three or more hours-confirming scans, and 95 percent with two or more hours-confirming scans. About 2000 stars detected at 12 and 25 microns early in the mission, and identified in the SAO (1966) catalog, have a positional uncertainty ellipse whose axes are 45 x 9 arcsec for an hours-confirmed source.
1,008 citations
"Herschel Space Observatory - An ESA..." refers methods in this paper
...The mission builds on earlier infrared space missions with cryogenic telescopes (the InfraRed Astronomical Satellite (IRAS, Neugebauer et al. 1984), ISO, Spitzer Space Telescope (Werner et al. 2004), and AKARI (Murakami et al. 2007)) and is designed to offer a larger telescope and to extend the…...
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Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency1, Kapteyn Astronomical Institute2, Imperial College London3, University of California, Berkeley4, University of Tokyo5, Open University6, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology7, European Space Agency8, Nagoya University9, Shizuoka University10, Seoul National University11, Netherlands Institute for Space Research12, University of Maryland, College Park13, Kangwon National University14, National Institutes of Natural Sciences, Japan15, Max Planck Society16, Nagoya City Science Museum17, University of Sussex18, Kyung Hee University19, Tokyo Institute of Technology20, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory21, Graduate University for Advanced Studies22
TL;DR: AKARI as mentioned in this paper, the first Japanese satellite dedicated to infrared astronomy, was launched on 2006 February 21, and started observations in May of the same year, and has a 68.5 cm cooled telescope, together with two focal-plane instruments, which survey the sky in six wavelength bands from mid- to far-infrared.
Abstract: AKARI, the first Japanese satellite dedicated to infrared astronomy, was launched on 2006 February 21, and started observations in May of the same year. AKARI has a 68.5 cm cooled telescope, together with two focal-plane instruments, which survey the sky in six wavelength bands from mid- to far-infrared. The instruments also have a capability for imaging and spectroscopy in the wavelength range 2-180 mu m in the pointed observation mode, occasionally inserted into a continuous survey operation. The in-orbit cryogen lifetime is expected to be one and a half years. The All-Sky Survey will cover more than 90% of the whole sky with a higher spatial resolution and a wider wavelength coverage than that of the previous IRAS all-sky survey. Point-source catalogues of the All-Sky Survey will be released to the astronomical community. Pointed observations will be used for deep surveys of selected sky areas and systematic observations of important astronomical targets. These will become an additional future heritage of this mission.
844 citations
"Herschel Space Observatory - An ESA..." refers background in this paper
...The mission builds on earlier infrared space missions with cryogenic telescopes (the InfraRed Astronomical Satellite (IRAS, Neugebauer et al. 1984), ISO, Spitzer Space Telescope (Werner et al. 2004), and AKARI (Murakami et al. 2007)) and is designed to offer a larger telescope and to extend the spectral coverage further into the far-infrared and submillimetre, bridging the remaining relatively poorly explored spectral range to the radio astronomy space (Submillimeter Wave Astronomy Satellite (SWAS, Melnick et al. 2000) and Odin (Nordh et al. 2003, Frisk et al. 2003)) and ground facilities....
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...…telescopes (the InfraRed Astronomical Satellite (IRAS, Neugebauer et al. 1984), ISO, Spitzer Space Telescope (Werner et al. 2004), and AKARI (Murakami et al. 2007)) and is designed to offer a larger telescope and to extend the spectral coverage further into the far-infrared and…...
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