The Herschel Multi-tiered Extragalactic Survey: HerMES
University of Sussex1, California Institute of Technology2, Jet Propulsion Laboratory3, European Space Agency4, Ames Research Center5, University of Edinburgh6, Paris Diderot University7, Imperial College London8, University of Paris-Sud9, Aix-Marseille University10, Cornell University11, University of La Laguna12, Spanish National Research Council13, Complutense University of Madrid14, UK Astronomy Technology Centre15, University of Colorado Boulder16, University of California, Irvine17, Goddard Space Flight Center18, University of Nottingham19, Cardiff University20, University of Padua21, Institut d'Astrophysique de Paris22, University of Cambridge23, University of British Columbia24, European Space Research and Technology Centre25, University of Manchester26, University College London27, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory28, University of Lethbridge29, University of Oxford30, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation31, University of Hertfordshire32, Harvard University33
11 Aug 2012-Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society (Oxford University Press)-Vol. 424, Iss: 3, pp 1614-1635
TL;DR: The Herschel Multi-tiered Extragalactic Survey (HerMES) is a legacy program designed to map a set of nested fields totalling ∼380deg^2 as mentioned in this paper.
Abstract: The Herschel Multi-tiered Extragalactic Survey (HerMES) is a legacy programme designed to map a set of nested fields totalling ∼380 deg^2. Fields range in size from 0.01 to ∼20 deg^2, using the Herschel-Spectral and Photometric Imaging Receiver (SPIRE) (at 250, 350 and 500 μm) and the Herschel-Photodetector Array Camera and Spectrometer (PACS) (at 100 and 160 μm), with an additional wider component of 270 deg^2 with SPIRE alone. These bands cover the peak of the redshifted thermal spectral energy distribution from interstellar dust and thus capture the reprocessed optical and ultraviolet radiation from star formation that has been absorbed by dust, and are critical for forming a complete multiwavelength understanding of galaxy formation and evolution.
The survey will detect of the order of 100 000 galaxies at 5σ in some of the best-studied fields in the sky. Additionally, HerMES is closely coordinated with the PACS Evolutionary Probe survey. Making maximum use of the full spectrum of ancillary data, from radio to X-ray wavelengths, it is designed to facilitate redshift determination, rapidly identify unusual objects and understand the relationships between thermal emission from dust and other processes. Scientific questions HerMES will be used to answer include the total infrared emission of galaxies, the evolution of the luminosity function, the clustering properties of dusty galaxies and the properties of populations of galaxies which lie below the confusion limit through lensing and statistical techniques.
This paper defines the survey observations and data products, outlines the primary scientific goals of the HerMES team, and reviews some of the early results.
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University of Paris1, Centre national de la recherche scientifique2, Academia Sinica3, California Institute of Technology4, Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the Universe5, University of Cambridge6, University of Geneva7, Valparaiso University8, Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory9, University of Edinburgh10, Niels Bohr Institute11, University of Rochester12, Space Telescope Science Institute13, ETH Zurich14, University of Bologna15, Max Planck Society16, University of Zagreb17, Kindai University18, University of the Western Cape19
TL;DR: The COSMOS2015(24) catalog as mentioned in this paper contains precise photometric redshifts and stellar masses for more than half a million objects over the 2deg(2) COSmOS field, which is highly optimized for the study of galaxy evolution and environments in the early universe.
Abstract: We present the COSMOS2015(24) catalog, which contains precise photometric redshifts and stellar masses for more than half a million objects over the 2deg(2) COSMOS field. Including new YJHK(s) images from the UltraVISTA-DR2 survey, Y-band images from Subaru/Hyper-Suprime-Cam, and infrared data from the Spitzer Large Area Survey with the Hyper-Suprime-Cam Spitzer legacy program, this near-infrared-selected catalog is highly optimized for the study of galaxy evolution and environments in the early universe. To maximize catalog completeness for bluer objects and at higher redshifts, objects have been detected on a chi(2) sum of the YJHK(s) and z(++) images. The catalog contains similar to 6 x 10(5) objects in the 1.5 deg(2) UltraVISTA-DR2 region and similar to 1.5 x 10(5) objects are detected in the “ultra-deep stripes” (0.62 deg(2)) at K-s \textless= 24.7 (3 sigma, 3 `', AB magnitude). Through a comparison with the zCOSMOS-bright spectroscopic redshifts, we measure a photometric redshift precision of sigma(Delta z(1) (+ zs)) = 0.007 and a catastrophic failure fraction of eta = 0.5%. At 3 \textless z \textless 6, using the unique database of spectroscopic redshifts in COSMOS, we find sigma(Delta z(1) (+ zs)) = 0.021 and eta = 13.2%. The deepest regions reach a 90% completeness limit of 10(10)M(circle dot) to z = 4. Detailed comparisons of the color distributions, number counts, and clustering show excellent agreement with the literature in the same mass ranges. COSMOS2015 represents a unique, publicly available, valuable resource with which to investigate the evolution of galaxies within their environment back to the earliest stages of the history of the universe. The COSMOS2015 catalog is distributed via anonymous ftp and through the usual astronomical archive systems (CDS, ESO Phase 3, IRSA).
1,002 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors present an analysis of the deep Herschel images in four major extragalactic fields Goodfellow-Herschel, CANDELS, UDS, and COSMOS.
Abstract: We present an analysis of the deepest Herschel images in four major extragalactic fields GOODS–North, GOODS–South, UDS, and COSMOS obtained within the GOODS–Herschel and CANDELS–Herschel key programs. The star formation picture provided by a total of 10 497 individual far-infrared detections is supplemented by the stacking analysis of a mass complete sample of 62 361 star-forming galaxies from the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) H band-selected catalogs of the CANDELS survey and from two deep ground-based Ks band-selected catalogs in the GOODS–North and the COSMOS-wide field to obtain one of the most accurate and unbiased understanding to date of the stellar mass growth over the cosmic history. We show, for the first time, that stacking also provides a powerful tool to determine the dispersion of a physical correlation and describe our method called “scatter stacking”, which may be easily generalized to other experiments. The combination of direct UV and far-infrared UV-reprocessed light provides a complete census on the star formation rates (SFRs), allowing us to demonstrate that galaxies at z = 4 to 0 of all stellar masses (M∗) follow a universal scaling law, the so-called main sequence of star-forming galaxies. We find a universal close-to-linear slope of the log 10(SFR)–log 10(M∗) relation, with evidence for a flattening of the main sequence at high masses (log 10(M∗/M⊙) > 10.5) that becomesless prominent with increasing redshift and almost vanishes by z ≃ 2. This flattening may be due to the parallel stellar growth of quiescent bulges in star-forming galaxies, which mostly happens over the same redshift range. Within the main sequence, we measure a nonvarying SFR dispersion of 0.3 dex: at a fixed redshift and stellar mass, about 68% of star-forming galaxies form stars at a universal rate within a factor 2. The specific SFR (sSFR = SFR/M∗) of star-forming galaxies is found to continuously increase from z = 0 to 4. Finally we discuss the implications of our findings on the cosmic SFR history and on the origin of present-day stars: more than two-thirds of present-day stars must have formed in a regime dominated by the “main sequence” mode. As a consequence we conclude that, although omnipresent in the distant Universe, galaxy mergers had little impact in shaping the global star formation history over the last 12.5 billion years.
669 citations
Max Planck Society1, University College London2, University of Bonn3, Centre national de la recherche scientifique4, University of Maryland, College Park5, University of Toulouse6, ETH Zurich7, Spanish National Research Council8, University of California, Irvine9, Tel Aviv University10, University of Arizona11
TL;DR: In this paper, the scaling relations of molecular gas depletion timescale (t depl) and gas to stellar mass ratio (M mol gas/M* ) of 500 star-forming galaxies near the star formation "main-sequence" with redshift, specific star-formation rate (sSFR), and stellar mass (M* ).
Abstract: We combine molecular gas masses inferred from CO emission in 500 star-forming galaxies (SFGs) between z = 0 and 3, from the IRAM-COLDGASS, PHIBSS1/2, and other surveys, with gas masses derived from Herschel far-IR dust measurements in 512 galaxy stacks over the same stellar mass/redshift range. We constrain the scaling relations of molecular gas depletion timescale (t depl) and gas to stellar mass ratio (M mol gas/M* ) of SFGs near the star formation "main-sequence" with redshift, specific star-formation rate (sSFR), and stellar mass (M* ). The CO- and dust-based scaling relations agree remarkably well. This suggests that the CO → H2 mass conversion factor varies little within ±0.6 dex of the main sequence (sSFR(ms, z, M *)), and less than 0.3 dex throughout this redshift range. This study builds on and strengthens the results of earlier work. We find that t depl scales as (1 + z)–0.3 × (sSFR/sSFR(ms, z, M *))–0.5, with little dependence on M *. The resulting steep redshift dependence of M mol gas/M * ≈ (1 + z)3 mirrors that of the sSFR and probably reflects the gas supply rate. The decreasing gas fractions at high M* are driven by the flattening of the SFR-M * relation. Throughout the probed redshift range a combination of an increasing gas fraction and a decreasing depletion timescale causes a larger sSFR at constant M *. As a result, galaxy integrated samples of the M mol gas-SFR rate relation exhibit a super-linear slope, which increases with the range of sSFR. With these new relations it is now possible to determine M mol gas with an accuracy of ±0.1 dex in relative terms, and ±0.2 dex including systematic uncertainties.
637 citations
Cornell University1, California Institute of Technology2, Jet Propulsion Laboratory3, Imperial College London4, University of La Laguna5, Spanish National Research Council6, UK Astronomy Technology Centre7, University of Edinburgh8, University of Colorado Boulder9, University of California, Irvine10, University of Sussex11, University of Pennsylvania12, European Space Agency13, Goddard Space Flight Center14, Paris Diderot University15, University of Paris-Sud16, Aix-Marseille University17, University of Cambridge18, Virginia Tech19, University of Padua20, Institut d'Astrophysique de Paris21, Harvard University22, University of British Columbia23, University of Minnesota24, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency25, University College London26, Johns Hopkins University27
TL;DR: Despite the overall downturn in cosmic star formation towards the highest redshifts, it seems that environments mature enough to form the most massive, intense starbursts existed at least as early as 880 million years after the Big Bang.
Abstract: Massive present-day early-type (elliptical and lenticular) galaxies probably gained the bulk of their stellar mass and heavy elements through intense, dust-enshrouded starbursts--that is, increased rates of star formation--in the most massive dark-matter haloes at early epochs. However, it remains unknown how soon after the Big Bang massive starburst progenitors exist. The measured redshift (z) distribution of dusty, massive starbursts has long been suspected to be biased low in z owing to selection effects, as confirmed by recent findings of systems with redshifts as high as ~5 (refs 2-4). Here we report the identification of a massive starburst galaxy at z = 6.34 through a submillimetre colour-selection technique. We unambiguously determined the redshift from a suite of molecular and atomic fine-structure cooling lines. These measurements reveal a hundred billion solar masses of highly excited, chemically evolved interstellar medium in this galaxy, which constitutes at least 40 per cent of the baryonic mass. A `maximum starburst' converts the gas into stars at a rate more than 2,000 times that of the Milky Way, a rate among the highest observed at any epoch. Despite the overall downturn in cosmic star formation towards the highest redshifts, it seems that environments mature enough to form the most massive, intense starbursts existed at least as early as 880 million years after the Big Bang.
631 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors summarized the current status of star-forming galaxies (DSFGs) studies, focusing especially on the detailed characterization of the best-understood subset (submillimeter galaxies), and also the selection and characterization of more recently discovered DSFG populations.
583 citations
References
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TL;DR: In this article, a reprocessed composite of the COBE/DIRBE and IRAS/ISSA maps, with the zodiacal foreground and confirmed point sources removed, is presented.
Abstract: We present a full-sky 100 μm map that is a reprocessed composite of the COBE/DIRBE and IRAS/ISSA maps, with the zodiacal foreground and confirmed point sources removed. Before using the ISSA maps, we remove the remaining artifacts from the IRAS scan pattern. Using the DIRBE 100 and 240 μm data, we have constructed a map of the dust temperature so that the 100 μm map may be converted to a map proportional to dust column density. The dust temperature varies from 17 to 21 K, which is modest but does modify the estimate of the dust column by a factor of 5. The result of these manipulations is a map with DIRBE quality calibration and IRAS resolution. A wealth of filamentary detail is apparent on many different scales at all Galactic latitudes. In high-latitude regions, the dust map correlates well with maps of H I emission, but deviations are coherent in the sky and are especially conspicuous in regions of saturation of H I emission toward denser clouds and of formation of H2 in molecular clouds. In contrast, high-velocity H I clouds are deficient in dust emission, as expected. To generate the full-sky dust maps, we must first remove zodiacal light contamination, as well as a possible cosmic infrared background (CIB). This is done via a regression analysis of the 100 μm DIRBE map against the Leiden-Dwingeloo map of H I emission, with corrections for the zodiacal light via a suitable expansion of the DIRBE 25 μm flux. This procedure removes virtually all traces of the zodiacal foreground. For the 100 μm map no significant CIB is detected. At longer wavelengths, where the zodiacal contamination is weaker, we detect the CIB at surprisingly high flux levels of 32 ± 13 nW m-2 sr-1 at 140 μm and of 17 ± 4 nW m-2 sr-1 at 240 μm (95% confidence). This integrated flux ~2 times that extrapolated from optical galaxies in the Hubble Deep Field. The primary use of these maps is likely to be as a new estimator of Galactic extinction. To calibrate our maps, we assume a standard reddening law and use the colors of elliptical galaxies to measure the reddening per unit flux density of 100 μm emission. We find consistent calibration using the B-R color distribution of a sample of the 106 brightest cluster ellipticals, as well as a sample of 384 ellipticals with B-V and Mg line strength measurements. For the latter sample, we use the correlation of intrinsic B-V versus Mg2 index to tighten the power of the test greatly. We demonstrate that the new maps are twice as accurate as the older Burstein-Heiles reddening estimates in regions of low and moderate reddening. The maps are expected to be significantly more accurate in regions of high reddening. These dust maps will also be useful for estimating millimeter emission that contaminates cosmic microwave background radiation experiments and for estimating soft X-ray absorption. We describe how to access our maps readily for general use.
15,988 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors presented a reprocessed composite of the COBE/DIRBE and IRAS/ISSA maps, with the zodiacal foreground and confirmed point sources removed.
Abstract: We present a full sky 100 micron map that is a reprocessed composite of the COBE/DIRBE and IRAS/ISSA maps, with the zodiacal foreground and confirmed point sources removed. Before using the ISSA maps, we remove the remaining artifacts from the IRAS scan pattern. Using the DIRBE 100 micron and 240 micron data, we have constructed a map of the dust temperature, so that the 100 micron map can be converted to a map proportional to dust column density. The result of these manipulations is a map with DIRBE-quality calibration and IRAS resolution.
To generate the full sky dust maps, we must first remove zodiacal light contamination as well as a possible cosmic infrared background (CIB). This is done via a regression analysis of the 100 micron DIRBE map against the Leiden- Dwingeloo map of H_I emission, with corrections for the zodiacal light via a suitable expansion of the DIRBE 25 micron flux. For the 100 micron map, no significant CIB is detected. In the 140 micron and 240 micron maps, where the zodiacal contamination is weaker, we detect the CIB at surprisingly high flux levels of 32 \pm 13 nW/m^2/sr at 140 micron, and 17 \pm 4 nW/m^2/sr at 240 micron (95% confidence). This integrated flux is ~2 times that extrapolated from optical galaxies in the Hubble Deep Field.
The primary use of these maps is likely to be as a new estimator of Galactic extinction. We demonstrate that the new maps are twice as accurate as the older Burstein-Heiles estimates in regions of low and moderate reddening. These dust maps will also be useful for estimating millimeter emission that contaminates CMBR experiments and for estimating soft X-ray absorption.
14,295 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors find that the emerging standard model of cosmology, a flat -dominated universe seeded by a nearly scale-invariant adiabatic Gaussian fluctuations, fits the WMAP data.
Abstract: WMAP precision data enable accurate testing of cosmological models. We find that the emerging standard model of cosmology, a flat � -dominated universe seeded by a nearly scale-invariant adiabatic Gaussian fluctuations, fits the WMAP data. For the WMAP data only, the best-fit parameters are h ¼ 0:72 � 0:05, � bh 2 ¼ 0:024 � 0:001, � mh 2 ¼ 0:14 � 0:02, � ¼ 0:166 þ0:076 � 0:071 , ns ¼ 0:99 � 0:04, and � 8 ¼ 0:9 � 0:1. With parameters fixed only by WMAP data, we can fit finer scale cosmic microwave background (CMB) measure- ments and measurements of large-scale structure (galaxy surveys and the Lyforest). This simple model is also consistent with a host of other astronomical measurements: its inferred age of the universe is consistent with stellar ages, the baryon/photon ratio is consistent with measurements of the (D/H) ratio, and the inferred Hubble constant is consistent with local observations of the expansion rate. We then fit the model parameters to a combination of WMAP data with other finer scale CMB experiments (ACBAR and CBI), 2dFGRS measurements, and Lyforest data to find the model's best-fit cosmological parameters: h ¼ 0:71 þ0:04 � 0:03 , � bh 2 ¼ 0:0224 � 0:0009, � mh 2 ¼ 0:135 þ0:008 � 0:009 , � ¼ 0:17 � 0:06, ns(0.05 Mpc � 1 )=0 :93 � 0:03, and � 8 ¼ 0:84 � 0:04. WMAP's best determination of � ¼ 0:17 � 0:04 arises directly from the temperature- polarization (TE) data and not from this model fit, but they are consistent. These parameters imply that the age of the universe is 13:7 � 0:2 Gyr. With the Lyforest data, the model favors but does not require a slowly varying spectral index. The significance of this running index is sensitive to the uncertainties in the Ly� forest. By combining WMAP data with other astronomical data, we constrain the geometry of the universe, � tot ¼ 1:02 � 0:02, and the equation of state of the dark energy, w < � 0:78 (95% confidence limit assuming w �� 1). The combination of WMAP and 2dFGRS data constrains the energy density in stable neutrinos: � � h 2 < 0:0072 (95% confidence limit). For three degenerate neutrino species, this limit implies that their mass is less than 0.23 eV (95% confidence limit). The WMAP detection of early reionization rules out warm dark matter. Subject headings: cosmic microwave background — cosmological parameters — cosmology: observations — early universe On-line material: color figure
10,650 citations
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.
3,359 citations
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