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Herschel Space Observatory. An ESA facility for far-infrared and submillimetre astronomy
Heras, A. M.; Pilbratt, G. L.; Metcalfe, L. +8 more
Herschel was launched on 14 May 2009, and is now an operational ESA space observatory offering unprecedented observational capabilities in the far-infrared and submillimetre spectral range 55-671 µm. Herschel carries a 3.5 m diameter passively cooled Cassegrain telescope, which is the largest of its kind and utilises a novel silicon carbide …
The Photodetector Array Camera and Spectrometer (PACS) on the Herschel Space Observatory
Lutz, D.; Altieri, B.; Andreani, P. +80 more
The Photodetector Array Camera and Spectrometer (PACS) is one of the three science instruments on ESA's far infrared and submillimetre 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-fiel…
The Herschel-SPIRE instrument and its in-flight performance
Pérez-Fournon, I.; Valtchanov, I.; Ivison, R. J. +176 more
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 µm, and an imaging Fourier-transform spectrometer (FTS) which covers simultaneously its whole operating range of 194-671 µm (447-1550…
From filamentary clouds to prestellar cores to the stellar IMF: Initial highlights from the Herschel Gould Belt Survey
Aussel, H.; Prusti, T.; Blommaert, J. A. D. L. +54 more
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 µm 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 filament…
Clouds, filaments, and protostars: The Herschel Hi-GAL Milky Way
Sturm, E.; Miville-Deschênes, M. -A.; Boulanger, F. +121 more
We present the first results from the science demonstration phase for the Hi-GAL survey, the Herschel key program that will map the inner Galactic plane of the Milky Way in 5 bands. We outline our data reduction strategy and present some science highlights on the two observed 2° × 2° tiles approximately centered at l = 30° and l = 59°. The two reg…
The Herschel-Heterodyne Instrument for the Far-Infrared (HIFI)
de Graauw, Th.; Beintema, D. A.; Murphy, J. A. +163 more
Aims: This paper describes the Heterodyne Instrument for the Far-Infrared (HIFI) that was launched onboard ESA's Herschel Space Observatory in May 2009.
Methods: The instrument is a set of 7 heterodyne receivers that are electronically tuneable, covering 480-1250 GHz with SIS mixers and the 1410-1910 GHz range with hot electron bolometer…
HerMES: The SPIRE confusion limit
Aussel, H.; Elbaz, D.; Valtchanov, I. +69 more
We report on the sensitivity of SPIRE photometers on the Herschel Space Observatory. Specifically, we measure the confusion noise from observations taken during the science demonstration phase of the Herschel Multi-tiered Extragalactic Survey. Confusion noise is defined to be the spatial variation of the sky intensity in the limit of infinite inte…
Black hole accretion and star formation as drivers of gas excitation and chemistry in Markarian 231
Veilleux, S.; Sanders, D. B.; Savini, G. +34 more
We present a full high resolution SPIRE FTS spectrum of the nearby ultraluminous infrared galaxy Mrk 231. In total 25 lines are detected, including CO J = 5-4 through J = 13-12, 7 rotational lines of H2O, 3 of OH+ and one line each of H2O+, CH+, and HF. We find that the excitation of the CO ro…
Herschel-PACS spectroscopic diagnostics of local ULIRGs: Conditions and kinematics in Markarian 231
Lutz, D.; Genzel, R.; Poglitsch, A. +9 more
In this first paper on the results of our Herschel PACS survey of local ultra luminous infrared galaxies (ULIRGs), as part of our SHINING survey of local galaxies, we present far-infrared spectroscopy of Mrk 231, the most luminous of the local ULIRGs, and a type 1 broad absorption line AGN. For the first time in a ULIRG, all observed far-infrared …
The Aquila prestellar core population revealed by Herschel
Olofsson, G.; Abergel, A.; Roussel, H. +37 more
The origin and possible universality of the stellar initial mass function (IMF) is a major issue in astrophysics. One of the main objectives of the Herschel Gould Belt Survey is to clarify the link between the prestellar core mass function (CMF) and the IMF. We present and discuss the core mass function derived from Herschel data for the large pop…