Welcome to the new version of CaltechAUTHORS. Login is currently restricted to library staff. If you notice any issues, please email coda@library.caltech.edu
Published July 2016 | Published + Submitted
Journal Article Open

Hi-GAL, the Herschel infrared Galactic Plane Survey: photometric maps and compact source catalogues: First data release for the inner Milky Way: +68° ≥ / ≥ 70°

Abstract

Aims. We present the first public release of high-quality data products (DR1) from Hi-GAL, the Herschel infrared Galactic Plane Survey. Hi-GAL is the keystone of a suite of continuum Galactic plane surveys from the near-IR to the radio and covers five wavebands at 70, 160, 250, 350 and 500 μm, encompassing the peak of the spectral energy distribution of cold dust for 8 ≲ T ≲ 50 K. This first Hi-GAL data release covers the inner Milky Way in the longitude range 68° ≳ ℓ ≳ −70° in a | b | ≤ 1° latitude strip. Methods. Photometric maps have been produced with the ROMAGAL pipeline, which optimally capitalizes on the excellent sensitivity and stability of the bolometer arrays of the Herschel PACS and SPIRE photometric cameras. It delivers images of exquisite quality and dynamical range, absolutely calibrated with Planck and IRAS, and recovers extended emission at all wavelengths and all spatial scales, from the point-spread function to the size of an entire 2°× 2° "tile" that is the unit observing block of the survey. The compact source catalogues were generated with the CuTEx algorithm, which was specifically developed to optimise source detection and extraction in the extreme conditions of intense and spatially varying background that are found in the Galactic plane in the thermal infrared. Results. Hi-GAL DR1 images are cirrus noise limited and reach the 1σ-rms predicted by the Herschel Time Estimators for parallel-mode observations at 60"^(s-1) scanning speed in relatively low cirrus emission regions. Hi-GAL DR1 images will be accessible through a dedicated web-based image cutout service. The DR1 Compact Source Catalogues are delivered as single-band photometric lists containing, in addition to source position, peak, and integrated flux and source sizes, a variety of parameters useful to assess the quality and reliability of the extracted sources. Caveats and hints to help in this assessment are provided. Flux completeness limits in all bands are determined from extensive synthetic source experiments and greatly depend on the specific line of sight along the Galactic plane because the background strongly varies as a function of Galactic longitude. Hi-GAL DR1 catalogues contain 123210, 308509, 280685, 160972, and 85460 compact sources in the five bands.

Additional Information

© ESO 2016. Received 22 April 2015; accepted 10 February 2016. We thank an anonymous referee for valuable comments that improved the original manuscript. This work is part of the VIALACTEA Project, a Collaborative Project under Framework Programme 7 of the European Union, funded under Contract # 607380 that is hereby acknowledged. Herschel Hi-GAL data processing, maps production and source catalogue generation is the result of a multi-year effort that was initially funded thanks to Contracts I/038/080/0 and I/029/12/0 from ASI, Agenzia Spaziale Italiana. Herschel is an ESA space observatory with science instruments provided by European-led Principal Investigator consortia and with important participation from NASA. PACS has been developed by a consortium of institutes led by MPE (Germany) and including UVIE (Austria); KUL, CSL, IMEC (Belgium); CEA, OAMP (France); MPIA (Germany); IAPS, OAP/OAT, OAA/CAISMI, LENS, SISSA (Italy); IAC (Spain). This development has been supported by the funding agencies BMVIT (Austria), ESA-PRODEX (Belgium), CEA/CNES (France), DLR (Germany), ASI (Italy), and CICYT/MCYT (Spain). SPIRE has been developed by a consortium of institutes led by Cardiff Univ. (UK) and including Univ. Lethbridge (Canada); NAOC (China); CEA, LAM (France); IAPS, Univ. Padua (Italy); IAC (Spain); Stockholm Observatory (Sweden); Imperial College London, RAL, UCL-MSSL, UKATC, Univ. Sussex (UK); Caltech, JPL, NHSC, Univ. colourado (USA). This development has been supported by national funding agencies: CSA (Canada); NAOC (China); CEA, CNES, CNRS (France); ASI (Italy); MCINN (Spain); Stockholm Observatory (Sweden); STFC (UK); and NASA (USA).

Attached Files

Published - aa26380-15.pdf

Submitted - 1604.05911v1.pdf

Files

aa26380-15.pdf
Files (15.9 MB)
Name Size Download all
md5:f3bb2e2552d1acbc4970525c5735854e
7.9 MB Preview Download
md5:dd878a8af3565d03106f5700cc38facb
7.9 MB Preview Download

Additional details

Created:
August 20, 2023
Modified:
October 20, 2023