We propose to use SPIRE and PACS in parallel mode to carry out a 720 sq.deg. unbiased imaging survey of the entire Galactic Plane of the Milky Way, uniformly sampling a 2-wide strip centered on the warped midplane in the 70, 170, 250, 350 and 500um photometric bands.
The Herschel infrared Galactic Plane Survey (Hi-GAL) embodies the optimum combination of Herschel wavelength coverage, sensitivity, mapping strategy and speed to deliver, in a single and homogeneous dataset of the highest statistical significance, the ultimate census and characterisation (temperature, luminosity, mass and Spectral Energy Distribution) of star forming regions and cold ISM structures in all the environments of the Galactic ecosystem, at unprecedented resolutions, and at all scales from massive objects in protoclusters to the full spiral arm. This will enable decisive steps toward the formulation of a global predictive model of the ISM/star formation cyclic transformation process which is the engine responsible for most of the energy budget in normal star-forming galaxies. It will be a cornerstone to unveil the evolution of galaxies through redshift back to their formation.
Hi-GAL will also deliver a dataset of extraordinary legacy value for decades to come, with a strong potential of systematic and serendipitous science in a wide range of astronomical fields, and enabling the optimum use of future major facilities such as ALMA. In addition to a suite of enhanced products, including mosaiced images and source catalogues in all bands, we will create an immediate legacy value by waiving the totality of our proprietary time.
The complete 60-600um view of the Milky Way at 10-35 resolution will be unique to Herschel, as it is beyond the capabilities of all of the future planned ground-based and space-borne facilities either for highest resolution (ALMA, SPIRIT, FIRI and SPECS interferometers) or for highest sensitivity (SPICA and SAFIR actively cooled single-dishes).
Publication
ATLASGAL - properties of a complete sample of Galactic clumps★ . Urquhart J. S. et al. . Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Volume 473, Issue 1, p.1059-1102 . 473 . 10.1093\/mnras\/stx2258 . 2018MNRAS.473.1059U , A systematic study of Galactic infrared bubbles along the Galactic plane with AKARI and Herschel . Hanaoka Misaki et al. . Publications of the Astronomical Society of Japan, Volume 71, Issue 1, id.6 . 71 . 10.1093\/pasj\/psy126 . 2019PASJ...71....6H , First Extended Catalogue of Galactic bubble infrared fluxes from WISE and Herschel surveys . Bufano F. et al. . Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Volume 473, Issue 3, p.3671-3692 . 473 . 10.1093\/mnras\/stx2560 . 2018MNRAS.473.3671B , Far-infrared Dust Temperatures and Column Densities of the MALT90 Molecular Clump Sample . Guzmán Andrés E. et al. . The Astrophysical Journal, Volume 815, Issue 2, article id. 130, 19 pp. (2015). . 815 . 10.1088\/0004-637X\/815\/2\/130 . 2015ApJ...815..130G , Large-scale latitude distortions of the inner Milky Way disk from the Herschel/Hi-GAL Survey . Molinari S. et al. . Astronomy & Astrophysics, Volume 588, id.A75, 12 pp. . 588 . 10.1051\/0004-6361\/201526286 . 2016A&A...588A..75M , The Hi-GAL catalogue of dusty filamentary structures in the Galactic plane . Schisano Eugenio et al. . Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society . null . null . 2020MNRAS.492.5420S , Chemical Evolution in High-mass Star-forming Regions: Results from the MALT90 Survey . Hoq Sadia et al. . The Astrophysical Journal, V...olume 777, Issue 2, article id. 157, 15 pp. (2013). . 777 . 10.1088\/0004-637X\/777\/2\/157 . 2013ApJ...777..157H , The evolutionary status of protostellar clumps hosting class II methanol masers . Jones B. M. et al. . Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society . null . null . 2020MNRAS.493.2015J , The prevalence of star formation as a function of Galactocentric radius . Ragan S. E. et al. . Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Volume 462, Issue 3, p.3123-3129 . 462 . 10.1093\/mnras\/stw1870 . 2016MNRAS.462.3123R , Hi-GAL, the Herschel infrared Galactic Plane Survey: photometric maps and compact source catalogues. First data release for the inner Milky Way: +68° ≥ l ≥ -70° . Molinari S. et al. . Astronomy & Astrophysics, Volume 591, id.A149, 33 pp. . 591 . 10.1051\/0004-6361\/201526380 . 2016A&A...591A.149M , Multitemperature mapping of dust structures throughout the Galactic Plane using the PPMAP tool with Herschel Hi-GAL data . Marsh K. A. et al. . Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Volume 471, Issue 3, p.2730-2742 . 471 . 10.1093\/mnras\/stx1723 . 2017MNRAS.471.2730M , Infrared Photometric Properties of 709 Candidate Stellar Bowshock Nebulae . Kobulnicky Henry A. et al. . The Astronomical Journal, Volume 154, Issue 5, article id. 201, 18 pp. (2017). . 154 . 10.3847\/1538-3881\/aa90ba . 2017AJ....154..201K , Thermal balance and comparison of gas and dust properties of dense clumps in the Hi-GAL survey . Merello M. et al. . Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Volume 483, Issue 4, p.5355-5379 . 483 . 10.1093\/mnras\/sty3453 . 2019MNRAS.483.5355M , ATLASGAL-selected massive clumps in the inner Galaxy. III. Dust continuum characterization of an evolutionary sample . König C. et al. . Astronomy & Astrophysics, Volume 599, id.A139, 33 pp. . 599 . 10.1051\/0004-6361\/201526841 . 2017A&A...599A.139K , Dust extinction map of the Galactic plane based on the VVV survey data . Zhang M. et al. . Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society . null . null . 2022MNRAS.517.5180Z , Spatial distribution of star formation related to ionized regions throughout the inner Galactic plane . Palmeirim P. et al. . Astronomy & Astrophysics, Volume 605, id.A35, 14 pp. . 605 . 10.1051\/0004-6361\/201629963 . 2017A&A...605A..35P , High-resolution LAsMA 12CO and 13CO observation of the G305 giant molecular cloud complex. I. Feedback on the molecular gas . Mazumdar P. et al. . Astronomy and Astrophysics . null . null . 2021A&A...650A.164M , The Hi-GAL compact source catalogue - I. The physical properties of the clumps in the inner Galaxy (-71.0° < ℓ < 67.0°) . Elia Davide et al. . Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Volume 471, Issue 1, p.100-143 . 471 . 10.1093\/mnras\/stx1357 . 2017MNRAS.471..100E , Cores in infrared dark clouds (IRDCs) seen in the Hi-GAL survey between l= 300° and 330° . Wilcock L. A. et al. . Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Volume 422, Issue 2, pp. 1071-1082. . 422 . 10.1111\/j.1365-2966.2012.20680.x . 2012MNRAS.422.1071W , The initial conditions for stellar protocluster formation. III. The Herschel counterparts of the Spitzer Dark Cloud catalogue . Peretto N. et al. . Astronomy & Astrophysics, Volume 590, id.A72, 11 pp. . 590 . 10.1051\/0004-6361\/201527064 . 2016A&A...590A..72P , A complete catalogue of dusty supernova remnants in the Galactic plane . Chawner H. et al. . Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society . null . null . 2020MNRAS.493.2706C , Distinguishing between HII regions and planetary nebulae with Hi-GAL, WISE, MIPSGAL, and GLIMPSE . Anderson L. D. et al. . Astronomy & Astrophysics, Volume 537, id.A1, 11 pp. . 537 . 10.1051\/0004-6361\/201117640 . 2012A&A...537A...1A , Source clustering in the Hi-GAL survey determined using a minimum spanning tree method . Beuret M. et al. . Astronomy & Astrophysics, Volume 597, id.A114, 22 pp. . 597 . 10.1051\/0004-6361\/201629199 . 2017A&A...597A.114B , Fragmentation and filaments at the onset of star and cluster formation. SABOCA 350 μm view of ATLASGAL-selected massive clumps . Lin Y. et al. . Astronomy and Astrophysics . null . null . 2019A&A...631A..72L , The most evolved sources in the Hi-GAL survey . Elia D. et al. . Communications of the Byurakan Astrophysical Observatory . null . null . 2020CoBAO..67..241E , Concerning the occurrence of bow shocks around high-mass X-ray binaries . Prišegen M. et al. . Astronomy and Astrophysics . null . null . 2019A&A...621A..37P , Properties of massive star-forming clumps with infall motions . He Yu-Xin et al. . Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Volume 461, Issue 3, p.2288-2308 . 461 . 10.1093\/mnras\/stw1301 . 2016MNRAS.461.2288H , The role of spiral arms in Milky Way star formation . Ragan S. E. et al. . Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Volume 479, Issue 2, p.2361-2373 . 479 . 10.1093\/mnras\/sty1672 . 2018MNRAS.479.2361R , Large-scale properties of the clump mass function . Olmi L. et al. . Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Volume 480, Issue 2, p.1831-1849 . 480 . 10.1093\/mnras\/sty1900 . 2018MNRAS.480.1831O , Testing the Larson relations in massive clumps . Traficante A. et al. . Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Volume 477, Issue 2, p.2220-2242 . 477 . 10.1093\/mnras\/sty798 . 2018MNRAS.477.2220T , A catalogue of Galactic supernova remnants in the far-infrared: revealing ejecta dust in pulsar wind nebulae . Chawner H. et al. . Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Volume 483, Issue 1, p.70-118 . 483 . 10.1093\/mnras\/sty2942 . 2019MNRAS.483...70C , The Hi-GAL compact source catalogue - II. The 360° catalogue of clump physical properties . Elia Davide et al. . Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society . null . null . 2021MNRAS.504.2742E , A high dust emissivity index β for a CO-faint galaxy in a filamentary Lyα nebula at z = 3.1 . Kato Yuta et al. . Publications of the Astronomical Society of Japan, Volume 70, Issue 5, id.L6 . 70 . 10.1093\/pasj\/psy087 . 2018PASJ...70L...6K ,
Instrument
SPIRE\/PACS parallel_SpirePacsParallel_
Temporal Coverage
2010-01-08T04:03:19Z/2011-11-05T11:51:55Z
Version
SPG v14.2.0
Mission Description
Herschel was launched on 14 May 2009! It is the fourth 'cornerstone' mission in the ESA science programme. With a 3.5 m Cassegrain telescope it is the largest space telescope ever launched. It is performing photometry and spectroscopy in approximately the 55-671 µm range, bridging the gap between earlier infrared space missions and groundbased facilities.
European Space Agency, 2011, Hi-Gal: The Herschel Infrared Galactic Plane Survey, SPG v14.2.0, European Space Agency, https://doi.org/10.5270/esa-xywdaov
