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 | http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2018MNRAS.473.1059U
Infrared emission of young HII regions: a Herschel/Hi-GAL study | Cesaroni R. et al. | Astronomy & Astrophysics Volume 579 id.A71 46 pp. | 579 | 10.1051\\/0004-6361\\/201525953 | 2015A&A...579A..71C | http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2015A%26A...579A..71C
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 | http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/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 | http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2018MNRAS.473.3671B
An analysis of star formation with Herschel in the Hi-GAL survey. I. The science demonstration phase fields | Veneziani M. et al. | Astronomy & Astrophysics Volume 549 id.A130 8 pp. | 549 | 10.1051\\/0004-6361\\/201219570 | 2013A&A...549A.130V | http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2013A%26A...549A.130V
Star-forming content of the giant molecular filaments in the Milky Way | Zhang M. et al. | Astronomy & Astrophysics Volume 622 id.A52 57 pp. | 622 | 10.1051\\/0004-6361\\/201732400 | 2019A&A...622A..52Z | http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2019A%26A...622A..52Z
Characterizing precursors to stellar clusters with Herschel | Battersby C. et al. | Astronomy & Astrophysics Volume 535 id.A128 17 pp. | 535 | 10.1051\\/0004-6361\\/201116559 | 2011A&A...535A.128B | http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2011A%26A...535A.128B
Data reduction pipeline for the Hi-GAL survey | Traficante A. et al. | Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society Volume 416 Issue 4 pp. 2932-2943. | 416 | 10.1111\\/j.1365-2966.2011.19244.x | 2011MNRAS.416.2932T | http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2011MNRAS.416.2932T
Clustering Properties of Far-infrared Sources in Hi-GAL Science Demonstration Phase Fields | Billot N. et al. | The Astrophysical Journal Volume 735 Issue 1 article id. 28 11 pp. (2011). | 735 | 10.1088\\/0004-637X\\/735\\/1\\/28 | 2011ApJ...735...28B | http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2011ApJ...735...28B
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 |
Chemical Evolution of N2H+ in Six Massive Star-forming Regions | Yu Nai-Ping et al. | The Astrophysical Journal Volume 865 Issue 2 article id. 135 11 pp. (2018). | 865 | 10.3847\\/1538-4357\\/aadb94 | 2018ApJ...865..135Y | http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2018ApJ...865..135Y
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 | http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2017MNRAS.471.2730M
Weak and Compact Radio Emission in Early High-mass Star-forming Regions. II. The Nature of the Radio Sources | Rosero V. et al. | The Astrophysical Journal | null | null | 2019ApJ...880...99R |
Dust temperature maps of the Galactic plane: The Herschel spectral energy distribution fitting with Cloudy predictions | Zhu Jiali et al. | Astronomy & Astrophysics Volume 564 id.A111 5 pp. | 564 | 10.1051\\/0004-6361\\/201322723 | 2014A&A...564A.111Z | http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2014A%26A...564A.111Z
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 | http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2019MNRAS.483.5355M
On the shape of the mass-function of dense clumps in the Hi-GAL fields . I. Spectral energy distribution determination and global properties of the mass-functions | Olmi L. et al. | Astronomy & Astrophysics Volume 551 id.A111 14 pp. | 551 | 10.1051\\/0004-6361\\/201220409 | 2013A&A...551A.111O | http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2013A%26A...551A.111O
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 | http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2017A%26A...605A..35P
The Hi-GAL compact source catalogue - I. The physical properties of the clumps in the inner Galaxy (-71.0deg < l < 67.0deg) | 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 | http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2017MNRAS.471..100E
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 | http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2016A%26A...590A..72P
A 100 pc Elliptical and Twisted Ring of Cold and Dense Molecular Clouds Revealed by Herschel Around the Galactic Center | Molinari S. et al. | The Astrophysical Journal Letters Volume 735 Issue 2 article id. L33 7 pp. (2011). | 735 | 10.1088\\/2041-8205\\/735\\/2\\/L33 | 2011ApJ...735L..33M | http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2011ApJ...735L..33M
The Nearby Evolved Stars Survey II: Constructing a volume-limited sample and first results from the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope | Scicluna P. et al. | Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society | null | null | 2022MNRAS.512.1091S |
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 | http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2017A%26A...597A.114B
A Bayesian Method for the Analysis of the Dust Emission in the Far-infrared and Submillimeter | Veneziani M. et al. | The Astrophysical Journal Volume 772 Issue 1 article id. 56 15 pp. (2013). | 772 | 10.1088\\/0004-637X\\/772\\/1\\/56 | 2013ApJ...772...56V | http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2013ApJ...772...56V
Evolutionary tracks of massive stars during formation | Smith Michael D. et al. | Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society Volume 438 Issue 2 p.1051-1066 | 438 | 10.1093\\/mnras\\/stt2210 | 2014MNRAS.438.1051S | http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2014MNRAS.438.1051S
Variations of the spectral index of dust emissivity from Hi-GAL observations of the Galactic plane | Paradis D. et al. | Astronomy and Astrophysics Volume 520 id.L8 4 pp. | 520 | 10.1051\\/0004-6361\\/201015301 | 2010A&A...520L...8P | http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2010A%26A...520L...8P
A systematic study of Galactic infrared bubbles along the Galactic plane with AKARI and Herschel. II. Spatial distributions of dust components around the bubbles | Hanaoka Misaki et al. | Publications of the Astronomical Society of Japan | null | null | 2020PASJ...72....5H |
Water Masers as an Early Tracer of Star Formation | Ladeyschikov Dmitry A. et al. | The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series | null | null | 2022ApJS..261...14L |
The most evolved sources in the Hi-GAL survey | Elia D. et al. | Communications of the Byurakan Astrophysical Observatory | null | null | 2020CoBAO..67..241E |
Detection and characterization of a 500 mm dust emissivity excess in the Galactic plane using Herschel/Hi-GAL observations | Paradis D. et al. | Astronomy & Astrophysics Volume 537 id.A113 12 pp. | 537 | 10.1051\\/0004-6361\\/201117956 | 2012A&A...537A.113P | http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2012A%26A...537A.113P
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 | http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2018MNRAS.479.2361R
Comparison of absolute gain photometric calibration between Planck/HFI and Herschel/SPIRE at 545 and 857 GHz | Bertincourt B. et al. | Astronomy & Astrophysics Volume 588 id.A107 13 pp. | 588 | 10.1051\\/0004-6361\\/201527313 | 2016A&A...588A.107B | http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2016A%26A...588A.107B
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 | http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/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 | http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2018MNRAS.477.2220T
The Infrared and Radio Flux Densities of Galactic H II regions | Makai Z. et al. | The Astrophysical Journal Volume 846 Issue 1 article id. 64 21 pp. (2017). | 846 | 10.3847\\/1538-4357\\/aa84b6 | 2017ApJ...846...64M | http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2017ApJ...846...64M
Clouds, filaments, and protostars: The Herschel Hi-GAL Milky Way | Molinari S. et al. | Astronomy and Astrophysics Volume 518 id.L100 5 pp. | 518 | 10.1051\\/0004-6361\\/201014659 | 2010A&A...518L.100M | http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2010A%26A...518L.100M
The Hi-GAL compact source catalogue - II. The 360deg 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 b for a CO-faint galaxy in a filamentary Lya 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 | http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2018PASJ...70L...6K
A Herschel study of YSO evolutionary stages and formation timelines in two fields of the Hi-GAL survey | Elia D. et al. | Astronomy and Astrophysics Volume 518 id.L97 5 pp. | 518 | 10.1051\\/0004-6361\\/201014651 | 2010A&A...518L..97E | http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2010A%26A...518L..97E
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 | http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2016A%26A...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 |
The JCMT Plane Survey: first complete data release - emission maps and compact source catalogue | Eden D. J. et al. | Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society Volume 469 Issue 2 p.2163-2183 | 469 | 10.1093\\/mnras\\/stx874 | 2017MNRAS.469.2163E | http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2017MNRAS.469.2163E
Herschel Hi-GAL imaging of massive young stellar objects | Olguin F. A. et al. | Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society Volume 449 Issue 3 p.2784-2793 | 449 | 10.1093\\/mnras\\/stv401 | 2015MNRAS.449.2784O | http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2015MNRAS.449.2784O
Direct estimate of cirrus noise in Herschel Hi-GAL images | Martin P. G. et al. | Astronomy and Astrophysics Volume 518 id.L105 4 pp. | 518 | 10.1051\\/0004-6361\\/201014684 | 2010A&A...518L.105M | http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2010A%26A...518L.105M
Mapping the column density and dust temperature structure of IRDCs with Herschel | Peretto N. et al. | Astronomy and Astrophysics Volume 518 id.L98 5 pp. | 518 | 10.1051\\/0004-6361\\/201014652 | 2010A&A...518L..98P | http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2010A%26A...518L..98P
A Refined Sample of Lyman Excess H II Regions | Marshall Brandon et al. | Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society Volume 478 Issue 4 p.5579-5590 | 478 | 10.1093\\/mnras\\/sty1376 | 2018MNRAS.478.5579M | http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2018MNRAS.478.5579M
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 | http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/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: +68deg >= l >= -70deg | Molinari S. et al. | Astronomy & Astrophysics Volume 591 id.A149 33 pp. | 591 | 10.1051\\/0004-6361\\/201526380 | 2016A&A...591A.149M | http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2016A%26A...591A.149M
On the shape of the mass-function of dense clumps in the Hi-GAL fields . II. Using Bayesian inference to study the clump mass function | Olmi L. et al. | Astronomy & Astrophysics Volume 564 id.A87 12 pp. | 564 | 10.1051\\/0004-6361\\/201323035 | 2014A&A...564A..87O | http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2014A%26A...564A..87O
Multiscale analysis of Galactic dust emission using complex wavelet transforms - I. Separation of Gaussian and non-Gaussian fluctuations in Herschel observations | Robitaille J.-F. et al. | Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society Volume 440 Issue 3 p.2726-2741 | 440 | 10.1093\\/mnras\\/stu375 | 2014MNRAS.440.2726R | http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2014MNRAS.440.2726R
Dust in the Diffuse Emission of the Galactic Plane: The Herschel/Spitzer Spectral Energy Distribution Fitting | Compiegne M. et al. | The Astrophysical Journal Letters Volume 724 Issue 1 pp. L44-L47 (2010). | 724 | 10.1088\\/2041-8205\\/724\\/1\\/L44 | 2010ApJ...724L..44C | http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2010ApJ...724L..44C
Dust temperature tracing the ISRF intensity in the Galaxy | Bernard J.-Ph. et al. | Astronomy and Astrophysics Volume 518 id.L88 9 pp. | 518 | 10.1051\\/0004-6361\\/201014540 | 2010A&A...518L..88B | http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2010A%26A...518L..88B
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 | http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2017AJ....154..201K
ATLASGAL-selected massive clumps in the inner Galaxy. III. Dust continuum characterization of an evolutionary sample | Konig C. et al. | Astronomy & Astrophysics Volume 599 id.A139 33 pp. | 599 | 10.1051\\/0004-6361\\/201526841 | 2017A&A...599A.139K | http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2017A%26A...599A.139K
ATLASGAL-selected massive clumps in the inner Galaxy. VII. Characterisation of mid-J CO emission | Navarete F. et al. | Astronomy & Astrophysics Volume 622 id.A135 45 pp. | 622 | 10.1051\\/0004-6361\\/201629777 | 2019A&A...622A.135N | http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2019A%26A...622A.135N
Instrument
SPIRE\/PACS parallel_SpirePacsParallel_
Temporal Coverage
2009-10-23T10:28:40Z/2009-10-24T08:42:53Z
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, molinari et al., 2009, 'Hi-GAL: the Herschel infrared Galactic Plane Survey', SPG v14.2.0, European Space Agency, https://doi.org/10.5270/esa-ps6x03t