Hi-GAL: The Herschel Infrared Galactic Plane Survey

• DOI: 10.1086/651314
• Publication Date: 2010-02-26T10:41:49Z
• Authors: S. Molinari; B. Swinyard; J. Bally; M. Barlow; J.-P. Bernard; P. Martin; T. Moore; A. Noriega-Crespo; R. Plume; L. Testi; A. Zavagno; A. Abergel; B. Ali; P. André; J.-P. Baluteau; M. Benedettini; O. Berné; N. P. Billot; J. Blommaert; S. Bontemps; F. Boulanger; J. Brand; C. Brunt; M. Burton; L. Campeggio; S. Carey; P. Caselli; R. Cesaroni; J. Cernicharo; S. Chakrabarti; A. Chrysostomou; C. Codella; M. Cohen; M. Compiegne; C. J. Davis; P. de Bernardis; G. de Gasperis; J. Di Francesco; A. M. di Giorgio; D. Elia; F. Faustini; J. F. Fischera; Y. Fukui; G. A. Fuller; K. Ganga; P. Garcia-Lario; M. Giard; G. Giardino; J: Glenn; P. Goldsmith; M. Griffin; M. Hoare; M. Huang; B. Jiang; C. Joblin; G. Joncas; M. Juvela; J. Kirk; G. Lagache; J. Z. Li; T. L. Lim; S. D. Lord; P. W. Lucas; B. Maiolo; M. Marengo; D. Marshall; S. Masi; F. Massi; M. Matsuura; C. Meny; V. Minier; M.-A. Miville-Des...; L. Montier; F. Motte; T. G. Müller; P. Natoli; J. Neves; L. Olmi; R. Paladini; D. Paradis; M. Pestalozzi; S. Pezzuto; F. Piacentini; M. Pomarès; C. C. Popescu; W. T. Reach; J. Richer; I. Ristorcelli; A. Roy; P. Royer; D. Russeil; P. Saraceno; M. Sauvage; P. Schilke; N. Schneider-Bont...; F. Schuller; B. Schultz; D. S. Shepherd; B. Sibthorpe; H. A. Smith; M. D. Smith; L. Spinoglio; D. Stamatellos; F. Strafella; G. Stringfellow; E. Sturm; R. Taylor; M. A. Thompson; R. J. Tuffs; G. Umana; L. Valenziano; R. Vavrek; S. Viti; C. Waelkens; D. Ward-Thompson; G. White; F. Wyrowski; H. W. Yorke; Q. Zhang
• Keywords: Galactic plane

Hi-GAL, the Herschel infrared Galactic Plane Survey, is an Open Time Key Project of Space Observatory. It will make unbiased photometric survey inner plane by mapping a 2° wide strip in longitude range ∣l∣ < 60° five wavebands between 70 μm and 500 μm. The aim Hi-GAL to detect earliest phases formation molecular clouds high-mass stars use optimum combination wavelength coverage, sensitivity, strategy, speed deliver homogeneous census star-forming regions cold structures interstellar medium. resulting representative samples yield variation source temperature, luminosity, mass age environments at all scales from massive YSOs protoclusters entire spiral arms, providing evolutionary sequence for intermediate stars. This information essential formulation predictive global model role environment feedback regulating star-formation process. Such vital understanding star on galactic early universe. also provide science legacy decades come with incalculable potential systematic serendipitous astronomical fields, enabling future major facilities such as JWST ALMA.