Star formation and black hole accretion in nearby (U)LIRGs.
Abstract
The Herschel Comprehensive (U)LIRG Emission Survey (HerCULES) is a Herschel open time key program that will establish a comprehensive inventory of the gas cooling lines in a flux-limited sample of 29 (Ultra)luminous infrared galaxies ((U)LIRGs), using high spectral resolution SPIRE FTS observations, combined with observations of the [CII] 158 μm line and the [OI] 63 and 146 μm lines with PACS. Key aims of HerCULES are the development of the diagnostic use of the gas cooling lines in local (U)LIRGs, and establishing a local benchmark for observations of high-z galaxies with the Atacama Large Millimeter Array. In addition, since the FTS yields full spectra, many other molecular and atomic emission lines are observed that further improve the diagnostics. I will present the first results of the SPIRE FTS observations, by showing a number of spectra that are representative of the large variety of emission lines found in our sample. These data are also compared to the results of PDR and XDR chemistry models, for a qualitative analysis of the ISM chemistry and excitation and the role of star formation and AGN in the observed galaxies.
- Publication:
-
The Molecular Universe
- Pub Date:
- May 2011
- Bibcode:
- 2011IAUS..280P.238L