SIGNALS: I. Survey description
Abstract
SIGNALS, the Star formation, Ionized Gas, and Nebular Abundances Legacy Survey, is a large observing programme designed to investigate massive star formation and H II regions in a sample of local extended galaxies. The programme will use the imaging Fourier transform spectrograph SITELLE at the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope. Over 355 h (54.7 nights) have been allocated beginning in fall 2018 for eight consecutive semesters. Once completed, SIGNALS will provide a statistically reliable laboratory to investigate massive star formation, including over 50 000 resolved H II regions: the largest, most complete, and homogeneous data base of spectroscopically and spatially resolved extragalactic H II regions ever assembled. For each field observed, three datacubes covering the spectral bands of the filters SN1 (363-386 nm), SN2 (482-513 nm), and SN3 (647-685 nm) are gathered. The spectral resolution selected for each spectral band is 1000, 1000, and 5000, respectively. As defined, the project sample will facilitate the study of small-scale nebular physics and many other phenomena linked to star formation at a mean spatial resolution of ∼20 pc. This survey also has considerable legacy value for additional topics, including planetary nebulae, diffuse ionized gas, and supernova remnants. The purpose of this paper is to present a general outlook of the survey, notably the observing strategy, galaxy sample, and science requirements.
- Publication:
-
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
- Pub Date:
- November 2019
- DOI:
- 10.1093/mnras/stz2455
- arXiv:
- arXiv:1908.09017
- Bibcode:
- 2019MNRAS.489.5530R
- Keywords:
-
- surveys;
- H <sc>ii</sc> regions;
- galaxies: star formation;
- Astrophysics - Astrophysics of Galaxies
- E-Print:
- 19 pages, 14 figures, submitted to MNRAS