The Photodetector Array Camera and Spectrometer (PACS) is one of the three science instruments on ESA's far infrared and submillimetre observatory. It employs two Ge:Ga photoconductor arrays (stressed and unstressed) with 16 × 25 pixels, each, and two filled silicon bolometer arrays with 16 × 32 and 32 × 64 pixels, respectively, to perform integral-field spectroscopy and imaging photometry in the 60−210 μm wavelength regime. In photometry mode, it simultaneously images two bands, 60−85 μm or 85−125 μm and 125−210 μm, over a field of view of ∼1.75 × 3.5 , with close to Nyquist beam sampling in each band. In spectroscopy mode, it images a field of 47 × 47 , resolved into 5 × 5 pixels, with an instantaneous spectral coverage of ∼ 1500 km s −1 and a spectral resolution of ∼175 km s −1 . We summarise the design of the instrument, describe observing modes, calibration, and data analysis methods, and present our current assessment of the in-orbit performance of the instrument based on the performance verification tests. PACS is fully operational, and the achieved performance is close to or better than the pre-launch predictions. Key words. space vehicles: instruments -instrumentation: photometers -instrumentation: spectrographsHerschel is an ESA space observatory with science instruments provided by European-led Principal Investigator consortia and with important participation from NASA.

[1] We have developed a one-dimensional, diurnally averaged, photochemical model for Jupiter's stratosphere that couples photodissociation, chemical kinetics, vertical diffusion, and radiative transport. The predictions regarding the abundances and vertical profiles of hydrocarbon compounds are compared with observations from the Infrared Space Observatory (ISO) to better constrain the atmospheric composition, to better define the eddy diffusion coefficient profile, and to better understand the chemical reaction schemes that produce and destroy the observed constituents. From model-data comparisons we determine that the C 2 H 6 mole fraction on Jupiter is (4.0 ± 1.0) Â 10 À6 at 3.5 mbar and (2.7 ± 0.7) Â 10 À6 at 7 mbar, and the C 2 H 2 mole fraction is (1.4 ± 0.8) Â 10 À6 at 0.25 mbar and (1.5 ± 0.4) Â 10 À7 at 2 mbar. The column densities of CH 3 C 2 H and C 6 H 6 are (1.5 ± 0.4) Â 10 15 cm À2 and (8.0 ± 2) Â 10 14 cm À2 , respectively, above 30 mbar. Using identical reaction lists, we also have developed photochemical models for Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. Although the models provide good first-order predictions of hydrocarbon abundances on the giant planets, our current chemical reaction schemes do not reproduce the relative abundances of C 2 H x hydrocarbons. Unsaturated hydrocarbons like C 2 H 4 and C 2 H 2 appear to be converted to saturated hydrocarbons like C 2 H 6 more effectively on Jupiter than on the other giant planets, more effectively than is predicted by the models. Further progress in our understanding of photochemistry at low temperatures and low pressures in hydrogen-dominated atmospheres hinges on the acquisition of high-quality kinetics data.

We report initial results from the far-infrared fine structure line observations of a sample of 44 local starbursts, Seyfert galaxies and infrared luminous galaxies obtained with the PACS spectrometer on board Herschel. We show that the ratio between the far-infrared luminosity and the molecular gas mass, L FIR /M H2 , is a much better proxy for the relative brightness of the far-infrared lines than L FIR alone. Galaxies with high L FIR /M H2 ratios tend to have weaker fine structure lines relative to their far-infrared continuum than galaxies with L FIR /M H2 80 L ⊙ M ⊙ −1 . A deficit of the [C II] 158 µm line relative to L FIR was previously found with the ISO satellite, but now we show for the first time that this is a general aspect of all far-infrared fine structure lines, regardless of their origin in the ionized or neutral phase of the interstellar medium. The L FIR /M H2 value where these line deficits start to manifest is similar to the limit that separates between the two modes of star formation recently found in galaxies on the basis of studies of their gas-star formation relations. Our finding that the properties of the interstellar medium are also significantly different in these regimes provides independent support for the different star forming relations in normal disk galaxies and major merger systems. We use the spectral synthesis code Cloudy to model the emission of the lines. The expected increase of the ionization parameter with L FIR /M H2 can simultaneously explain the line deficits in the [C II], [N II] and [O I] lines.

No abstract

No abstract

The atmospheres of the giant planets are reducing, being mainly composed of hydrogen, helium and methane. But the rings and icy satellites that surround these planets, together with the flux of interplanetary dust, could act as important sources of oxygen, which would be delivered to the atmospheres mainly in the form of water ice or silicate dust. Here we report the detection, by infrared spectroscopy, of gaseous H2O in the upper atmospheres of Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. The implied H2O column densities are 1.5 x 10(15), 9 x 10(13) and 3 x 10(14) molecules cm(-2) respectively. CO2 in comparable amounts was also detected in the atmospheres of Saturn and Neptune. These observations can be accounted for by external fluxes of 10(5)-10(7) H2O molecules cm(-2) s(-1) and subsequent chemical processing in the atmospheres. The presence of gaseous water and infalling dust will affect the photochemistry, energy budget and ionospheric properties of these atmospheres. Moreover, our findings may help to constrain the injection rate and possible activity of distant icy objects in the Solar System.

No abstract

Full range Herschel/PACS spectroscopy of the (ultra)luminous infrared galaxies NGC 4418 and Arp 220, observed as part of the SHINING key programme, reveals high excitation in H 2 O, OH, HCN, and NH 3 . In NGC 4418, absorption lines were detected with E lower > 800 K (H 2 O), 600 K (OH), 1075 K (HCN), and 600 K (NH 3 ), while in Arp 220 the excitation is somewhat lower. While outflow signatures in moderate excitation lines are seen in Arp 220 as have been seen in previous studies, in NGC 4418 the lines tracing its outer regions are redshifted relative to the nucleus, suggesting an inflow withṀ 12 M yr −1 . Both galaxies have compact and warm (T dust 100 K) nuclear continuum components, together with a more extended and colder component that is much more prominent and massive in Arp 220. A chemical dichotomy is found in both sources: on the one hand, the nuclear regions have high H 2 O abundances, ∼10 −5 , and high HCN/H 2 O and HCN/NH 3 column density ratios of 0.1−0.4 and 2−5, respectively, indicating a chemistry typical of evolved hot cores where grain mantle evaporation has occurred. On the other hand, the high OH abundance, with OH/H 2 O ratios of ∼0.5, indicates the effects of X-rays and/or cosmic rays. The nuclear media have high surface brightnesses ( 10 13 L /kpc 2 ) and are estimated to be very thick (N H 10 25 cm −2 ). While NGC 4418 shows weak absorption in H 18 2 O and 18 OH, with a 16 O-to-18 O ratio of 250−500, the relatively strong absorption of the rare isotopologues in Arp 220 indicates 18 O enhancement, with 16 O-to-18 O of 70−130. Further away from the nuclear regions, the H 2 O abundance decreases to 10 −7 and the OH/H 2 O ratio is reversed relative to the nuclear region to 2.5−10. Despite the different scales and morphologies of NGC 4418, Arp 220, and Mrk 231, preliminary evidence is found for an evolutionary sequence from infall, hot-core like chemistry, and solar oxygen isotope ratio to high velocity outflow, disruption of the hot core chemistry and cumulative high mass stellar processing of 18 O.