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Experimental Astronomy

, Volume 37, Issue 2, pp 253–330 | Cite as

Herschel celestial calibration sources

Four large main-belt asteroids as prime flux calibrators for the far-IR/sub-mm range
  • Thomas MüllerEmail author
  • Zoltán Balog
  • Markus Nielbock
  • Tanya Lim
  • David Teyssier
  • Michael Olberg
  • Ulrich Klaas
  • Hendrik Linz
  • Bruno Altieri
  • Chris Pearson
  • George Bendo
  • Esa Vilenius
Original Article
First Online:

Abstract

Celestial standards play a major role in observational astrophysics. They are needed to characterise the performance of instruments and are paramount for photometric calibration. During the Herschel Calibration Asteroid Preparatory Programme approximately 50 asteroids have been established as far-IR/sub-mm/mm calibrators for Herschel. The selected asteroids fill the flux gap between the sub-mm/mm calibrators Mars, Uranus and Neptune, and the mid-IR bright calibration stars. All three Herschel instruments observed asteroids for various calibration purposes, including pointing tests, absolute flux calibration, relative spectral response function, observing mode validation, and cross-calibration aspects. Here we present newly established models for the four large and well characterized main-belt asteroids (1) Ceres, (2) Pallas, (4) Vesta, and (21) Lutetia which can be considered as new prime flux calibrators. The relevant object-specific properties (size, shape, spin-properties, albedo, thermal properties) are well established. The seasonal (distance to Sun, distance to observer, phase angle, aspect angle) and daily variations (rotation) are included in a new thermophysical model setup for these targets. The thermophysical model predictions agree within 5 % with the available (and independently calibrated) Herschel measurements. The four objects cover the flux regime from just below 1,000 Jy (Ceres at mid-IR N-/Q-band) down to fluxes below 0.1 Jy (Lutetia at the longest wavelengths). Based on the comparison with PACS, SPIRE and HIFI measurements and pre-Herschel experience, the validity of these new prime calibrators ranges from mid-infrared to about 700 μm, connecting nicely the absolute stellar reference system in the mid-IR with the planet-based calibration at sub-mm/mm wavelengths.

Keywords

Herschel Space Observatory PACS SPIRE HIFI Far-infrared Instrumentation Calibration Celestial standards Asteroids 
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Notes

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank the PIs of the various scientific projects for permission to use their Herschel science data in the context of our calibration work.

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Copyright information

© Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2013

Authors and Affiliations

  • Thomas Müller
    • 1
    Email author
  • Zoltán Balog
    • 2
  • Markus Nielbock
    • 2
  • Tanya Lim
    • 3
  • David Teyssier
    • 4
  • Michael Olberg
    • 5
  • Ulrich Klaas
    • 2
  • Hendrik Linz
    • 2
  • Bruno Altieri
    • 4
  • Chris Pearson
    • 3
  • George Bendo
    • 6
  • Esa Vilenius
    • 1
  1. 1.Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial PhysicsGarchingGermany
  2. 2.Max Planck Institute for AstronomyHeidelbergGermany
  3. 3.Space Science and Technology DepartmentRALOxonUK
  4. 4.European Space Astronomy Centre (ESAC), ESAMadridSpain
  5. 5.Onsala Space ObservatoryChalmers University of TechnologyOnsalaSweden
  6. 6.UK ALMA Regional Centre Node, Jodrell Bank Centre for AstrophysicsManchesterUK

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