Herschel/PACS far-infrared photometry of two z>4 quasars

We present Herschel far-infrared (FIR) observations of two sub-mm bright quasars at high redshift: SDSS J1148+5251 (z=6.42) and BR 1202-0725 (z=4.69) obtained with the PACS instrument. Both objects are detected in the PACS photometric bands. The Herschel measurements provide additional data points that constrain the FIR spectral energy distributions (SEDs) of both sources, and they emphasise a broad range of dust temperatures in these objects. For lambda_rest ~< 20mu, the two SEDs are very similar to the average SEDs of quasars at low redshift. In the FIR, however, both quasars show excess emission compared to low-z QSO templates, most likely from cold dust powered by vigorous star formation in the QSO host galaxies. For SDSS J1148+5251 we detect another object at 160mu with a distance of ~10 arcseconds from the QSO. Although no physical connection between the quasar and this object can be shown with the available data, it could potentially confuse low-resolution measurements, thus resulting in an overestimate of the FIR luminosity of the z=6.42 quasar.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures, accepted for publication in the A&A special issue on Hersche

A Herschel PACS and SPIRE study of the dust content of the Cassiopeia A supernova remnant

Using the 3.5-m Herschel Space Observatory, imaging photometry of Cas A has been obtained in six bands between 70 and 500 μm with the PACS and SPIRE instruments, with angular resolutions ranging from 6 to 37”. In the outer regions of the remnant the 70-μm PACS image resembles the 24-μm image Spitzer image, with the emission attributed to the same warm dust component, located in the reverse shock region. At longer wavelengths, the three SPIRE bands are increasingly dominated by emission from cold interstellar dust knots and filaments, particularly across the central, western and southern parts of the remnant. Nonthermal emission from the northern part of the remnant becomes prominent at 500 μm. We have estimated and subtracted the contributions from the nonthermal, warm dust and cold interstellar dust components. We confirm and resolve for the first time a cool (~35 K) dust component, emitting at 70-160 μm, that is located interior to the reverse shock region, with an estimated mass of 0.075

A cool dust factory in the Crab Nebula: a Herschel study of the filaments

Whether supernovae are major sources of dust in galaxies is a long-standing debate. We present infrared and submillimeter photometry and spectroscopy from the Herschel Space Observatory of the Crab Nebula between 51 and 670 μm as part of the Mass Loss from Evolved StarS program. We compare the emission detected with Herschel with multiwavelength data including millimeter, radio, mid-infrared, and archive optical images. We carefully remove the synchrotron component using the Herschel and Planck fluxes measured in the same epoch. The contribution from line emission is removed using Herschel spectroscopy combined with Infrared Space Observatory archive data. Several forbidden lines of carbon, oxygen, and nitrogen are detected where multiple velocity components are resolved, deduced to be from the nitrogen-depleted, carbon-rich ejecta. No spectral lines are detected in the SPIRE wavebands; in the PACS bands, the line contribution is 5% and 10% at 70 and 100 μm and negligible at 160 μm. After subtracting the synchrotron and line emission, the remaining far-infrared continuum can be fit with two dust components. Assuming standard interstellar silicates, the mass of the cooler component is 0.24+0.32 – 0.08 M ☉ for T = 28.1+5.5 – 3.2 K. Amorphous carbon grains require 0.11 ± 0.01 M ☉ of dust with T = 33.8+2.3 – 1.8 K. A single temperature modified blackbody with 0.14 M ☉ and 0.08 M ☉ for silicate and carbon dust, respectively, provides an adequate fit to the far-infrared region of the spectral energy distribution but is a poor fit at 24-500 μm. The Crab Nebula has condensed most of the relevant refractory elements into dust, suggesting the formation of dust in core-collapse supernova ejecta is efficient

Dust in Historical Galactic Type Ia Supernova Remnants with Herschel

The origin of interstellar dust in galaxies is poorly understood, particularly the relative contributions from supernovae and the cool stellar winds of low-intermediate mass stars. Here, we present Herschel PACS and SPIRE photometry at 70-500um of the historical young supernova remnants: Kepler and Tycho; both thought to be the remnants of Type Ia explosion events. We detect a warm dust component in Kepler's remnant with T = 82K and mass 0.0031Msun; this is spatially coincident with thermal X-ray emission optical knots and filaments, consistent with the warm dust originating in the circumstellar material swept up by the primary blast wave of the remnant. Similarly for Tycho's remnant, we detect warm dust at 90K with mass 0.0086Msun. Comparing the spatial distribution of the warm dust with X-rays from the ejecta and swept-up medium, and Ha emission arising from the post-shock edge, we show that the warm dust is swept up interstellar material. We find no evidence of a cool (25-50 K) component of dust with mass >0.07Msun as observed in core-collapse remnants of massive stars. Neither the warm or cold dust components detected here are spatially coincident with supernova ejecta material. We compare the lack of observed supernova dust with a theoretical model of dust formation in Type Ia remnants which predicts dust masses of 0.088(0.017)Msun for ejecta expanding into surrounding densities of 1(5)cm-3. The model predicts that silicon- and carbon-rich dust grains will encounter the interior edge of the observed dust emission at 400 years confirming that the majority of the warm dust originates from swept up circumstellar or interstellar grains (for Kepler and Tycho respectively). The lack of cold dust grains in the ejecta suggests that Type Ia remnants do not produce substantial quantities of iron-rich dust grains and has important consequences for the 'missing' iron mass observed in ejecta.Comment: 17 pages, 14 figures, accepted for publication in MNRAS, final version including corrected typos and reference

Observations of infrared echoes around Cassiopeia A with WISE

Context. Light echoes of supernovae have proven to be a viable tool for characterizing both the supernova explosion mechanism and the surrounding circumstellar and interstellar medium. Aims. We explore new possibilities for identifying infrared echoes with WISE data and extend the area of known echoes around the supernova remnant Cassiopeia A in different illumination conditions. Methods. Preliminary release WISE data around Cassiopeia A is analyzed and compared to Spitzer-MIPS data. While Spitzer-WISE difference images directly show evidence of infrared light echoes, they can also be identified according to their 22/12 μm flux ratio. Results. We find that WISE allows the detection of previously unknown infrared echoes in various illumination conditions. For the first time, infrared echoes at distances greater than 800 pc from a supernova remnant have been found. The 22/12 μm flux ratio criterion can be used as a conceptual factor for identifying infrared echoes around other supernovae as well as providing insights into the dust processing conditions of the interstellar medium

Dust in historical Galactic Type Ia supernova remnants with Herschel

The origin of interstellar dust in galaxies is poorly understood, particularly the relative contributions from supernovae and the cool stellar winds of low-intermediate-mass stars. Recently, large masses of newly formed dust have been discovered in the ejecta of core-collapse supernovae. Here, we present Herschel Photodetector Array Camera and Spectrometer (PACS) and Spectral and Photometric Imaging Receiver (SPIRE) photometry at 70–500 forumlam of the historical, young supernova remnants: Kepler and Tycho, both thought to be the remnants of Type Ia explosion events. We detect a warm dust component in Kepler’s remnant with forumla and mass forumla⁠; this is spatially coincident with thermal X-ray emission and optical knots and filaments, consistent with the warm dust originating in the circumstellar material swept up by the primary blast wave of the remnant. Similarly for Tycho’s remnant, we detect warm dust at forumla with mass forumla⁠. Comparing the spatial distribution of the warm dust with X-rays from the ejecta and swept-up medium, and Hα emission arising from the post-shock edge, we show that the warm dust is swept up interstellar material. We find no evidence of a cool (25–50 K) component of dust with mass ≥0.07 M⊙ as observed in core-collapse remnants of massive stars. Neither the warm or cold dust components detected here are spatially coincident with supernova ejecta material. We compare the lack of observed supernova dust with a theoretical model of dust formation in Type Ia remnants which predicts dust masses of 88(17) × 10−3 M⊙ for ejecta expanding into ambient surrounding densities of 1(5) cm−3. The model predicts that silicon- and carbon-rich dust grains will encounter, at most, the interior edge of the observed dust emission at ∼400 years, confirming that the majority of the warm dust originates from swept-up circumstellar or interstellar grains (for Kepler and Tycho, respectively). The lack of cold dust grains in the ejecta suggests that Type Ia remnants do not produce substantial quantities of iron-rich dust grains and has important consequences for the ‘missing’ iron mass observed in ejecta. Finally, although, we cannot completely rule out a small mass of freshly formed supernova dust, the Herschel observations confirm that significantly less dust forms in the ejecta of Type Ia supernovae than in the remnants of core-collapse explosions