The VST photometric hα survey of the Southern Galactic Plane and Bulge (VPHAS+)

J. E. Drew; E. Gonzalez-solares; R. Greimel; M. J. Irwin; A. Küpcü Yoldas; J. Lewis; G. Barentsen; J. Eislöffel; H. J. Farnhill; W. E. Martin; J. R. Walsh; N. A. Walton; M. Mohr-Smith; R. Raddi; S. E. Sale; N. J. Wright; P. Groot; M. J. Barlow; R. L M Corradi; J. J. Drake; J. Fabregat; D. J. Frew; B. T. Gänsicke; C. Knigge; A. Mampaso; R. A H Morris; T. Naylor; Q. A. Parker; S. Phillipps; C. Ruhland; D. Steeghs; Y. C. Unruh; J. S. Vink; R. Wesson; A. A. Zijlstra

doi:10.1093/mnras/stu394

The VST photometric hα survey of the Southern Galactic Plane and Bulge (VPHAS+)

J. E. Drew, E. Gonzalez-solares, R. Greimel, M. J. Irwin, A. Küpcü Yoldas, J. Lewis, G. Barentsen, J. Eislöffel, H. J. Farnhill, W. E. Martin, J. R. Walsh, N. A. Walton, M. Mohr-Smith, R. Raddi, S. E. Sale, N. J. Wright, P. Groot, M. J. Barlow, R. L M Corradi, J. J. DrakeJ. Fabregat, D. J. Frew, B. T. Gänsicke, C. Knigge, A. Mampaso, R. A H Morris, T. Naylor, Q. A. Parker, S. Phillipps, C. Ruhland, D. Steeghs, Y. C. Unruh, J. S. Vink, R. Wesson, A. A. Zijlstra

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Abstract

The VST Photometric Hα Survey of the Southern Galactic Plane and Bulge (VPHAS+) is surveying the southern Milky Way in u, g, r, i and Hα at ~1 arcsec angular resolution. Its footprint spans the Galactic latitude range -5o <b <+5° at all longitudes south of the celestial equator. Extensions around the Galactic Centre to Galactic latitudes ±10° bring in much of the Galactic bulge. This European Southern Observatory public survey, begun on 2011 December 28, reaches down to ~20th magnitude (10σ) and will provide single-epoch digital optical photometry for ~300 million stars. The observing strategy and data pipelining are described, and an appraisal of the segmented narrow-band Hα filter in use is presented. Using model atmospheres and library spectra, we compute main-sequence (u - g), (g - r), (r - i) and (r - Hα) stellar colours in the Vega system. We report on a preliminary validation of the photometry using test data obtained from two pointings overlapping the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. An example of the (u - g, g - r) and (r - Hα, r - i) diagrams for a full VPHAS+ survey field is given. Attention is drawn to the opportunities for studies of compact nebulae and nebular morphologies that arise from the image quality being achieved. The value of the u band as the means to identify planetary-nebula central stars is demonstrated by the discovery of the central star of NGC 2899 in survey data. Thanks to its excellent imaging performance, the VLT Survey Telescope (VST)/OmegaCam combination used by this survey is a perfect vehicle for automated searches for reddened early-type stars, and will allow the discovery and analysis of compact binaries, white dwarfs and transient sources. © The Authors 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Royal Astronomical Society.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	2036-2058
Number of pages	22
Journal	Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Volume	440
Issue number	3
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stu394
Publication status	Published - 2014

Keywords

Galaxy: bulge
Galaxy: disc
H II regions
Planetary nebulae: general
Stars: general
Surveys

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10.1093/mnras/stu394

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Drew, J. E., Gonzalez-solares, E., Greimel, R., Irwin, M. J., Küpcü Yoldas, A., Lewis, J., Barentsen, G., Eislöffel, J., Farnhill, H. J., Martin, W. E., Walsh, J. R., Walton, N. A., Mohr-Smith, M., Raddi, R., Sale, S. E., Wright, N. J., Groot, P., Barlow, M. J., Corradi, R. L. M., ... Zijlstra, A. A. (2014). The VST photometric hα survey of the Southern Galactic Plane and Bulge (VPHAS+). Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 440(3), 2036-2058. https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stu394

@article{07fd3edf75304e7c8659ba5033f31988,

title = "The VST photometric hα survey of the Southern Galactic Plane and Bulge (VPHAS+)",

abstract = "The VST Photometric Hα Survey of the Southern Galactic Plane and Bulge (VPHAS+) is surveying the southern Milky Way in u, g, r, i and Hα at ~1 arcsec angular resolution. Its footprint spans the Galactic latitude range -5o <b <+5° at all longitudes south of the celestial equator. Extensions around the Galactic Centre to Galactic latitudes ±10° bring in much of the Galactic bulge. This European Southern Observatory public survey, begun on 2011 December 28, reaches down to ~20th magnitude (10σ) and will provide single-epoch digital optical photometry for ~300 million stars. The observing strategy and data pipelining are described, and an appraisal of the segmented narrow-band Hα filter in use is presented. Using model atmospheres and library spectra, we compute main-sequence (u - g), (g - r), (r - i) and (r - Hα) stellar colours in the Vega system. We report on a preliminary validation of the photometry using test data obtained from two pointings overlapping the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. An example of the (u - g, g - r) and (r - Hα, r - i) diagrams for a full VPHAS+ survey field is given. Attention is drawn to the opportunities for studies of compact nebulae and nebular morphologies that arise from the image quality being achieved. The value of the u band as the means to identify planetary-nebula central stars is demonstrated by the discovery of the central star of NGC 2899 in survey data. Thanks to its excellent imaging performance, the VLT Survey Telescope (VST)/OmegaCam combination used by this survey is a perfect vehicle for automated searches for reddened early-type stars, and will allow the discovery and analysis of compact binaries, white dwarfs and transient sources. {\textcopyright} The Authors 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Royal Astronomical Society.",

keywords = "Galaxy: bulge, Galaxy: disc, H II regions, Planetary nebulae: general, Stars: general, Surveys",

author = "Drew, {J. E.} and E. Gonzalez-solares and R. Greimel and Irwin, {M. J.} and {K{\"u}pc{\"u} Yoldas}, A. and J. Lewis and G. Barentsen and J. Eisl{\"o}ffel and Farnhill, {H. J.} and Martin, {W. E.} and Walsh, {J. R.} and Walton, {N. A.} and M. Mohr-Smith and R. Raddi and Sale, {S. E.} and Wright, {N. J.} and P. Groot and Barlow, {M. J.} and Corradi, {R. L M} and Drake, {J. J.} and J. Fabregat and Frew, {D. J.} and G{\"a}nsicke, {B. T.} and C. Knigge and A. Mampaso and Morris, {R. A H} and T. Naylor and Parker, {Q. A.} and S. Phillipps and C. Ruhland and D. Steeghs and Unruh, {Y. C.} and Vink, {J. S.} and R. Wesson and Zijlstra, {A. A.}",

year = "2014",

doi = "10.1093/mnras/stu394",

language = "English",

volume = "440",

pages = "2036--2058",

journal = "Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society",

issn = "1365-2966",

publisher = "Oxford University Press",

number = "3",

}

Drew, JE, Gonzalez-solares, E, Greimel, R, Irwin, MJ, Küpcü Yoldas, A, Lewis, J, Barentsen, G, Eislöffel, J, Farnhill, HJ, Martin, WE, Walsh, JR, Walton, NA, Mohr-Smith, M, Raddi, R, Sale, SE, Wright, NJ, Groot, P, Barlow, MJ, Corradi, RLM, Drake, JJ, Fabregat, J, Frew, DJ, Gänsicke, BT, Knigge, C, Mampaso, A, Morris, RAH, Naylor, T, Parker, QA, Phillipps, S, Ruhland, C, Steeghs, D, Unruh, YC, Vink, JS, Wesson, R & Zijlstra, AA 2014, 'The VST photometric hα survey of the Southern Galactic Plane and Bulge (VPHAS+)', Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, vol. 440, no. 3, pp. 2036-2058. https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stu394

TY - JOUR

T1 - The VST photometric hα survey of the Southern Galactic Plane and Bulge (VPHAS+)

AU - Drew, J. E.

AU - Gonzalez-solares, E.

AU - Greimel, R.

AU - Irwin, M. J.

AU - Küpcü Yoldas, A.

AU - Lewis, J.

AU - Barentsen, G.

AU - Eislöffel, J.

AU - Farnhill, H. J.

AU - Martin, W. E.

AU - Walsh, J. R.

AU - Walton, N. A.

AU - Mohr-Smith, M.

AU - Raddi, R.

AU - Sale, S. E.

AU - Wright, N. J.

AU - Groot, P.

AU - Barlow, M. J.

AU - Corradi, R. L M

AU - Drake, J. J.

AU - Fabregat, J.

AU - Frew, D. J.

AU - Gänsicke, B. T.

AU - Knigge, C.

AU - Mampaso, A.

AU - Morris, R. A H

AU - Naylor, T.

AU - Parker, Q. A.

AU - Phillipps, S.

AU - Ruhland, C.

AU - Steeghs, D.

AU - Unruh, Y. C.

AU - Vink, J. S.

AU - Wesson, R.

AU - Zijlstra, A. A.

PY - 2014

Y1 - 2014

N2 - The VST Photometric Hα Survey of the Southern Galactic Plane and Bulge (VPHAS+) is surveying the southern Milky Way in u, g, r, i and Hα at ~1 arcsec angular resolution. Its footprint spans the Galactic latitude range -5o <b <+5° at all longitudes south of the celestial equator. Extensions around the Galactic Centre to Galactic latitudes ±10° bring in much of the Galactic bulge. This European Southern Observatory public survey, begun on 2011 December 28, reaches down to ~20th magnitude (10σ) and will provide single-epoch digital optical photometry for ~300 million stars. The observing strategy and data pipelining are described, and an appraisal of the segmented narrow-band Hα filter in use is presented. Using model atmospheres and library spectra, we compute main-sequence (u - g), (g - r), (r - i) and (r - Hα) stellar colours in the Vega system. We report on a preliminary validation of the photometry using test data obtained from two pointings overlapping the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. An example of the (u - g, g - r) and (r - Hα, r - i) diagrams for a full VPHAS+ survey field is given. Attention is drawn to the opportunities for studies of compact nebulae and nebular morphologies that arise from the image quality being achieved. The value of the u band as the means to identify planetary-nebula central stars is demonstrated by the discovery of the central star of NGC 2899 in survey data. Thanks to its excellent imaging performance, the VLT Survey Telescope (VST)/OmegaCam combination used by this survey is a perfect vehicle for automated searches for reddened early-type stars, and will allow the discovery and analysis of compact binaries, white dwarfs and transient sources. © The Authors 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Royal Astronomical Society.

AB - The VST Photometric Hα Survey of the Southern Galactic Plane and Bulge (VPHAS+) is surveying the southern Milky Way in u, g, r, i and Hα at ~1 arcsec angular resolution. Its footprint spans the Galactic latitude range -5o <b <+5° at all longitudes south of the celestial equator. Extensions around the Galactic Centre to Galactic latitudes ±10° bring in much of the Galactic bulge. This European Southern Observatory public survey, begun on 2011 December 28, reaches down to ~20th magnitude (10σ) and will provide single-epoch digital optical photometry for ~300 million stars. The observing strategy and data pipelining are described, and an appraisal of the segmented narrow-band Hα filter in use is presented. Using model atmospheres and library spectra, we compute main-sequence (u - g), (g - r), (r - i) and (r - Hα) stellar colours in the Vega system. We report on a preliminary validation of the photometry using test data obtained from two pointings overlapping the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. An example of the (u - g, g - r) and (r - Hα, r - i) diagrams for a full VPHAS+ survey field is given. Attention is drawn to the opportunities for studies of compact nebulae and nebular morphologies that arise from the image quality being achieved. The value of the u band as the means to identify planetary-nebula central stars is demonstrated by the discovery of the central star of NGC 2899 in survey data. Thanks to its excellent imaging performance, the VLT Survey Telescope (VST)/OmegaCam combination used by this survey is a perfect vehicle for automated searches for reddened early-type stars, and will allow the discovery and analysis of compact binaries, white dwarfs and transient sources. © The Authors 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Royal Astronomical Society.

KW - Galaxy: bulge

KW - Galaxy: disc

KW - H II regions

KW - Planetary nebulae: general

KW - Stars: general

KW - Surveys

U2 - 10.1093/mnras/stu394

DO - 10.1093/mnras/stu394

M3 - Article

SN - 1365-2966

VL - 440

SP - 2036

EP - 2058

JO - Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

JF - Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

IS - 3

ER -

The VST photometric hα survey of the Southern Galactic Plane and Bulge (VPHAS+)

Abstract

Keywords

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