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We present the discovery of HLock01-LAB, a luminous and large Lyα nebula at z = 3.326. Medium-band imaging and long-slit spectroscopic observations with the Gran Telescopio Canarias reveal extended emission in the Lyα 1215 Å, C IV 1550 Å, and He II 1640 Å lines over ∼100 kpc, and a total luminosity LLyα = (6.4 ± 0.1)×1044 erg s−1. HLock01-LAB presents an elongated morphology aligned with two faint radio sources contained within the central ∼8 kpc of the nebula. The radio structures are consistent with faint radio jets or lobes of a central galaxy, whose spectrum shows nebular emission characteristic of a type-II active galactic nucleus (AGN). The continuum emission of the AGN at short wavelengths is however likely dominated by stellar emission of the host galaxy, for which we derive a stellar mass M* ≃ 2.3 × 1011 M⊙. Our kinematic analysis shows that the ionized gas is perturbed almost exclusively in the inner region between the radio structures, probably as a consequence of jet–gas interactions, whereas in the outer regions the ionized gas appears more quiescent. The detection of extended emission in C IV and C III] indicates that the gas within the nebula is not primordial. Feedback may have enriched the halo at at least 50 kpc from the nuclear region. Using rest-frame UV emission-line diagnostics, we find that the gas in the nebula is likely heated by the AGN. Nevertheless, at the center of the nebula we find extreme emission line ratios of Lyα/C IV ∼60 and Lyα/He II ∼80, one of the highest values measured to date, and well above the standard values of photoionization models (Lyα/He II ∼30 for case B photoionization). Our data suggest that jet-induced shocks are likely responsible for the increase of the electron temperature and, thus, the observed Lyα enhancement in the center of the nebula. This scenario is further supported by the presence of radio structures and perturbed kinematics in this region. The large Lyα luminosity in HLock01-LAB is likely due to a combination of AGN photoionization and jet-induced shocks, highlighting the diversity of sources of energy powering Lyα nebulae. Future follow-up observations of HLock01-LAB will help to reveal the finer details of the excitation conditions of the gas induced by jets and to investigate the underlying cooling and feedback processes in this unique object.

We present the cross-identification and source photometry techniques used to process Herschel SPIRE imaging taken as part of the Herschel Multi-Tiered Extragalactic Survey (HerMES). Cross-identifications are performed in map-space so as to minimise source blending effects. We make use of a combination of linear inversion and model selection techniques to produce reliable cross-identification catalogues based on Spitzer MIPS 24 micron source positions. Testing on simulations and real Herschel observations show that this approach gives robust results for even the faintest sources S250~10 mJy. We apply our new technique to HerMES SPIRE observations taken as part of the science demostration phase of Herschel. For our real SPIRE observations we show that, for bright unconfused sources, our flux density estimates are in good agreement with those produced via more traditional point source detection methods (SussExtractor; Savage & Oliver et al. 2006) by Smith et al. 2010. When compared to the measured number density of sources in the SPIRE bands, we show that our method allows the recovery of a larger fraction of faint sources than these traditional methods. However this completeness is heavily dependant on the relative depth of the existing 24 micron catalogues and SPIRE imaging. Using our deepest multi-wavelength dataset in GOODS-N, we estimate that the use of shallow 24 micron in our other fields introduces an incompleteness at faint levels of between 20-40 per cent at 250 micron., Accepted for publication in MNRAS, 19 pages, 11 figures

A decade of surveys has hinted at a possible higher occurrence rate of debris discs in systems hosting low mass planets. This could be due to common favourable forming conditions for rocky planets close in and planetesimals at large radii. In this paper we present the first resolved millimetre study of the debris disc in the 4.6 Gyr old multiplanet system 61 Vir, combining ALMA and JCMT data at 0.86 mm. We fit the data using a parametric disc model, finding that the disc of planetesimals extends from 30 AU to at least 150 AU, with a surface density distribution of millimetre sized grains with a power law slope of 0.1$^{+1.1}_{-0.8}$. We also present a numerical collisional model that can predict the evolution of the surface density of millimetre grains for a given primordial disc, finding that it does not necessarily have the same radial profile as the total mass surface density (as previous studies suggested for the optical depth), with the former being flatter. Finally, we find that if the planetesimal disc was stirred at 150 AU by an additional unseen planet, that planet should be more massive than 10 M$_{\oplus}$ and lie between 10-20 AU. Lower planet masses and semi-major axes down to 4 AU are possible for eccentricities $\gg$ 0.1.

The sources discovered in deep hard X-ray surveys with 2-8 keV fluxes of 10^-14 erg cm^-2 s^-1 make up the bulk of the X-ray background at these energies. We present here detailed multi-wavelength observations of three such sources from the ELAIS Deep X-ray Survey. The observations include sensitive near-infrared spectroscopy with the Subaru Telescope and X-ray spectral information from the Chandra X-ray Observatory. The sources observed all have optical-to-near-IR colours redder than an unobscured quasar and comprise a reddened quasar, a radio galaxy and an optically-obscured AGN. The reddened quasar is at a redshift z=2.61 and shows a very large X-ray absorbing column of N_H approx 3.10^23 cm^-2. This contrasts with the relatively small amount of dust reddening, implying a gas-to-dust ratio along the line-of-sight a hundred times greater than that of the Milky Way. The radio galaxy at z=1.57 shows only narrow emission lines, but has a surprisingly soft X-ray spectrum. The softness of this spectrum either indicates an unusually low gas-to-dust ratio for the absorbing medium or X-ray emission related to the young radio source. The host galaxy is extremely red (R-K=6.4) and its optical/near-IR spectrum is best fit by a strongly reddened (A_V~2) starburst. The third X-ray source discussed is also extremely red (R-K=6.1) and lies in a close grouping of three other R-K>6 galaxies. No emission or absorption lines were detected from this object, but its redshift (and that of one of the nearby galaxies) are constrained by SED-fitting to be just greater than z=1. The extremely red colours of these two galaxies can be accounted for by old stellar populations. These observations illustrate the diverse properties of hard X-ray selected AGN., 14 pages, 11 figures, MNRAS in press

Far-infrared Herschel images of the epsilon Eridani system, seen at a fifth of the Sun's present age, resolve two belts of debris emission. Fits to the 160 mum PACS image yield radial spans for these belts of 12-16 and 54-68 AU. The south end of the outer belt is ≈10% brighter than the north end in the PACS+SPIRE images at 160, 250, and 350 mum, indicating a pericenter glow attributable to a planet "c." From this asymmetry and an upper bound on the offset of the belt center, this second planet should be mildly eccentric (ec ≈ 0.03-0.3). Compared to the asteroid and Kuiper Belts of the young Sun, the epsilon Eri belts are intermediate in brightness and more similar to each other, with up to 20 km sized collisional fragments in the inner belt totaling ≈5% of an Earth mass. This reservoir may feed the hot dust close to the star and could send many impactors through the Habitable Zone, especially if it is being perturbed by the suspected planet epsilon Eri b, at semi-major axis ≈3 AU. ispartof: The Astrophysical Journal. Letters vol:791 issue:1 status: published

We study the evolution of the dust temperature of galaxies in the SFR-Mâ̂- plane up to z ~ 2 using far-infrared and submillimetre observations from the Herschel Space Observatory taken as part of the PACS Evolutionary Probe (PEP) and Herschel Multi-tiered Extragalactic Survey (HerMES) guaranteed time key programmes. Starting from a sample of galaxies with reliable star-formation rates (SFRs), stellar masses (M-) and redshift estimates, we grid the SFR-M-parameter space in several redshift ranges and estimate the mean dust temperature (Tdust) of each SFR-M--z bin. Dust temperatures are inferred using the stacked far-infrared flux densities (100-500 μm) of our SFR-M--z bins. At all redshifts, the dust temperature of galaxies smoothly increases with rest-frame infrared luminosities (LIR), specific SFRs (SSFR; i.e., SFR/M-), and distances with respect to the main sequence (MS) of the SFR-M- plane (i.e., Δlog (SSFR)MS = log [SSFR(galaxy)/SSFRMS(M-,z)]). The Tdust-SSFR and Tdust-Δlog (SSFR)MS correlations are statistically much more significant than the Tdust-LIR one. While the slopes of these three correlations are redshift-independent, their normalisations evolve smoothly from z = 0 and z ~ 2. We convert these results into a recipe to derive Tdust from SFR, M- and z, valid out to z ~ 2 and for the stellar mass and SFR range covered by our stacking analysis. The existence of a strong Tdust-Δlog (SSFR)MS correlation provides us with several pieces of information on the dust and gas content of galaxies. Firstly, the slope of the T dust-Δlog (SSFR)MS correlation can be explained by the increase in the star-formation efficiency (SFE; SFR/Mgas) with Δlog (SSFR)MS as found locally by molecular gas studies. Secondly, at fixed Δlog (SSFR)MS, the constant dust temperature observed in galaxies probing wide ranges in SFR and M- can be explained by an increase or decrease in the number of star-forming regions with comparable SFE enclosed in them. And thirdly, at high redshift, the normalisation towards hotter dust temperature of the Tdust-Δlog (SSFR)MS correlation can be explained by the decrease in the metallicities of galaxies or by the increase in the SFE of MS galaxies. All these results support the hypothesis that the conditions prevailing in the star-forming regions of MS and far-above-MS galaxies are different. MS galaxies have star-forming regions with low SFEs and thus cold dust, while galaxies situated far above the MS seem to be in a starbursting phase characterised by star-forming regions with high SFEs and thus hot dust. © 2014 ESO.

We present a pan-chromatic analysis of an unprecedented sample of 1402 250 μm selected galaxies at z < 0.5 (z-=0.24) from the Herschel-ATLAS survey. We complement our Herschel 100-500μm data with UV-K-band photometry from the Galaxy And Mass Assembly (GAMA) survey and apply the magphys energy-balance technique to produce pan-chromatic spectral energy distributions (SEDs) for a representative sample of 250μm selected galaxies spanning the most recent 5 Gyr of cosmic history. We derive estimates of physical parameters, including star formation rates, stellar masses, dust masses and infrared (IR) luminosities. The typical H-ATLAS galaxy at z < 0.5 has a far-infrared luminosity in the range 10 10-10 12L ⊙ (SFR: 1-50 M ⊙yr -1) and thus is broadly representative of normal star-forming galaxies over this redshift range. We show that 250μm selected galaxies contain a larger mass of dust at a given IR luminosity or star formation rate than previous samples selected at 60μm from the IRAS. We derive typical SEDs for H-ATLAS galaxies, and show that the emergent SED shape is most sensitive to specific star formation rate. The optical-UV SEDs also become more reddened due to dust at higher redshifts. Our template SEDs are significantly cooler than existing IR templates. They may therefore be most appropriate for inferring total IR luminosities from moderate redshift sub-millimetre selected samples and for inclusion in models of the lower redshift sub-millimetre galaxy populations. © 2012 The Authors Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society © 2012 RAS.

We have used data from the Herschel-ATLAS at 250, 350 and 500 ��m to determine the far-infrared (FIR) properties of 50 Broad Absorption Line Quasars (BAL QSOs). Our sample contains 49 high-ionization BAL QSOs (HiBALs) and 1 low-ionization BAL QSO (LoBAL) which are compared against a sample of 329 non-BAL QSOs. These samples are matched over the redshift range 1.5 \leq z < 2.3 and in absolute i-band magnitude over the range -28 \leq M_{i} \leq -24. Of these, 3 BAL QSOs (HiBALs) and 27 non-BAL QSOs are detected at the > 5 sigma level. We calculate star-formation rates (SFR) for our individually detected HiBAL QSOs and the non-detected LoBAL QSO as well as average SFRs for the BAL and non-BAL QSO samples based on stacking the Herschel data. We find no difference between the HiBAL and non-BAL QSO samples in the FIR, even when separated based on differing BAL QSO classifications. Using Mrk 231 as a template, the weighted mean SFR is estimated to be \approx240\pm21 M_{\odot} yr^{-1} for the full sample, although this figure should be treated as an upper limit if AGN-heated dust makes a contribution to the FIR emission. Despite tentative claims in the literature, we do not find a dependence of {\sc C\,iv} equivalent width on FIR emission, suggesting that the strength of any outflow in these objects is not linked to their FIR output. These results strongly suggest that BAL QSOs (more specifically HiBALs) can be accommodated within a simple AGN unified scheme in which our line-of-sight to the nucleus intersects outflowing material. Models in which HiBALs are caught towards the end of a period of enhanced spheroid and black-hole growth, during which a wind terminates the star-formation activity, are not supported by the observed FIR properties., 11 pages, 4 figures, 4 tables. Accepted for publication in MNRAS

The Herschel Multi-tiered Extragalactic Survey (HerMES) is a legacy programme designed to map a set of nested fields totalling ~380deg 2. Fields range in size from 0.01 to ~20deg 2, using the Herschel-Spectral and Photometric Imaging Receiver (SPIRE) (at 250, 350 and 500μm) and the Herschel-Photodetector Array Camera and Spectrometer (PACS) (at 100 and 160μm), with an additional wider component of 270deg 2 with SPIRE alone. These bands cover the peak of the redshifted thermal spectral energy distribution from interstellar dust and thus capture the reprocessed optical and ultraviolet radiation from star formation that has been absorbed by dust, and are critical for forming a complete multiwavelength understanding of galaxy formation and evolution. The survey will detect of the order of 100000 galaxies at 5σ in some of the best-studied fields in the sky. Additionally, HerMES is closely coordinated with the PACS Evolutionary Probe survey. Making maximum use of the full spectrum of ancillary data, from radio to X-ray wavelengths, it is designed to facilitate redshift determination, rapidly identify unusual objects and understand the relationships between thermal emission from dust and other processes. Scientific questions HerMES will be used to answer include the total infrared emission of galaxies, the evolution of the luminosity function, the clustering properties of dusty galaxies and the properties of populations of galaxies which lie below the confusion limit through lensing and statistical techniques. This paper defines the survey observations and data products, outlines the primary scientific goals of the HerMES team, and reviews some of the early results. © 2012 The Authors. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society © 2012 RAS.

We present IRAM Plateau de Bure Interferometer observations of the 12CO(3-2) emission from two far-infrared luminous QSOs at z ~ 2.5 selected from the Herschel-ATLAS survey. These far-infrared bright QSOs were selected to have supermassive black holes (SMBHs) with masses similar to those thought to reside in sub-millimetre galaxies (SMGs) at z ~ 2.5; making them ideal candidates as systems in transition from an ultraluminous infrared galaxy phase to a sub-mm faint, unobscured, QSO. We detect 12CO(3-2) emission from both QSOs and we compare their baryonic, dynamical and SMBH masses to those of SMGs at the same epoch. We find that these far-infrared bright QSOs have similar dynamical but lower gas masses than SMGs. In particular we find that far-infrared bright QSOs have ~50+-23% less warm/dense gas than SMGs, which combined with previous results showing the QSOs lack the extended, cool reservoir of gas seen in SMGs, suggests that they are at a different evolutionary stage. This is consistent with the hypothesis that far-infrared bright QSOs represent a short (~1Myr) but ubiquitous phase in the transformation of dust obscured, gas-rich, starburst-dominated SMGs into unobscured, gas-poor, QSOs., 10 pages, 5 figures, submitted to MNRAS

We present a study of the infrared properties of X-ray selected, moderate-luminosity (i.e.LX= 1042-1044ergs-1) active galactic nuclei (AGNs) up toz≈ 3, in order to explore the links between star formation in galaxies and accretion on to their central black holes. We use 100 and 160μ mfluxes from GOODS-Herschel- the deepest survey yet undertaken by theHerscheltelescope - and show that in the vast majority of cases (i.e. >94percent) these fluxes are dominated by emission from the host galaxy. As such, these far-infrared bands provide an uncontaminated view of star formation in the AGN host galaxies. We find no evidence of any correlation between the X-ray and infrared luminosities of moderate AGNs at any redshift, suggesting that global star formation is decoupled from nuclear (i.e. AGN) activity in these galaxies. On the other hand, we confirm that the star formation rates of AGN hosts increase strongly with redshift, by a factor of 43+27- 18 fromz< 0.1 toz= 2-3 for AGNswith the same range of X-ray luminosities. This increase is entirely consistent with the factor of 25-50 increase in the specific star formation rates (SSFRs) of normal, star-forming (i.e. main-sequence) galaxies over the same redshift range. Indeed, the average SSFRs of AGN hosts are only marginally (i.e. ≈20percent) lower than those of main-sequence galaxies at all surveyed redshifts, with this small deficit being due to a fraction of AGNs residing in quiescent (i.e. low SSFR) galaxies. We estimate that 79 ± 10percent of moderate-luminosity AGNs are hosted in main-sequence galaxies, 15 ± 7percent in quiescent galaxies and

We present a pan-chromatic analysis of an unprecedented sample of 1402 250 mu m selected galaxies at z < 0.5 ( = 0.24) from the Herschel-ATLAS survey. We complement our Herschel 100-500 mu m data with UV-K-band photometry from the Galaxy And Mass Assembly (GAMA) survey and apply the magphys energy-balance technique to produce pan-chromatic spectral energy distributions (SEDs) for a representative sample of 250 mu m selected galaxies spanning the most recent 5 Gyr of cosmic history. We derive estimates of physical parameters, including star formation rates, stellar masses, dust masses and infrared (IR) luminosities. The typical H-ATLAS galaxy at z < 0.5 has a far-infrared luminosity in the range 10(10)-10(12) L-circle dot (SFR: 1-50 M-circle dot yr(-1)) and thus is broadly representative of normal star-forming galaxies over this redshift range. We show that 250 mu m selected galaxies contain a larger mass of dust at a given IR luminosity or star formation rate than previous samples selected at 60 mu m from the IRAS. We derive typical SEDs for H-ATLAS galaxies, and show that the emergent SED shape is most sensitive to specific star formation rate. The optical-UV SEDs also become more reddened due to dust at higher redshifts. Our template SEDs are significantly cooler than existing IR templates. They may therefore be most appropriate for inferring total IR luminosities from moderate redshift sub-millimetre selected samples and for inclusion in models of the lower redshift sub-millimetre galaxy populations.

We have measured the clustering properties of low-redshift (z < 0.3) submm galaxies detected at 250 mu m in the Herschel-ATLAS science demonstration phase field. We selected a sample for which we have high-quality spectroscopic redshifts, obtained from reliably matching the 250-mu m sources to a complete (for r < 19.4) sample of galaxies from the GAMA data base. Both the angular and spatial clustering strength are measured for all z < 0.3 sources as well as for five redshift slices with thickness Delta z = 0.05 in the range 0.05 < z < 0.3. Our measured spatial clustering length r(0) is comparable to that of optically selected, moderately star-forming (blue) galaxies: we find values around 5 Mpc. One of the redshift bins contains an interesting structure, at z = 0.164.

We measure the projected cross-correlation between low-redshift (z < 0.5) far-infrared selected galaxies in the science demonstration phase (SDP) field of the Herschel-ATLAS (H-ATLAS) survey and optically selected galaxies from the Galaxy and Mass Assembly (GAMA) redshift survey. In order to obtain robust correlation functions, we restrict the analysis to a subset of 969 out of 6900 H-ATLAS galaxies, which have reliable optical counterparts with r < 19.4 mag and well-determined spectroscopic redshifts. The overlap region between the two surveys is 12.6 deg2; the matched sample has a median redshift of z≈ 0.2. The cross-correlation of GAMA and H-ATLAS galaxies within this region can be fitted by a power law, with correlation length r0≈ 4.63 ± 0.51 Mpc. Comparing with the corresponding autocorrelation function of GAMA galaxies within the SDP field yields a relative bias (averaged over 2–8 Mpc) of H-ATLAS and GAMA galaxies of bH/bG≈ 0.6. Combined with clustering measurements from previous optical studies, this indicates that most of the low-redshift H-ATLAS sources are hosted by haloes with masses comparable to that of the Milky Way. The correlation function appears to depend on the 250-μm luminosity, L250, with bright (median luminosity νL250∼ 1.6 × 1010 L⊙) objects being somewhat more strongly clustered than faint (νL250∼ 4.0 × 109 L⊙) objects. This implies that galaxies with higher dust-obscured star formation rates are hosted by more massive haloes.

We have carried out a pilot study for the SCUBA-2 'All-Sky' Survey, SASSy, a wide and shallow mapping project at 850 microns, designed to find rare objects, both Galactic and extragalactic. Two distinct sets of exploratory observations were undertaken, and used to test the SASSy approach and data reduction pipeline. The first was a 0.5 by 0.5 degrees map around the nearby galaxy NGC 2559. The galaxy was easily detected at 156 mJy, but no other convincing sources are present in the map. Comparison with other galaxies with similar wavelength coverage indicates that NGC 2559 has relatively warm dust. The second observations cover 1 square degree around the W5-E HII region. As well as diffuse structure in the map, a filtering approach was able to extract 27 compact sources with signal-to-noise greater than 6. By matching with data at other wavelengths we can see that the SCUBA-2 data can be used to discriminate the colder cores. Together these observations show that the SASSy project will be able to meet its original goals of detecting new bright sources which will be ideal for follow-up observations with other facilities., 12 pages, including 14 figures

We present Herschel-SPIRE Fourier Transform Spectrometer (FTS) and radio follow-up observations of two Herschel-ATLAS (H-ATLAS) detected strongly lensed distant galaxies. In one of the targeted galaxies H-ATLAS J090311.6+003906 (SDP.81) we detect [OIII] 88\mum and [CII] 158\mum lines at a signal-to-noise ratio of ~5. We do not have any positive line identification in the other fainter target H-ATLAS J091305.0-005343 (SDP.130). Currently SDP.81 is the faintest sub-mm galaxy with positive line detections with the FTS, with continuum flux just below 200 mJy in the 200-600 \mum wavelength range. The derived redshift of SDP.81 from the two detections is z=3.043 +/-0.012, in agreement with ground-based CO measurements. This is the first detection by Herschel of the [OIII] 88\mum line in a galaxy at redshift higher than 0.05. Comparing the observed lines and line ratios with a grid of photo-dissociation region (PDR) models with different physical conditions, we derive the PDR cloud density n ~ 2000 cm^{-3} and the far-UV ionizing radiation field G_0 ~ 200 (in units of the Habing field -- the local Galactic interstellar radiation field of 1.6x10^{-6} W/m^2). Using the CO derived molecular mass and the PDR properties we estimate the effective radius of the emitting region to be 500-700 pc. These characteristics are typical for star-forming, high redshift galaxies. The radio observations indicate that SDP.81 deviates significantly from the local FIR/radio correlation, which hints that some fraction of the radio emission is coming from an AGN. The constraints on the source size from millimiter-wave observations put a very conservative upper limit of the possible AGN contribution to less than 33%. These indications, together with the high [OIII]/FIR ratio and the upper limit of [OI] 63\mum/[CII] 158\mum suggest that some fraction of the ionizing radiation is likely to originate from an AGN., Comment: 13 pages, 6 figures, published in MNRAS

We use the Herschel-ATLAS science demonstration data to investigate the star-formation properties of radio-selected galaxies in the GAMA-9h field as a function of radio luminosity and redshift. Radio selection at the lowest radio luminosities, as expected, selects mostly starburst galaxies. At higher radio luminosities, where the population is dominated by AGN, we find that some individual objects are associated with high far-infrared luminosities. However, the far-infrared properties of the radio-loud population are statistically indistinguishable from those of a comparison population of radio-quiet galaxies matched in redshift and K-band absolute magnitude. There is thus no evidence that the host galaxies of these largely low-luminosity (Fanaroff-Riley class I), and presumably low-excitation, AGN, as a population, have particularly unusual star-formation histories. Models in which the AGN activity in higher-luminosity, high-excitation radio galaxies is triggered by major mergers would predict a luminosity-dependent effect that is not seen in our data (which only span a limited range in radio luminosity) but which may well be detectable with the full Herschel-ATLAS dataset., 10 pages, 4 colour figures. Accepted for publication in MNRAS (Herschel special issue)

To investigate the poorly constrained sub-mm counts and spectral properties of blazars we searched for these in the Herschel-ATLAS (H-ATLAS) science demostration phase (SDP) survey catalog. We cross-matched 500$\mu$m sources brighter than 50 mJy with the FIRST radio catalogue. We found two blazars, both previously known. Our study is among the first blind blazar searches at sub-mm wavelengths, i.e., in the spectral regime where little is still known about the blazar SEDs, but where the synchrotron peak of the most luminous blazars is expected to occur. Our early results are consistent with educated extrapolations of lower frequency counts and question indications of substantial spectral curvature downwards and of spectral upturns at mm wavelengths. One of the two blazars is identified with a Fermi/LAT $\gamma$-ray source and a WMAP source. The physical parameters of the two blazars are briefly discussed.These observations demonstrate that the H-ATLAS survey will provide key information about the physics of blazars and their contribution to sub-mm counts., Comment: 5 pages, 2 figures, accepted for publication in A&A (Herschel special issue)

Debris discs are evidence of the ongoing destructive collisions between planetesimals, and their presence around stars also suggests that planets exist in these systems. In this paper, we present submillimetre images of the thermal emission from debris discs that formed the SCUBA-2 Observations of Nearby Stars (SONS) survey, one of seven legacy surveys undertaken on the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope between 2012 and 2015. The overall results of the survey are presented in the form of 850 μm (and 450 μm, where possible) images and fluxes for the observed fields. Excess thermal emission, over that expected from the stellar photosphere, is detected around 49 stars out of the 100 observed fields. The discs are characterized in terms of their flux density, size (radial distribution of the dust) and derived dust properties from their spectral energy distributions. The results show discs over a range of sizes, typically 1–10 times the diameter of the Edgeworth–Kuiper Belt in our Solar system. The mass of a disc, for particles up to a few millimetres in size, is uniquely obtainable with submillimetre observations and this quantity is presented as a function of the host stars’ age, showing a tentative decline in mass with age. Having doubled the number of imaged discs at submillimetre wavelengths from ground-based, single-dish telescope observations, one of the key legacy products from the SONS survey is to provide a comprehensive target list to observe at high angular resolution using submillimetre/millimetre interferometers (e.g. Atacama Large Millimeter Array, Smithsonian Millimeter Array).

A decade of surveys has hinted at a possible higher occurrence rate of debris discs in systems hosting low mass planets. This could be due to common favourable forming conditions for rocky planets close in and planetesimals at large radii. In this paper we present the first resolved millimetre study of the debris disc in the 4.6 Gyr old multiplanet system 61 Vir, combining ALMA and JCMT data at 0.86 mm. We fit the data using a parametric disc model, finding that the disc of planetesimals extends from 30 AU to at least 150 AU, with a surface density distribution of millimetre sized grains with a power law slope of 0.1$^{+1.1}_{-0.8}$. We also present a numerical collisional model that can predict the evolution of the surface density of millimetre grains for a given primordial disc, finding that it does not necessarily have the same radial profile as the total mass surface density (as previous studies suggested for the optical depth), with the former being flatter. Finally, we find that if the planetesimal disc was stirred at 150 AU by an additional unseen planet, that planet should be more massive than 10 M$_{\oplus}$ and lie between 10-20 AU. Lower planet masses and semi-major axes down to 4 AU are possible for eccentricities $\gg$ 0.1., This paper makes use of the following ALMA data: ADS/JAO.ALMA#2013.1.00359.S. ALMA is a partnership of ESO (representing its member states), NSF (USA) and NINS (Japan), together with NRC (Canada) and NSC and ASIAA (Taiwan) and KASI (Republic of Korea), in cooperation with the Republic of Chile. The Joint ALMA Observatory is operated by ESO, AUI/NRAO and NAOJ. MCW, LM and AS acknowledge the support of the European Union through ERC grant number 279973. GMK is supported by the Royal Society as a Royal Society University Research Fellow. AS is partially supported by funding from the Center for Exoplanets and Habitable Worlds. The Center for Exoplanets and Habitable Worlds is supported by the Pennsylvania State University, the Eberly College of Science and the Pennsylvania Space Grant Consortium.

We have carried out two extremely deep surveys with SPIRE, one of the two cameras on Herschel, at 250 microns, close to the peak of the far-infrared background. We have used the results to investigate the evolution of the rest-frame 250-micron luminosity function out to z=2. We find evidence for strong evolution out to a redshift of around 1 but evidence for at most weak evolution beyond this redshift. Our results suggest that a significant part of the stars and metals in the Universe today were formed at z, Astronomy and Astrophysics, Herschel Special Issue, in press as a Letter; 5 pages

International audience; We use deep panchromatic data sets in the GOODS-N field, from GALEX to the deepest Herschel far-infrared (FIR) and VLA radio continuum imaging, to explore the evolution of star-formation activity and dust attenuation properties of star-forming galaxies to z similar or equal to 4, using mass-complete samples. Our main results can be summarized as follows: (i) the slope of the star-formation rate-M* correlation is consistent with being constant similar or equal to 0.8 up to z similar or equal to 1.5, while its normalization keeps increasing with redshift; (ii) for the first time we are able to explore the FIR-radio correlation for a mass-selected sample of star-forming galaxies: the correlation does not evolve up to z similar or equal to 4; (iii) we confirm that galaxy stellar mass is a robust proxy for UV dust attenuation in star-forming galaxies, with more massive galaxies being more dust attenuated. Strikingly, we find that this attenuation relation evolves very weakly with redshift, with the amount of dust attenuation increasing by less than 0.3 mag over the redshift range [0.5-4] for a fixed stellar mass; (iv) the correlation between dust attenuation and the UV spectral slope evolves with redshift, with the median UV slope becoming bluer with redshift. By z similar or equal to 3, typical UV slopes are inconsistent, given the measured dust attenuations, with the predictions of commonly used empirical laws. (v) Finally, building on existing results, we show that gas reddening is marginally larger (by a factor of around 1.3) than the stellar reddening at all redshifts probed. Our results support a scenario where the ISM conditions of typical star-forming galaxies evolve with redshift, such that at z \textgreater= 1.5 Main Sequence galaxies have ISM conditions moving closer to those of local starbursts.

The Spectral and Photometric Imaging Receiver (SPIRE) on Herschel has been carrying out deep extragalactic surveys, one of whose aims is to establish spectral energy distributions (SED)s of individual galaxies spanning the infrared/submillimeter (IR/SMM) wavelength region. We report observations of the (IR/SMM) emission from the Lockman North field (LN) and Great Observatories Origins Deep Survey field North (GOODS-N). Because galaxy images in the wavelength range covered by Herschel generally represent a blend with contributions from neighboring galaxies, we present sets of galaxies in each field especially free of blending at 250, 350, and 500 microns. We identify the cumulative emission of these galaxies and the fraction of the far infrared cosmic background radiation they contribute. Our surveys reveal a number of highly luminous galaxies at redshift z ~< 3 and a novel relationship between infrared and visible emission that shows a dependence on luminosity and redshift., 9 pages, 3 large tables, 2 tables in text, 5 figures Accepted for publication in MNRAS