The deepest Herschel-PACS far-infrared survey: number counts and infrared luminosity functions from combined PEP/GOODS-H observations^⋆,⋆⋆

¹ Max–Planck–Institut für Extraterrestrische Physik (MPE), Postfach 1312, 85741 Garching, Germany
² Argelander–Institut für Astronomie, Universität Bonn, Auf dem Hügel 71, 53121 Bonn, Germany
e-mail: magnelli@astro.uni-bonn.de
³ Dipartimento di Astronomia, Università di Bologna, via Ranzani 1, 40127 Bologna, Italy
⁴ Laboratoire AIM, CEA/DSM–CNRS–Université Paris Diderot, IRFU/Service d’Astrophysique, Bât.709, CEA-Saclay, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette Cedex, France
⁵ National Optical Astronomy Observatory, Tucson, AZ 85719, USA
⁶ Herschel Science Centre, ESAC, Villanueva de la Cañada, 28691 Madrid, Spain
⁷ ESO, Karl-Schwarzschild-Str. 2, 85748 Garching, Germany
⁸ INAF – Osservatorio Astronomico di Trieste, via Tiepolo 11, 34143 Trieste, Italy
⁹ Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC), C/vía Láctea S/N, 38200 La Laguna, Spain
¹⁰ Departamento de Astrofísica, Universidad de La Laguna, Spain
¹¹ Department of Physics and Institute of Theoretical and Computational Physics, University of Crete, 71002 Heraklion, Greece
¹² Chercheur Associé, Observatoire de Paris, 75014 Paris, France
¹³ IESL/Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas, PO Box 1527, 71110 Heraklion, Greece
¹⁴ Infrared Processing and Analysis Center, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
¹⁵ INAF – Osservatorio Astronomico di Bologna, via Ranzani 1, 40127 Bologna, Italy
¹⁶ Center for Radiophysics and Space Research, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
¹⁷ 511 H street, SW, Washington, DC 20024-2725, USA
¹⁸ Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
¹⁹ UK Astronomy Technology Centre, Royal Observatory, Blackford Hill, Edinburgh EH9 3HJ, UK
²⁰ Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Keble Road, Oxford OX1 3RH, UK
²¹ Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge, 19 J.J. Thomson Ave., Cambridge CB3 0HE, UK
²² Observatories of the Carnegie Institution for Science, 813 Santa Barbara Street, Pasadena, CA 91101, USA
²³ School of Physics and Astronomy, The Raymond and Beverly Sackler Faculty of Exact Sciences, Tel Aviv University, 69978 Tel Aviv, Israel
²⁴ INAF – Osservatorio Astronomico di Roma, via di Frascati 33, 00040 Monte Porzio Catone, Italy
²⁵ Department of Physics & Astronomy, University of British Columbia, 6224 Agricultural Road, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z1, Canada

Received: 27 February 2013
Accepted: 12 April 2013

Abstract

We present results from the deepest Herschel-Photodetector Array Camera and Spectrometer (PACS) far-infrared blank field extragalactic survey, obtained by combining observations of the Great Observatories Origins Deep Survey (GOODS) fields from the PACS Evolutionary Probe (PEP) and GOODS-Herschel key programmes. We describe data reduction and theconstruction of images and catalogues. In the deepest parts of the GOODS-S field, the catalogues reach 3σ depths of 0.9, 0.6 and 1.3 mJy at 70, 100 and 160 μm, respectively, and resolve ~75% of the cosmic infrared background at 100 μm and 160 μm into individually detected sources. We use these data to estimate the PACS confusion noise, to derive the PACS number counts down to unprecedented depths, and to determine the infrared luminosity function of galaxies down to L_IR = 10¹¹ L_⊙ at z ~ 1 and L_IR = 10¹² L_⊙ at z ~ 2, respectively. For the infrared luminosity function of galaxies, our deep Herschel far-infrared observations are fundamental because they provide more accurate infrared luminosity estimates than those previously obtained from mid-infrared observations. Maps and source catalogues (>3σ) are now publicly released. Combined with the large wealth of multi-wavelength data available for the GOODS fields, these data provide a powerful new tool for studying galaxy evolution over a broad range of redshifts.