SUBMILLIMETER ARRAY/PLATEAU DE BURE INTERFEROMETER MULTIPLE LINE OBSERVATIONS OF THE NEARBY SEYFERT 2 GALAXY NGC 1068: SHOCK-RELATED GAS KINEMATICS AND HEATING IN THE CENTRAL 100 pc?
- Institut de Radio Astronomie Millimetrique, 300 Rue de la Piscine, Domaine Universitaire, F-38406 Saint Martin d'Heres (France)
- European Southern Observatory, Alonso de Cordova 3107, Vitacura, Casilla 19001, 19 Santiago (Chile)
We present high angular resolution (0.''5-2.''0) observations of the millimeter continuum and the {sup 12}CO(J = 3-2), {sup 13}CO(J = 3-2), {sup 13}CO(J = 2-1), C{sup 18}O(J = 2-1), HCN(J = 3-2), HCO{sup +}(J = 4-3), and HCO{sup +}(J = 3-2) line emission in the circumnuclear disk (r {approx}< 100 pc) of the prototypical Seyfert 2 galaxy NGC 1068, carried out with the Submillimeter Array. We also include in our analysis new {sup 13}CO(J = 1-0) and improved {sup 12}CO(J = 2-1) observations of NGC 1068 at high angular resolution (1.''0-2.''0) and sensitivity, conducted with the Institute de Radioastronomie Millimetrique Plateau de Bure Interferometer. Based on the complex dynamics of the molecular gas emission indicating non-circular motions in the central {approx}100 pc, we propose a scenario in which part of the molecular gas in the circumnuclear disk of NGC 1068 is blown radially outward as a result of shocks. This shock scenario is further supported by quite warm (T{sub kin} {>=} 200 K) and dense (n(H{sub 2}) {approx_equal} 10{sup 4} cm{sup -3}) gas constrained from observed molecular line ratios. The HCN abundance in the circumnuclear disk is found to be [HCN]/[{sup 12}CO] {approx} 10{sup -3.5}. This is slightly higher than the abundances derived for Galactic and extragalactic star-forming/starbursting regions. This result lends further support to X-ray-enhanced HCN formation in the circumnuclear disk of NGC 1068 as suggested by earlier studies. The HCO{sup +} abundance ([HCO{sup +}]/[{sup 12}CO] {approx} 10{sup -5}) appears to be somewhat lower than that of Galactic and extragalactic star-forming/starbursting regions. When trying to fit the centimeter-to-millimeter continuum emission by different thermal and non-thermal processes, it appears that electron-scattered synchrotron emission yields the best results while thermal free-free emission seems to overpredict the millimeter continuum emission.
- OSTI ID:
- 21578337
- Journal Information:
- Astrophysical Journal, Vol. 736, Issue 1; Other Information: DOI: 10.1088/0004-637X/736/1/37; ISSN 0004-637X
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Spatially resolved chemistry in nearby galaxies. III. Dense molecular gas in the inner disk of the LIRG IRAS 04296+2923
Isotopologues of dense gas tracers in NGC 1068