UNVEILING THE MASK ON THE ULIRG-TO-QSO TRANSITION OBJECT [H89]1821+643 AT z = 0.3: A GAS-POOR/GAS-RICH GALAXY MERGER AND THE IMPLICATIONS FOR CO-BASED DYNAMICAL MASS ESTIMATES
Abstract
We report the detection of the {sup 12}CO J = 1-0 emission line in [H89]1821+643, one of the most optically luminous quasi-stellar objects (QSOs) in the local universe, and a template ULIRG-to-QSO transition object, located in a rich, cool-core cluster at z = 0.297. The CO emission is likely to be extended, highly asymmetric with respect to the center of the host elliptical where the QSO resides, and correspond with a molecular gas mass of {approx}8.0 x 10{sup 9} M{sub sun}. The dynamical mass enclosed by the CO emission-line region could amount to {approx}1.7 x 10{sup 12} M{sub sun} (80% of the total mass of the elliptical host). The bulk of the CO emission is located at {approx}9 kpc southeast from the nuclei position, close to a faint optical structure, suggesting that the CO emission could either represent a gas-rich companion galaxy merging with the elliptical host or a tail-like structure reminiscent of a previous interaction. We argue that the first scenario is more likely given the large masses implied by the CO source, which would imply a highly asymmetric elliptical host. The close alignment between the CO emission's major axis and the radio plume suggests a possible role inmore »
- Authors:
-
- National Radio Astronomy Observatory, 520 Edgemont Road, Charlottesville, VA 22903 (United States)
- European Southern Observatory, Alonso de Cordoba 3107, Vitacura, Casilla 19001, Santiago 19 (Chile)
- Argelander Institute for Astronomy, Auf dem Huegel 71, Bonn D-53121 (Germany)
- Publication Date:
- OSTI Identifier:
- 21579946
- Resource Type:
- Journal Article
- Journal Name:
- Astrophysical Journal
- Additional Journal Information:
- Journal Volume: 737; Journal Issue: 2; Other Information: DOI: 10.1088/0004-637X/737/2/64; Journal ID: ISSN 0004-637X
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 79 ASTROPHYSICS, COSMOLOGY AND ASTRONOMY; CARBON MONOXIDE; EMISSION; GALAXIES; MASS; CARBON COMPOUNDS; CARBON OXIDES; CHALCOGENIDES; OXIDES; OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
Citation Formats
Aravena, M, Wagg, J, Papadopoulos, P P, and Feain, I. J., E-mail: maravena@nrao.edu. UNVEILING THE MASK ON THE ULIRG-TO-QSO TRANSITION OBJECT [H89]1821+643 AT z = 0.3: A GAS-POOR/GAS-RICH GALAXY MERGER AND THE IMPLICATIONS FOR CO-BASED DYNAMICAL MASS ESTIMATES. United States: N. p., 2011.
Web. doi:10.1088/0004-637X/737/2/64.
Aravena, M, Wagg, J, Papadopoulos, P P, & Feain, I. J., E-mail: maravena@nrao.edu. UNVEILING THE MASK ON THE ULIRG-TO-QSO TRANSITION OBJECT [H89]1821+643 AT z = 0.3: A GAS-POOR/GAS-RICH GALAXY MERGER AND THE IMPLICATIONS FOR CO-BASED DYNAMICAL MASS ESTIMATES. United States. https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/737/2/64
Aravena, M, Wagg, J, Papadopoulos, P P, and Feain, I. J., E-mail: maravena@nrao.edu. 2011.
"UNVEILING THE MASK ON THE ULIRG-TO-QSO TRANSITION OBJECT [H89]1821+643 AT z = 0.3: A GAS-POOR/GAS-RICH GALAXY MERGER AND THE IMPLICATIONS FOR CO-BASED DYNAMICAL MASS ESTIMATES". United States. https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/737/2/64.
@article{osti_21579946,
title = {UNVEILING THE MASK ON THE ULIRG-TO-QSO TRANSITION OBJECT [H89]1821+643 AT z = 0.3: A GAS-POOR/GAS-RICH GALAXY MERGER AND THE IMPLICATIONS FOR CO-BASED DYNAMICAL MASS ESTIMATES},
author = {Aravena, M and Wagg, J and Papadopoulos, P P and Feain, I. J., E-mail: maravena@nrao.edu},
abstractNote = {We report the detection of the {sup 12}CO J = 1-0 emission line in [H89]1821+643, one of the most optically luminous quasi-stellar objects (QSOs) in the local universe, and a template ULIRG-to-QSO transition object, located in a rich, cool-core cluster at z = 0.297. The CO emission is likely to be extended, highly asymmetric with respect to the center of the host elliptical where the QSO resides, and correspond with a molecular gas mass of {approx}8.0 x 10{sup 9} M{sub sun}. The dynamical mass enclosed by the CO emission-line region could amount to {approx}1.7 x 10{sup 12} M{sub sun} (80% of the total mass of the elliptical host). The bulk of the CO emission is located at {approx}9 kpc southeast from the nuclei position, close to a faint optical structure, suggesting that the CO emission could either represent a gas-rich companion galaxy merging with the elliptical host or a tail-like structure reminiscent of a previous interaction. We argue that the first scenario is more likely given the large masses implied by the CO source, which would imply a highly asymmetric elliptical host. The close alignment between the CO emission's major axis and the radio plume suggests a possible role in the excitation of the ambient gas reservoir by the latter. The stacking technique was used to search for CO emission and 3-mm continuum emission from galaxies in the surrounding cluster. However, no detection was found toward individual galaxies or the stacked ensemble of galaxies, with a 3{sigma} limit of <1.1 x 10{sup 9} M{sub sun} for the molecular gas.},
doi = {10.1088/0004-637X/737/2/64},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/21579946},
journal = {Astrophysical Journal},
issn = {0004-637X},
number = 2,
volume = 737,
place = {United States},
year = {Sat Aug 20 00:00:00 EDT 2011},
month = {Sat Aug 20 00:00:00 EDT 2011}
}