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Title: ALMA observation of the disruption of molecular gas in M87

Abstract

We present the results from Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA) observations centred 40 arcsec (3 kpc in projection) south-east of the nucleus of M87. Here, we report the detection of extended CO (2–1) line emission with a total flux of (5.5 ± 0.6) × 10-18 erg s-1 cm-2 and corresponding molecular gas mass M$$H{_2}$$=(4.7±0.4)×105M, assuming a Galactic CO to H2 conversion factor. ALMA data indicate a line-of-sight velocity of -129 ± 3 km s-1, in good agreement with measurements based on the [C II] and H α+[N II] lines, and a velocity dispersion of σ = 27 ± 3 km s-1. The CO (2–1) emission originates only outside the radio lobe of the active galactic nucleus (AGN) seen in the 6 cm Very Large Array image, while the filament prolongs further inwards at other wavelengths. The molecular gas in M87 appears to be destroyed or excited by AGN activity, either by direct interaction with the radio plasma, or by the shock driven by the lobe into the X-ray emitting atmosphere. This is an important piece of the puzzle in understanding the impact of the central AGN on the amount of the coldest gas from which star formation can proceed.

Authors:
 [1];  [2];  [3];  [4];  [5];  [6]
  1. Inst. of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS), Sagamihara, Kanagawa (Japan)
  2. Yale Univ., New Haven, CT (United States). Dept. of Physics and Yale Center for Astronomy & Astrophysics; Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Cambridge, MA (United States)
  3. MTA-Eotvos Lorand Univ. Lendulet, Budapest (Hungary); Masaryk Univ., Brno (Czech Republic). Dept. of Theoretical Physics and Astrophysics, Faculty of Science; Hiroshima Univ., Higashi-Hiroshima (Japan)
  4. Stanford Univ., CA (United States). KIPAC; Stanford Univ., CA (United States). Dept. of Physics
  5. Stanford Univ., CA (United States). KIPAC; Stanford Univ., CA (United States). Dept. of Physics; SLAC National Accelerator Lab., Menlo Park, CA (United States)
  6. ASTRON, Netherlands Inst. for Radio Astronomy, Dwingeloo (the Netherlands)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory (SLAC), Menlo Park, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE; Hungarian Academy of Sciences
OSTI Identifier:
1436082
Grant/Contract Number:  
AC02-76SF00515
Resource Type:
Journal Article: Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 475; Journal Issue: 3; Journal ID: ISSN 0035-8711
Publisher:
Royal Astronomical Society
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS; galaxies: active; galaxies: clusters: intracluster medium; galaxies: individual: M87; radio lines: galaxies

Citation Formats

Simionescu, A., Tremblay, G., Werner, N., Canning, R. E. A., Allen, S. W., and Oonk, J. B. R. ALMA observation of the disruption of molecular gas in M87. United States: N. p., 2018. Web. doi:10.1093/mnras/sty047.
Simionescu, A., Tremblay, G., Werner, N., Canning, R. E. A., Allen, S. W., & Oonk, J. B. R. ALMA observation of the disruption of molecular gas in M87. United States. https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/sty047
Simionescu, A., Tremblay, G., Werner, N., Canning, R. E. A., Allen, S. W., and Oonk, J. B. R. 2018. "ALMA observation of the disruption of molecular gas in M87". United States. https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/sty047. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1436082.
@article{osti_1436082,
title = {ALMA observation of the disruption of molecular gas in M87},
author = {Simionescu, A. and Tremblay, G. and Werner, N. and Canning, R. E. A. and Allen, S. W. and Oonk, J. B. R.},
abstractNote = {We present the results from Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA) observations centred 40 arcsec (3 kpc in projection) south-east of the nucleus of M87. Here, we report the detection of extended CO (2–1) line emission with a total flux of (5.5 ± 0.6) × 10-18 erg s-1 cm-2 and corresponding molecular gas mass M$H{_2}$=(4.7±0.4)×105M⊙, assuming a Galactic CO to H2 conversion factor. ALMA data indicate a line-of-sight velocity of -129 ± 3 km s-1, in good agreement with measurements based on the [C II] and H α+[N II] lines, and a velocity dispersion of σ = 27 ± 3 km s-1. The CO (2–1) emission originates only outside the radio lobe of the active galactic nucleus (AGN) seen in the 6 cm Very Large Array image, while the filament prolongs further inwards at other wavelengths. The molecular gas in M87 appears to be destroyed or excited by AGN activity, either by direct interaction with the radio plasma, or by the shock driven by the lobe into the X-ray emitting atmosphere. This is an important piece of the puzzle in understanding the impact of the central AGN on the amount of the coldest gas from which star formation can proceed.},
doi = {10.1093/mnras/sty047},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1436082}, journal = {Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society},
issn = {0035-8711},
number = 3,
volume = 475,
place = {United States},
year = {Tue Jan 09 00:00:00 EST 2018},
month = {Tue Jan 09 00:00:00 EST 2018}
}

Journal Article:
Free Publicly Available Full Text
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Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 20 works
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Figures / Tables:

Figure 1 Figure 1: Continuum-subtracted CO(2–1) ALMA image of the filamentary structure located south-east of the M87 nucleus. The CO(2–1) flux is integrated along the spectral axis from -300 km s−1 to +300 km s−1 relative to the galaxy’s systemic velocity. The ALMA primary beam is indicated as a dashed white circle.more » Red contours indicate -3 (dashed), +3, and +6σ levels.« less

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Works referenced in this record:

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Radially Inflowing Molecular Gas in NGC 1275 Deposited by an X‐Ray Cooling Flow in the Perseus Cluster
journal, January 2008


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Thermal instability and the feedback regulation of hot haloes in clusters, groups and galaxies: Feedback regulation of hot haloes
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Filaments, Bubbles, and Weak Shocks in the Gaseous Atmosphere of M87
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Cold molecular gas in cooling flow clusters of galaxies
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Works referencing / citing this record:

Constraining Gas Motions in the Intra-Cluster Medium
journal, February 2019


Ubiquitous cold and massive filaments in cool core clusters
journal, October 2019


Driving massive molecular gas flows in central cluster galaxies with AGN feedback
journal, September 2019


A Galaxy-scale Fountain of Cold Molecular Gas Pumped by a Black Hole
journal, September 2018


An Enormous Molecular Gas Flow in the RX J0821+0752 Galaxy Cluster
journal, January 2019


The Dust and Molecular Gas in the Brightest Cluster Galaxy in MACS 1931.8-2635
journal, July 2019


Origins of Molecular Clouds in Early-type Galaxies
journal, December 2019


Storm in a Teacup: X-Ray View of an Obscured Quasar and Superbubble
journal, March 2018


Direct Detection of Black Hole-driven Turbulence in the Centers of Galaxy Clusters
journal, January 2020


Storm in a Teacup: X-ray view of an obscured quasar and superbubble
text, January 2018


Constraining Gas Motions in the Intra-Cluster Medium
text, January 2019


Ubiquitous cold and massive filaments in cool core clusters
text, January 2019


Radio Properties of Narrow-Line Seyfert 1 Galaxies
conference, December 2018


Constraining Gas Motions in the Intra-Cluster Medium
text, January 2019


Figures/Tables have been extracted from DOE-funded journal article accepted manuscripts.