The asymmetric CO distribution in the Virgo Cluster spiral NGC 4419

Journal Article · Sun Apr 01 00:00:00 EST 1990 · Astrophysical Journal; (USA)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1086/168634· OSTI ID:6770017

Kenney, J D.P.; Young, J S; Hasegawa, T; Nakai, N ^[1]

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1. California Institute of Technology, Pasadena (USA) Five College Radio Astronomy Observatory, Amherst, MA (USA) Tokyo Univ., Mitaka (Japan) Nobeyama Radio Observatory, Minamimaki (Japan)

New high-resolution CO (J = 1 approaches 0) observations of the H I-deficient Virgo Cluster Sa galaxy NGC 4419 are presented. Single-dish spectra with 17-arcsec resolution obtained with the Nobeyama Radio Observatory 45 m telescope reveal that the CO emission in the outer disk is significantly asymmetric. Outside of the central kiloparsec, there is 3-4 times more molecular gas on the northwest side of the galaxy than on the southeast side. Aperture synthesis data of the CO emission at 8 x 6 arcsec resolution of NGC 4419 obtained with the Owens Valley Radio Observatory millimeter-wave interferometer shows two significant asymmetries of a smaller magnitude within the central kiloparsec. Emission is detected further from the nucleus to the northwest, consistent with the large-scale asymmetry, but peaks in the southeast are the strongest, as if the gas were compressed. NGC 4419 also has an unusually high global CO/H I flux ratio, indicating that it has 10-15 times more molecular gas than atomic gas. The asymmetry in the CO distribution and the large CO/H I ratio suggest that the interstellar medium (ISM) of NGC 4419 is undergoing a strong interaction with the gas in the intracluster medium (ICM) 32 refs.

• OSTI ID: 6770017
• Journal Information: Astrophysical Journal; (USA), Vol. 353; ISSN 0004-637X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
GALAXIES
COSMIC GASES
SPIRAL CONFIGURATION
CARBON MONOXIDE
EMISSION SPECTRA
GALAXY CLUSTERS
H1 REGIONS
INTERGALACTIC SPACE
INTERSTELLAR SPACE
MASS DISTRIBUTION
PARTICLE INTERACTIONS
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBON OXIDES
CHALCOGENIDES
CONFIGURATION
COSMIC RADIO SOURCES
DISTRIBUTION
FLUIDS
GASES
INTERACTIONS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
SPACE
SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION
SPECTRA
640105* - Astrophysics & Cosmology- Galaxies