Molecular Gas in the Inner 100 Parsecs of M51

Details Molecular Gas in the Inner 100 Parsecs of M51 Molecular Gas in the Inner 100 Parsecs of M51

Feb 1998

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1998apj...493l..63s&link_type=abstract

Astrophysical Journal Letters v.493, p.L63

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astronomy

18

Galaxies: Individual Messier Number: M51, Ism: Molecules

Scientific paper

We report imaging of CO (2-1) emission in the nucleus of M51 at 1 ^{''} (47 pc) resolution. Molecular gas is found closely associated with the nuclear radio jet and the X-shaped dust absorption feature seen in the Hubble Space Telescope images. The CO emission lies along the side of the nuclear radio continuum "jet." The strongest molecular emission is not symmetric in either position or velocity with respect to the nucleus--the dominant feature is at redshifted velocities and peaks 1 ^{''} to the west of the radio/optical nucleus. The CO (2-1) emission has an integrated flux implying a molecular gas mass of 107 Msolar for a standard Galactic giant molecular cloud CO-to-H 2 conversion ratio, which is consistent with the total virial mass of the individual complexes. The redshifted CO emission is elongated with a deconvolved semimajor axis of 65 pc (1."38). Assuming the molecular gas moves in circular orbit about the nucleus (defined by the point radio source), we find a dynamical mass of 2x108 Msolar at R>=47 pc with no correction for inclination. The molecular gas has sufficient density (>=105 cm-3) to collimate the radio jet and ionized outflow from the active galactic nucleus (AGN), and this gas may in fact be the reservoir of matter that supplies the AGN.

Affiliated with

Also associated with

No associations

Rating

Molecular Gas in the Inner 100 Parsecs of M51 does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this scientific paper.

If you have personal experience with Molecular Gas in the Inner 100 Parsecs of M51, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Molecular Gas in the Inner 100 Parsecs of M51 will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-1223097