Dense Molecular Gas in Centaurus A

Details Dense Molecular Gas in Centaurus A Dense Molecular Gas in Centaurus A

Oct 1999

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1999alma.confe..70w&link_type=abstract

Science with the Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA), Associated Universities, Inc., held October 6-8, 1999 at Carnegie Instit

Computer Science

Centaurus A, Ngc 5128, Radio Galaxy, Molecular, Interstellar, Gas, Emission

Scientific paper

Centaurus A (NGC 5128) is the closest radio galaxy, and its molecular interstellar medium has been studied extensively in recent years. However, these studies used mostly molecular lines tracing low to medium density gas (see e.g. Eckart et al. 1990. Wild et al. 1997). The amount and distribution of the dense component remained largely unknown. We present spectra of the HCN(1-0) emission - which traces dense (n(H2) > 104 cm-3) molecular gas - at the center and along the prominent dust lane at offset positions +/- 60" and +/- 100", as well as single CS(2-1) and CS(3-2) spectra, observed with the SEST on La Silla, Chile. At the central position, the integrated intensity ratio I(HCN)/I(CO) peaks at 0.064, and decreases to somewhat equal to 0.02 to 0.04 in the dust lane. Based on the line luminosity ratio L(HCN)/L(CO) we estimate that there is a significant amount of dense gas in Centaurus A. The fraction of dense molecular gas as well as the star formation efficiency LFIR/LCO towards the center of Cen A is comparable to ultra-luminous infrared galaxies, and falls in between the values for ULIRGs and normal galaxies for positions in the dust lane. Details will be published in Wild & Eckart (A&A, in prep.). Eckart et al. 1990, ApJ 363, 451 Rydbeck et al. 1993, Astr.Ap. (Letters) 270, L13. Wild, W., Eckart, A. & Wiklind, T. 1997, Astr.Ap. 322, 419.

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