Near-infrared spectroscopic imaging of the circumnuclear environment of NGC 1068

Details Near-infrared spectroscopic imaging of the circumnuclear environment of NGC 1068 Near-infrared spectroscopic imaging of the circumnuclear environment of NGC 1068

Jan 1994

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1994apj...421...92b&link_type=abstract

Astrophysical Journal, Part 1 (ISSN 0004-637X), vol. 421, no. 1, p. 92-100

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astronomy

71

Astronomical Spectroscopy, Infrared Spectroscopy, Near Infrared Radiation, Nuclear Radiation, Radio Emission, Radio Jets (Astronomy), Seyfert Galaxies, Stellar Radiation, Stellar Spectra, Hydrogen, Iron, Stellar Physics, X Rays

Scientific paper

We report equal to or less than 1 sec resolution imaging of the 1.6435 micrometer (Fe II) and 2.1212 micrometer H2 nu = 1 goes to 0 S(1) lines toward the nucleus of the Seyfert 2 galaxy NGC 1068. Our observations suggest that the near-infrared (Fe II) and H2 emission, as well as the radio continuum and optical line emission observed toward the narrow-line region (NLR), arises at the interface between the nuclear outflow/radiation and dense (n(H2) greater than 104/cu cm) circumnuclear molecular clouds. The (Fe II) emission extends over equal to or greater than 8 sec, is elongated along P.A. approximately 35 deg and tracks the NLR and the central collimated part of the twin radio jet. The (Fe II) emission may be produced in gas exposed to nuclear X-ray radiation or in gas which is interacting with the outflow/jet from the active nucleus. When leaving the molecular disk, the outflow/jet enter less dense atomic gas at a much lower pressure which causes the jet to widen, seen both in the (Fe II) and radio emission. Alternatively, and less likely, the (Fe II) emission may be emitted in gas shocked by supernova remnants. In contrast, the H2 emission is concentrated at the nucleus and extends approximately 5 sec (340 pc) east-west, with several embedded knots which probably represent concentrations of dense, massive molecular clouds. The brightest H2 knot is centered 0.2 sec +/- 0.3 sec southwest of the near-infrared continuum peak and, due to a total molecular hydrogen column density likely exceeding 1023/sq cm, may contribute significantly to the obscuration of the broad-line region in the nucleus of NGC 1068.

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