No Arabic abstract
We present $^{12}$CO(1--0) and $^{12}$CO(2--1) maps of the interacting Seyfert 2/LINER galaxy NGC 5953 obtained with the IRAM interferometer at resolutions of 2farcs1 $times$ 1farcs4 and 1farcs1 $times$ 0farcs7, respectively. The CO emission is distributed over a disk of diameter $sim$16arcsec ($sim$2.2 kpc), within which are several, randomly distributed peaks. The strongest peak does not coincide with the nucleus, but is instead offset from the center, $sim2-3^{primeprime}$ ($sim$340 pc) toward the west/southwest. The kinematics of the molecular component are quite regular, as is typical of a rotating disk. We also compared the $^{12}$CO distribution of NGC 5953 with observations at other wavelengths in order to study correlations between different tracers of the interstellar medium. Using NIR images, we computed the gravity torques exerted by the stellar potential on the gas. The torques are predominantly positive in both $^{12}$CO(1--0) and $^{12}$CO(2--1), suggesting that gas is not flowing into the center, and less than 5% of the gas angular momentum is exchanged in each rotation. This comes from the regular and almost axisymmetric total mass and gas distributions in the center of the galaxy. In NGC 5953, the AGN is apparently not being actively fueled in the current epoch.
We present CO(1-0) and CO(2-1) maps of the interacting barred LINER/Seyfert 2 galaxy NGC 3627 obtained with the IRAM interferometer at resolutions of 2.1 x 1.3 and 0.9 x 0.6, respectively. The molecular gas emission shows a nuclear peak, an elongated bar-like structure of ~18 (~900 pc) diameter in both CO maps and, in CO(1-0), a two-arm spiral feature from r~9 (~450 pc) to r~16 (~800 pc). The inner ~18 bar-like structure, with a north/south orientation (PA = 14{deg}), forms two peaks at the extremes of this elongated emission region. The kinematics of the inner molecular gas shows signatures of non-circular motions associated both with the 18 bar-like structure and the spiral feature detected beyond it. The 1.6 micron H-band 2MASS image of NGC 3627 shows a stellar bar with a PA = -21{deg}, different from the PA (= 14{deg}) of the CO bar-like structure, indicating that the gas is leading the stellar bar. The torques computed with the HST-NICMOS F160W image and our PdBI maps are negative down to the resolution limit of our images, ~60 pc in CO(2-1). If the bar ends at ~3 kpc, coincident with corotation (CR), the torques are negative between the CR of the bar and the nucleus, down to the resolution limit of our observations. This scenario is compatible with a recently-formed rapidly rotating bar which has had insufficient time to slow down because of secular evolution, and thus has not yet formed an inner Lindblad resonance (ILR). The presence of molecular gas inside the CR of the primary bar, where we expect that the ILR will form, makes NGC 3627 a potential smoking gun of inner gas inflow. The gas is fueling the central region, and in a second step could fuel directly the active nucleus.
We present CO(1-0) and CO(2-1) observations of the SA(rs)bc Seyfert 2 galaxy NGC 3147, obtained with the IRAM interferometer at 1farcs9 $times$1farcs6 and 1farcs6 $times$1farcs4 resolutions, respectively. A central peak seen mainly in CO(2-1) and a ring-like structure at $r simeq 10$arcsec $sim$2 kpc dominate the CO maps. In CO(1-0) an outer spiral at $r simeq 20$arcsec $sim$4 kpc is also detected, not visible in CO(2-1) emission because it falls outside the field-of-view of the primary beam. The kinematics of the molecular structures are quite regular, although there is evidence for local non-circular or streaming motions. We show that the molecular gas distribution is similar but not exactly identical to those of star formation tracers. Using a NIR image obtained with adaptive optics at the CFHT Telescope, we identify a weak bar in NGC 3147, which is classified as non-barred galaxy in the optical. We then compute the gravity torques exerted by this stellar bar on the gas. We find that the gas inside the inner CO ring is subject to a net negative torque and loses angular momentum. This is expected for gas at the UHR, just inside the corotation resonance of the stellar bar. In contrast, the gas outside corotation, in the spiral arms comprising the outer spiral structure, suffers positive torques and is driven outwards. We conclude that some molecular gas is presently flowing into the central region, since we find negative torques down to the resolution limit of our images.
Within the frame of the NUclei of GAlaxies (NUGA) project, we have determined the distribution and kinematics of the molecular gas within the central kpc with high spatial resolution (100-150pc), for a sample of active galaxies. The goal is to study the gas-fueling mechanisms in AGN. We present interferometric observations of 12CO(1-0) and 12CO(2-1) line emission from the Seyfert2 galaxy NGC6574, obtained with the IRAM Plateau de Bure Interferometer (PdBI). These data have been combined with 30m mapping data in these lines to correct for the flux resolved by the interferometer. At an angular resolution of 0.7 (about 110pc), the 12CO(2-1) emission is resolved into an inner disk with a radius of 300pc.
We present CO(1-0) and CO(2-1) maps of the starburst/Seyfert 1 galaxy NGC 2782, obtained with the IRAM interferometer. The CO emission is aligned along the stellar nuclear bar of radius 1 kpc, configured in an elongated structure with two spiral arms at high pitch angle. At the extremity of the nuclear bar, the CO changes direction to trace two more extended spiral features at a lower pitch angle. These are the beginning of two straight dust lanes, which are aligned parallel to an oval distortion, reminiscent of a primary bar, almost perpendicular to the nuclear one. The two embedded bars appear in Spitzer IRAC near-infrared images, and HST color images, although highly obscured by dust in the latter. We compute the torques exerted by the stellar bars on the gas, and find systematically negative average torques down to the resolution limit of the images, providing evidence of gas inflow tantalizingly close to the nucleus of NGC 2782. The observations are well reproduced by numerical simulations, including gas dissipation, which predict the secondary bar decoupling, the formation of an elongated ring at the 1 kpc-radius Inner Lindblad Resonance (ILR) of the primary bar, and the gas inflow to the ILR of the nuclear bar. The presence of molecular gas inside the ILR of the primary bar, transported by a second nuclear bar, is a potential ``smoking gun; the gas there is certainly fueling the central starburst, and in a second step could fuel directly the AGN.
NGC3367 is a nearby isolated active galaxy that shows a radio jet, a strong bar and evidence of lopsidedness. We present a quantitative analysis of the stellar and gaseous structure of the galaxy disk and a search for evidence of recent interaction based on new UBVRI Halpha and JHK images and on archival Halpha Fabry-Perot and HI VLA data. From a coupled 1D/2D GALFIT bulge/bar/disk decomposition an (B/D ~ 0.07-0.1) exponential pseudobulge is inferred in all the observed bands. A NIR estimate of the bar strength <Q_T{max}(R)> = 0.44 places NGC 3367 bar among the strongest ones. The asymmetry properties were studied using (1) optical and NIR CAS indexes (2) the stellar (NIR) and gaseous (Halpha, HI) A_1 Fourier mode amplitudes and (3) the HI integrated profile and HI mean intensity distribution. While the average stellar component shows asymmetry values close to the average found in the Local Universe for isolated galaxies, the young stellar component and gas values are largely decoupled showing significantly larger A_1 mode amplitudes suggesting that the gas has been recently perturbed. Our search for (1) faint stellar structures in the outer regions (up to u_R ~ 26 mag arcsec^{-2}), (2) (Halpha) star-forming satellite galaxies and (3) regions with different colors (stellar populations) along the disk all failed. Such an absence is interpreted using recent numerical simulations to constrain a tidal event with an LMC like galaxy to some dynamical times in the past or to a current very low mass, gas rich accretion. We conclude that a cold accretion mode (gas and small/dark galaxies) may be responsible of the nuclear activity and peculiar (young stars and gas) morphology regardless of the highly isolated environment. Black hole growth in bulgeless galaxies may be triggered by cosmic smooth mass accretion.