No Arabic abstract
We present high angular and velocity resolution two-dimensional kinematic observations in the spectral lines of H alpha and CO J=1-0 of the circumnuclear starburst region in the barred spiral galaxy M100, and compare them with kinematics derived from our previously published numerical modeling. The H alpha data, fully sampled and at sub-arcsecond resolution, show a rotation curve that is rapidly rising in the central ~140 pc, and stays roughly constant, at the main disk value, further out. Non-circular motions are studied from the H alpha and CO data by detailed consideration of the velocity fields, residual velocity fields after subtraction of the rotation curve, and sets of position-velocity diagrams. These motions are interpreted as the kinematic signatures of gas streaming along the inner part of the bar, and of density wave streaming motions across a two-armed mini-spiral. Comparison with a two-dimensional velocity field and rotation curve derived from our 1995 dynamical model shows good qualitative and quantitative agreement for the circular and non-circular kinematic components. Both morphology and kinematics of this region require the presence of a double inner Lindblad Resonance in order to explain the observed twisting of the near-infrared isophotes and the gas velocity field. These are compatible with the presence of a global density wave driven by the moderately strong stellar bar in this galaxy. We review recent observational and modeling results on the circumnuclear region in M100, and discuss the implications for bar structure and gas dynamics in the core of M100 and other disk galaxies.
We present measurements of 5-25 {mu}m emission features of brightest cluster galaxies (BCGs) with strong optical emission lines in a sample of 9 cool-core clusters of galaxies observed with the Infrared Spectrograph on board the Spitzer Space Telescope. These systems provide a view of dusty molecular gas and star formation, surrounded by dense, X-ray emitting intracluster gas. Past work has shown that BCGs in cool-core clusters may host powerful radio sources, luminous optical emission line systems, and excess UV, while BCGs in other clusters never show this activity. In this sample, we detect polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), extremely luminous, rotationally-excited molecular hydrogen line emission, forbidden line emission from ionized gas ([Ne II] and [Ne III]), and infrared continuum emission from warm dust and cool stars. We show here that these BCGs exhibit more luminous forbidden neon and H2 rotational line emission than star-forming galaxies with similar total infrared luminosities, as well as somewhat higher ratios of 70 {mu}m / 24 {mu}m luminosities. Our analysis suggests that while star formation processes dominate the heating of the dust and PAHs, a heating process consistent with suprathermal electron heating from the hot gas, distinct from star formation, is heating the molecular gas and contributing to the heating of the ionized gas in the galaxies. The survival of PAHs and dust suggests that dusty gas is somehow shielded from significant interaction with the X-ray gas.
We have obtained integral-field spectroscopic data, using the SAURON instrument, of the bar and starbursting circumnuclear region in the barred spiral galaxy M100. From our data we have derived kinematic maps of the mean velocity and velocity dispersion of the stars and the gas, which we present here. We have also produced maps of the total, [OIII], and Hbeta intensity. The gas velocity field shows significant kinematic signatures of gas streaming along the inner part of the bar, and of density wave streaming motions across the miniature spiral arms in the nuclear pseudo-ring. The stellar velocity field shows similar non-circular motions. The gas velocity dispersion is notably smaller where the star formation occurs in the nuclear zone and HII regions.
We report on spectro-imaging observations of the Herbig-Haro 2 outflow with the ISOCAM camera onboard the Infrared Space Observatory (ISO). The [Ne II}] 12.81 microns and [Ne III]15.55 microns lines are detected only towards the jet working surface (HH 2H), consistent with the high excitation of this knot in the optical range, while H2 pure rotational emission is found all over the shocked region HH 2. The low energy transition S(2) traces warm gas (T approx. 400K) peaked towards knots E-F and extended ejecta (T approx. 250-380) with masses of a few 0.001 solar mass in the high-velocity CO outflow extending between the powering source and HH 2. Such emission could arise from low-velocity C-type shocks (v= 10-15 km/s). The higher transitions S(3)-S(7) trace the emission of hot shocked gas (T= 1000-1400K) from individual optical knots in the HH 2 region. The ortho to para (OTP) ratio exhibits large spatial variations between 1.2 (E) and 2.5 (H), well below its value at LTE. The emission of the S(3)-S(7) lines is well accounted for by planar C-shock models with a typical velocity V= 20-30 km/s propagating into a medium of density 10^4-10^5 cm-3 with an initial OTP ratio close to 1 in the pre-shock gas. In the leading edge of the jet, where the geometry of the emission allows a simple modelling, a good agreement is found with velocities derived from the optical proper motions measured in the ionized gas.
We have observed three luminous infrared galaxy systems (LIRGS) which are pairs of interacting galaxies, with the Galaxy H$alpha$ Fabry-Perot system (GH$alpha$FaS) mounted on the 4.2m William Herschel Telescope at the Roque de los Muchachos Observatory, and combined the observations with the Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA) observations of these systems in CO emission to compare the physical properties of the star formation regions and the molecular gas clouds, and specifically the internal kinematics of the star forming regions. We identified 88 star forming regions in the H$alpha$ emission data-cubes, and 27 molecular cloud complexes in the CO emission data-cubes. The surface densities of the star formation rate and the molecular gas are significantly higher in these systems than in non-interacting galaxies and the Galaxy, and are closer to the surface densities of the star formation rate and the molecular gas of extreme star forming galaxies at higher redshifts. The large values of the velocity dispersion also show the enhanced gas surface density. The HII regions are situated on the ${rm{SFR}}-sigma_v$ envelope, and so are also in virial equilibrium. Since the virial parameter decreases with the surface densities of both the star formation rate and the molecular gas, we claim that the clouds presented here are gravitationally dominated rather than being in equilibrium with the external pressure.
We report the results of high spatial and spectral resolution integral-field spectroscopy of the central ~3 x 3 arcsec^2 of the active galaxy NGC 1275 (Perseus A), based on observations with the Near-infrared Integral Field Spectrograph (NIFS) and the ALTAIR adaptive-optics system on the Gemini North telescope. The circum-nuclear disc in the inner R~50 pc of NGC 1275 is seen in both the H2 and [FeII] lines. The disc is interpreted as the outer part of a collisionally-excited turbulent accretion disc. The kinematic major axis of the disc at a position angle of 68 deg is oriented perpendicular to the radio jet. A streamer-like feature to the south-west of the disc, detected in H2 but not in [FeII], is discussed as one of possibly several molecular streamers, presumably falling into the nuclear region. Indications of an ionization structure within the disc are deduced from the HeI and Br gamma emission lines, which may partially originate from the inner portions of the accretion disc. The kinematics of these two lines agrees with the signature of the circum-nuclear disc, but both lines display a larger central velocity dispersion than the H2 line. The rovibrational H2 transitions from the core of NGC 1275 are indicative of thermal excitation caused by shocks and agree with excitation temperatures of ~1360 and ~4290 K for the lower- and higher-energy H2 transitions, respectively. The data suggest X-ray heating as the dominant excitation mechanism of [FeII] emission in the core, while fast shocks are a possible alternative. The [FeII] lines indicate an electron density of ~4000 cm^{-3}. The H2 disc is modelled using simulated NIFS data cubes of H2 emission from inclined discs in Keplerian rotation around a central mass. Assuming a disc inclination of 45 deg +/- 10 deg, the best-fitting models imply a central mass of (8^{+7}_{-2}) x 10^8 Msun. (abridged)