No Arabic abstract
We present MERLIN observations of the continuum (both 1.6 and 5 GHz) and OH maser emission towards Arp220. the correct spatial configuration of the various componnents of the galaxy is revealed. In the eastern component the masers are shown to be generally coincident with the larger scale continuum emission; in the west, the masers and continuum do not generally arise from the same location. A velocity gradient (0.32+/-0.03km/s/pc) is found in the eastern nuclear region in MERLIN scales; this gradient is three times smaller than seen in OH and implies that the OH gas lies inside the HI. A re-analysis of previously presented global VLBI data (Lonsdale et al. 1998) reveals a very high velocity gradient (18.67+/-0.12km/s/pc) in one component, possibly the site of a heavily obscured AGN.
We present high angular resolution (0.7) observations made with the Very Large Array (VLA) of the radio recombination line (RRL) H53alpha and radio continuum emission at 43 GHz from the ultraluminous infrared galaxy (ULIRG) Arp 220. The 43 GHz continuum emission shows a compact structure (~2) with two peaks separated by ~1, the East (E) and West (W) components, that correspond to each galactic nucleus of the merger. The spectral indices for both the E and W components, using radio continuum images at 8.3 and 43 GHz are typical of synchrotron emission (alpha ~ -1.0). Our 43 GHz continuum and H53alpha line observations confirm the flux densities predicted by the models proposed by Anantharamaiah et al. This agreement with the models implies the presence of high-density (~ 100,000 cm^-3) compact HII regions (~ 0.1 pc) in Arp 220. The integrated H53alpha line emission is stronger toward the non-thermal radio continuum peaks, which are also coincident with the peaks of molecular emission of the H2CO. The coincidence between the integrated H53alpha and the H2CO maser line emission suggests that the recent star forming regions, traced by the high density gas, are located mainly in regions that are close to the two radio continuum peaks. A velocity gradient of ~ 0.30 km/s/pc in the H53alpha RRL is observed toward the E component and a second velocity gradient of ~ 0.15 km/s/pc is detected toward the W component. The orientations of these velocity gradients are in agreement with previous CO, HI and OH observations. The kinematics of the high-density ionized gas traced by the H53alpha line are consistent with two counter rotating disks as suggested by the CO and HI observations.
We present observations of radio recombination lines from the starburst galaxy Arp 220 at 1.4, 8.1, 84, 96 and 207 GHz (sensitive upper limit for the 1.4 GHz line and firm detections at the other frequencies), and the radio continuum spectrum between 330 MHz and 207 GHz. We show that a model with three components of ionized gas with different densities and area covering factors can consistently explain both RRL and continuum data. The total mass of ionized gas in the three components is 3 x 10^7 M_sun requiring 3 x 10^5 O5 stars with a total Lyman continuum production rate (NLyc) of 1.3 x 10^{55} photons /s. These values imply a dust extinction A_V ~ 45 magnitudes and an SFR of ~240 M_sun/yr. The NLyc of ~3% associated with the high density HII regions implies similar SFR at recent epochs. The data is also consistent with multiple starbursts of very high SFR and short durations. The derived value of 24 for the IR-excess favours a starburst rather than an AGN as the origin of the observed FIR luminosity. (the abstract has been abridged)
We present the first aperture synthesis unbiased spectral line survey toward an extragalactic object. The survey covered the 40 GHz frequency range between 202 and 242 GHz of the 1.3 mm atmospheric window. We find that 80% of the observed band shows molecular emission, with 73 features identified from 15 molecular species and 6 isotopologues. The 13C isotopic substitutions of HC3N and transitions from H2(18)O, 29SiO, and CH2CO are detected for the first time outside the Galaxy. Within the broad observed band, we estimate that 28% of the total measured flux is due to the molecular line contribution, with CO only contributing 9% to the overall flux. We present maps of the CO emission at a resolution of 2.9x1.9 which, though not enough to resolve the two nuclei, recover all the single-dish flux. The 40 GHz spectral scan has been modelled assuming LTE conditions and abundances are derived for all identified species. The chemical composition of Arp 220 shows no clear evidence of an AGN impact on the molecular emission but seems indicative of a purely starburst-heated ISM. The overabundance of H2S and the low isotopic ratios observed suggest a chemically enriched environment by consecutive bursts of star formation, with an ongoing burst at an early evolutionary stage. The large abundance of water (~10^-5), derived from the isotopologue H2(18)O, as well as the vibrationally excited emission from HC3N and CH3CN are claimed to be evidence of massive star forming regions within Arp 220. Moreover, the observations put strong constraints on the compactness of the starburst event in Arp 220. We estimate that such emission would require ~2-8x10^6 hot cores, similar to those found in the Sgr B2 region in the Galactic center, concentrated within the central 700 pc of Arp 220.
We used the Submillimeter Array (SMA) to image 860 micron continuum and CO(3-2) line emission in the ultraluminous merging galaxy Arp 220, achieving a resolution of 0.23 (80 pc) for the continuum and 0.33 (120 pc) for the line. The CO emission peaks around the two merger nuclei with a velocity signature of gas rotation around each nucleus, and is also detected in a kpc-size disk encompassing the binary nucleus. The dust continuum, in contrast, is mostly from the two nuclei. The beam-averaged brightness temperature of both line and continuum emission exceeds 50 K at and around the nuclei, revealing the presence of warm molecular gas and dust. The dust emission morphologically agrees with the distribution of radio supernova features in the east nucleus, as expected when a starburst heats the nucleus. In the brighter west nucleus, however, the submillimeter dust emission is more compact than the supernova distribution. The 860 micron core, after deconvolution, has a size of 50-80 pc, consistent with recent 1.3 mm observations, and a peak brightness temperature of (0.9-1.6)x10^2 K. Its bolometric luminosity is at least 2x10^{11} Lsun and could be ~10^{12} Lsun depending on source structure and 860 micron opacity, which we estimate to be of the order of tau_{860} ~ 1 (i.e., N_{H_2} ~ 10^{25} cm^{-2}). The starbursting west nuclear disk must have in its center a dust enshrouded AGN or a very young starburst equivalent to hundreds of super star clusters. Further spatial mapping of bolometric luminosity through submillimeter imaging is a promising way to identify the heavily obscured heating sources in Arp 220 and other luminous infrared galaxies.
We present a high spatial resolution optical and infrared study of the circumnuclear region in Arp 220, a late-stage galaxy merger. Narrowband imaging using HST/WFC3 has resolved the previously observed peak in H$alpha$+[NII] emission into a bubble-shaped feature. This feature measures 1.6 in diameter, or 600 pc, and is only 1 northwest of the western nucleus. The bubble is aligned with the western nucleus and the large-scale outflow axis seen in X-rays. We explore several possibilities for the bubble origin, including a jet or outflow from a hidden active galactic nucleus (AGN), outflows from high levels of star formation within the few hundred pc nuclear gas disk, or an ultraluminous X-ray source. An obscured AGN or high levels of star formation within the inner $sim$100 pc of the nuclei are favored based on the alignment of the bubble and energetics arguments.