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Title:
Molecular Gas Streamers Feeding and Obscuring the Active Nucleus of NGC 1068
Authors:
Sánchez, F. Müller; Davies, R. I.; Genzel, R.; Tacconi, L. J.; Eisenhauer, F.; Hicks, E. K. S.; Friedrich, S.; Sternberg, A.
Affiliation:
AA(Max-Planck-Institut für extraterrestrische Physik, Giessenbachstrasse, Postfach 1312, D-85741 Garching, Germany ), AB(Max-Planck-Institut für extraterrestrische Physik, Giessenbachstrasse, Postfach 1312, D-85741 Garching, Germany ), AC(Max-Planck-Institut für extraterrestrische Physik, Giessenbachstrasse, Postfach 1312, D-85741 Garching, Germany ; Department of Physics, 366 Le Conte Hall, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720-7300, USA ), AD(Max-Planck-Institut für extraterrestrische Physik, Giessenbachstrasse, Postfach 1312, D-85741 Garching, Germany ), AE(Max-Planck-Institut für extraterrestrische Physik, Giessenbachstrasse, Postfach 1312, D-85741 Garching, Germany ), AF(Max-Planck-Institut für extraterrestrische Physik, Giessenbachstrasse, Postfach 1312, D-85741 Garching, Germany ), AG(Max-Planck-Institut für extraterrestrische Physik, Giessenbachstrasse, Postfach 1312, D-85741 Garching, Germany ), AH(School of Physics and Astronomy, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel)
Publication:
The Astrophysical Journal, Volume 691, Issue 1, pp. 749-759 (2009). (ApJ Homepage)
Publication Date:
01/2009
Origin:
IOP
ApJ Keywords:
galaxies: active, galaxies: individual: NGC 1068, galaxies: kinematics and dynamics, galaxies: nuclei, galaxies: Seyfert, infrared: galaxies
DOI:
10.1088/0004-637X/691/1/749
Bibliographic Code:
2009ApJ...691..749S

Abstract

We report the first direct observations of neutral, molecular gas streaming in the nucleus of NGC 1068 on scales of <30 pc using SINFONI near-infrared integral field spectroscopy. At a resolution of 0farcs075, the flux map of 2.12 μm 1-0 S(1) molecular hydrogen emission around the nucleus in the central arcsec reveals two prominent linear structures leading to the active galactic nucleus from the north and south. The kinematics of the gas in these features are dominated by noncircular motions and indicate that material streams toward the nucleus on highly elliptical or parabolic trajectories, whose orientations are compatible with that of the disk plane of the galaxy. We interpret the data as evidence for fueling of gas to the central region. The radial transport rate from ~30 pc to a few parsecs from the nucleus is ~15 M sun yr-1. One of the infalling clouds lies directly in front of the central engine. We interpret it as a tidally disrupted streamer that forms the optically thick outer part of an amorphous clumpy molecular/dusty structure which contributes to the nuclear obscuration.

Based on observations at the European Southern Observatory VLT (076.B-0098).

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