English

Evidence for an outflow from the Seyfert galaxy NGC 4051

Astrophysics 2015-06-24 v1

Abstract

New observations using narrow band imaging, long-slit spectroscopy and MERLIN observations of the nuclear region of the Seyfert galaxy NGC~4051 have been made. An edge brightened, triangular region of ionized gas extending 420 pc from the centre of the galaxy has been detected. Long-slit spectra of this ionised gas, taken at 1.5\arcsec\ from the core, show the \oiii\ emission line to consist of two velocity components, both blue-shifted from the systemic radial velocity, with velocity widths of 140\kms\ and separated by 120\kms. This region is co-spatial with weak extended radio emission and is suggestive of a centrally driven outflow. The \oiii\ line spectrum and image of this region have been modelled as an outflowing conical structure at 50\degr\ to the line of sight with a half opening angle of 23\degr . In addition to the extended structure, high resolution MERLIN observations of the 18-cm nuclear radio emission reveal a compact (1\arcsec) radio triple source in PA 73^{\circ}. This source is coincident with the HST-imaged emission line structure. These high resolution observations are consistent with a more compact origin of activity (i.e. a Seyfert nucleus) than a starburst region.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.astro-ph/9608134,
  title  = {Evidence for an outflow from the Seyfert galaxy NGC 4051},
  author = {P. E. Christopoulou and A. J. Holloway and W. Steffen and C. G. Mundell and A. H. C. Thean and C. D. Goudis and J. Meaburn and A. Pedlar and .},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:astro-ph/9608134},
  year   = {2015}
}

Comments

latex, epsf.sty, 8 pages, 8 figures. Also available at http://axp2.ast.man.ac.uk:8000/Preprints.html