Tools
Tools
Mazzalay, X, Maciejewski, W, Erwin, P, Saglia, RP, Bender, R, Fabricius, MH, Nowak, N, Rusli, SP and Thomas, J (2014) Molecular gas in the centre of nearby galaxies from VLT/SINFONI integral field spectroscopy - II. Kinematics(star). Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 438 (3). pp. 2036-2064. ISSN 0035-8711
|
Text
Molecular gas in the centre of nearby galaxies.pdf - Published Version Download (7MB) | Preview |
Abstract
We present an analysis of the H2 emission-line gas kinematics in the inner ≲4 arcsec radius of six nearby spiral galaxies, based on adaptive optics-assisted integral-field observations obtained in the K band with SINFONI/VLT. Four of the six galaxies in our sample display ordered H2 velocity fields, consistent with gas moving in the plane of the galaxy and rotating in the same direction as the stars. However, the gas kinematics is typically far from simple circular motion. We can classify the observed velocity fields into four different types of flows, ordered by increasing complexity: (1) circular motion in a disc (NGC 3351); (2) oval motion in the galaxy plane (NGC 3627 and NGC 4536); (3) streaming motion superimposed on circular rotation (NGC 4501); and (4) disordered streaming motions (NGC 4569 and NGC 4579). The H2 velocity dispersion in the galaxies is usually higher than 50 km s−1 in the inner 1–2 arcsec radii. The four galaxies with ordered kinematics have v/σ < 1 at radii less than 40–80 pc. The radius at which v/σ = 1 is independent of the type of nuclear activity. While the low values of v/σ could be taken as an indication of a thick disc in the innermost regions of the galaxies, other lines of evidence (e.g. H2 morphologies and velocity fields) argue for a thin disc interpretation in the case of NGC 3351 and NGC 4536. We discuss the implications of the high values of velocity dispersion for the dynamics of the gaseous disc and suggest caution when interpreting the velocity dispersion of ionized and warm tracers as being entirely dynamical. Understanding the nature and role of the velocity dispersion in the gas dynamics, together with the full 2D information of the gas, is essential for obtaining accurate black hole masses from gas kinematics.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Additional Information: | This article has been accepted for publication in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society ©: 2014 The Authors Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Royal Astronomical Society. All rights reserved. |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | 0201 Astronomical And Space Sciences |
| Subjects: | Q Science > QB Astronomy Q Science > QC Physics |
| Divisions: | Astrophysics Research Institute |
| Publisher: | Oxford University Press |
| Related URLs: | |
| Date Deposited: | 06 Dec 2017 11:04 |
| Last Modified: | 04 Sep 2021 03:31 |
| DOI or ID number: | 10.1093/mnras/stt2319 |
| URI: | https://researchonline.ljmu.ac.uk/id/eprint/7674 |
 |
View Item |