Outflowing Diffuse Gas in the Active Galactic Nucleus of NGC 1068

Abstract

Spectra of the archetypal Type II Seyfert galaxy NGC 1068 in a narrow wavelength interval near 3.7 microns have revealed a weak absorption feature due to two lines of the molecular ion H3+. The observed wavelength of the feature corresponds to velocity of -70 km/s relative to the systemic velocity of the galaxy, implying an outward flow from the nucleus along the line of sight. The absorption by H3+ along with the previously known broad hydrocarbon absorption at 3.4~microns probably are formed in diffuse gas that is in close proximity to the continuum source, i.e. within a few tens of parsecs of the central engine. Based on that conclusion and the measured H3+ absorption velocity and with the assumption of a spherically symmetric wind we estimate a rate of mass outflow from the AGN of ~1 Msun/yr.

Accepted by ApJ 2 Sep 2015

References in corpus (6)

• Molecular line emission in NGC1068 imaged with ALMA. I An AGN-driven outflow in the dense molecular gas
• H3+ in Diffuse Interstellar Clouds: a Tracer for the Cosmic-Ray Ionization Rate
• Radiation-driven Fountain and Origin of Torus around Active Galactic Nuclei
• Kinematics of the Narrow-Line Region in the Seyfert 2 Galaxy NGC 1068: Dynamical Effects of the Radio Jet
• Modeling the [Fe II]λ1.644μm outflow and comparison with H${}_2$ and H${}^{+}$ kinematics in the inner 200 pc of NGC 1068
• The Interstellar Medium of IRAS 08572+3915 NW: H3+ and Warm High Velocity CO

Cited by in corpus (3)

• The Central 300 pc of the Galaxy probed by infrared spectra of H${}_3^{+}$ and CO: part I. Predominance of warm and diffuse gas and high H${}_2$ ionization rate
• ExoMol molecular line lists XX: a comprehensive line list for H${}_3^{+}$
• H${}_3^{+}$ absorption and emission in local U/LIRGs with JWST/NIRSpec: Evidence for high H${}_2$ ionization rates