Misalignments in NGC 1068

Abstract

NGC 1068 is a nearby Active Galactic Nucleus (AGN) of type 2, meaning that its accretion disk is hidden behind a large amount of foreground extinction. Observations at several wavelengths have revealed various disk-like structures around the nucleus, all possibly part of the putative torus responsible for the obscuration of the AGN. The paper presents results based on GRAVITY/VLTI interferometric observations in the near-infrared, which provide very high angular resolution, and gives insights into the geometry of the innermost region of the torus. The 3D orientation of the structure is surprising in several aspects, as it is misaligned with other disks present around the nucleus, and leaves a clear line of sight toward the central source.

References in corpus (6)

• First Light for GRAVITY: Phase Referencing Optical Interferometry for the Very Large Telescope Interferometer
• VLBI Imaging of Water Maser Emission from the Nuclear Torus of NGC 1068
• Kinematics of the Narrow-Line Region in the Seyfert 2 Galaxy NGC 1068: Dynamical Effects of the Radio Jet
• The Nature of the Nuclear H2O Masers of NGC 1068: Reverberation and Evidence for a Rotating Disk Geometry
• An image of the dust sublimation region in the nucleus of NGC 1068
• The hot dust in the heart of NGC 1068's torus: A 3D radiative model constrained with GRAVITY/VLTi