Chandra Observations of the Evolving Core of the Starburst Galaxy NGC 253

Abstract

Chandra observations of the core of the nearby starburst galaxy NGC 253 reveal a heavily absorbed source of hard X-rays embedded within the nuclear starburst region. The source has an unabsorbed, 2 to 10 keV luminosity of >=10^39 erg/s and photoionizes the surrounding gas. We observe this source through a dusty torus with a neutral absorbing column density of NH ~ 2x10^23 cm^-2. The torus is hundreds of pc across and collimates the starburst-driven nuclear outflow. We suggest that the ionizing source is an intermediate-mass black hole or a weakly accreting supermassive black hole, which may signal the beginnings or endings of AGN activity.

15 pages, 4 figures. To be published in Astrophysical Journal Letters. For high-res. versions of figures please contact the author

Cited by in corpus (64)

• Supernova feedback efficiency and mass loading in the starburst and galactic superwind exemplar M82
• A high spatial resolution X-ray and H-alpha study of hot gas in the halos of star-forming disk galaxies. I. Spatial and spectral properties of the diffuse X-ray emission
• The Starburst-Driven Molecular Wind in NGC 253 and the Suppression of Star Formation
• ALMA Reveals the Molecular Medium Fueling the Nearest Nuclear Starburst
• The subarcsecond mid-infrared view of local active galactic nuclei: II. The mid-infrared--X-ray correlation
• The subarcsecond mid-infrared view of local active galactic nuclei: I. The N- and Q-band imaging atlas
• Iron line and diffuse hard X-ray emission from the starburst galaxy M82
• Arp 299: a second merging system with two active nuclei?
• Elusive Active Galactic Nuclei
• A Chandra Survey of the Nearest ULIRGs: Obscured AGN or Super-Starbursts?
• Spatially resolved optical IFU spectroscopy of the inner superwind of NGC 253
• High energy gamma-ray emission from the starburst nucleus of NGC 253
• Molecular Superbubbles in the Starburst Galaxy NGC 253
• A census of X-ray nuclear activity in nearby galaxies
• Fe K emission in the ultraluminous infrared galaxy Arp220
• Extragalactic H_2O masers and X-ray absorbing column densities
• Spectral analysis and interpretation of the γ-ray emission from the Starburst galaxy NGC 253
• Cosmic ray transport and radiative processes in nuclei of starburst galaxies
• Multi-messenger model for the starburst galaxy M82
• The Stellar Kinematic Center and the True Galactic Nucleus of NGC253
• Submillimeter-HCN Diagram for an Energy Diagnostics in the Centers of Galaxies
• New insights on the dense molecular gas in NGC253 as traced by HCN and HCO+
• Particle acceleration in the superwinds of starburst galaxies
• The nucleus of NGC 253 and its massive stellar clusters at parsec scales
• Diffuse Hard X-ray Emission in Starburst Galaxies as Synchrotron from Very High Energy Electrons
• Imaging the Circumnuclear Region of NGC 1365 with Chandra
• PAH emission variations within the resolved starbursts of NGC253 and NGC1808
• Spatially Resolving a Starburst Galaxy at Hard X-ray Energies: NuSTAR, Chandra, AND VLBA Observations of NGC 253
• The Sub-parsec Scale Radio Properties of Southern Starburst Galaxies. I. Supernova Remnants, the Supernova Rate, and the Ionised Medium in the NGC 253 Starburst
• Hot Galactic Winds Constrained by the X-Ray Luminosities of Galaxies
• Radio Emission Associated with Ultraluminous X-ray Sources in the Galaxy Merger NGC 3256
• Fire in the Heart: A Characterization of the High Kinetic Temperatures and Heating Sources in the Nucleus of NGC253
• Deconstructing NGC 7130
• A Young Super Star Cluster in the Nuclear Region of NGC 253
• Black Hole Mass, Host galaxy classification and AGN activity
• Evidence of a pure starburst nature of the nuclear region of NGC 253
• XMM-Newton observations of the diffuse X-ray emission in the starburst galaxy NGC 253
• Water vapor in the starburst galaxy NGC 253: A new nuclear maser?
• H3O+ Line Emission from Starbursts and AGNs
• Accretion and Outflow in the AGN and Starburst of NGC 5135
• A Radio Polarimetric Study to Disentangle AGN Activity and Star-Formation in Seyfert Galaxies
• New water masers in Seyfert and FIR bright galaxies. IV. Interferometric follow-ups
• VLA H53alpha and H92alpha line observations of the central region of NGC 253
• A Compton Thick AGN Powering the Hyperluminous Infrared Galaxy IRAS 00182--7112
• NuSTAR and Chandra Insight into the Nature of the 3-40 keV Nuclear Emission in NGC 253
• The Collimated Wind in NGC 253
• A search for very high energy gamma-ray emission from the starburst galaxy NGC 253 with H.E.S.S
• Hydrogen Fluoride toward Luminous Nearby Galaxies: NGC 253 and NGC 4945
• The excitation of near-infrared H2 emission in NGC 253
• Searching for hidden AGN in nearby star-forming galaxies with Chandra
• A thorough view of the nuclear region of NGC 253 - Combined Herschel, SOFIA and APEX dataset
• Sub-Arcsecond Mid-Infrared Observations of NGC 6240: Limitations of AGN-Starburst Power Diagnostics
• Fe K line complex in the nuclear region of NGC 253
• Characterising the signatures of star-forming galaxies in the extra-galactic $\gamma$-ray background
• Uncovering the nucleus candidate for NGC 253
• Multi-density model of the ionised gas in NGC 253 using radio recombination lines
• Galactic Gamma-Ray Halo of the Nearby Starburst Galaxy NGC 253
• Spatially Resolved [FeII] 1.64 μm Emission in NGC 5135. Clues for Understanding the Origin of the Hard X-rays in Luminous Infrared Galaxies
• Non-thermal emission from Pulsar-Wind Nebulae in Starburst Galaxies
• Cosmic rays from the nearby starburst galaxy NGC 253: the effect of a low luminosity active galactic nucleus
• The phenomenon of the galaxy NGC 6286: a forming polar ring or a superwind?
• The DIVING${}^{3D}$ Survey -- Deep IFS View of Nuclei of Galaxies -- II. First results: nuclear emission-line properties of the mini-DIVING${}^{3D}$ sample
• Unveiling Kinematic Structure in the Starburst Heart of NGC 253
• Discovery of Bright Variable X-ray Sources in NGC 1569 with Chandra