Discovery of an active galactic nucleus driven molecular outflow in the local early-type galaxy NGC 1266

K. Alatalo; L. Blitz; L.M. Young; T.A. Davis; M. Bureau; L.A. Lopez; M. Cappellari; N. Scott; K. Shapiro; A. Crocker; S. Martin; M. Bois; F. Bournaud; R.L. Davies; P.T. de Zeeuw; P.A. Duc; E. Emsellem; J. Falcon-Barroso; S. Knochfar; D. Krajnovic; H. Kuntschner; P.-Y. Lablanche; R.M. McDermid; R. Morganti; T. Naab; T. Oosterloo; Marc Sarzi; P. Serra; A. Weijmans

doi:10.1088/0004-637X/735/2/88

Discovery of an active galactic nucleus driven molecular outflow in the local early-type galaxy NGC 1266

K. Alatalo, L. Blitz, L.M. Young, T.A. Davis, M. Bureau, L.A. Lopez, M. Cappellari, N. Scott, K. Shapiro, A. Crocker, S. Martin, M. Bois, F. Bournaud, R.L. Davies, P.T. de Zeeuw, P.A. Duc, E. Emsellem, J. Falcon-Barroso, S. Knochfar, D. KrajnovicH. Kuntschner, P.-Y. Lablanche, R.M. McDermid, R. Morganti, T. Naab, T. Oosterloo, Marc Sarzi, P. Serra, A. Weijmans

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Abstract

We report the discovery of a powerful molecular wind from the nucleus of the non-interacting nearby S0 field galaxy NGC 1266. The single-dish CO profile exhibits emission to +/- 400 km s(-1) and requires a nested Gaussian fit to be properly described. Interferometric observations reveal a massive, centrally concentrated molecular component with a mass of 1.1 x 10(9) M-circle dot and a molecular outflow with a molecular mass of approximate to 2.4 x 10(7) M-circle dot. The molecular gas close to the systemic velocity consists of a rotating, compact nucleus with a mass of about 4.1 x 10(8) M-circle dot within a radius of approximate to 60 pc. This compact molecular nucleus has a surface density of approximate to 2.7 x 10(4) M-circle dot pc(-2), more than two orders of magnitude larger than that of giant molecular clouds in the disk of the Milky Way, and it appears to sit on the Kennicutt-Schmidt relation despite its extreme kinematics and energetic activity. We interpret this nucleus as a disk that confines the outflowing wind. A mass outflow rate of approximate to 13 M-circle dot yr(-1) leads to a depletion timescale of less than or similar to 85 Myr. The star formation in NGC 1266 is insufficient to drive the outflow, and thus it is likely driven by the active galactic nucleus. The concentration of the majority of the molecular gas in the central 100 pc requires an extraordinary loss of angular momentum, but no obvious companion or interacting galaxy is present to enable the transfer. NGC 1266 is the first known outflowing molecular system that does not show any evidence of a recent interaction.

Original language	English
Article number	88
Number of pages	13
Journal	The Astrophysical Journal
Volume	735
Issue number	2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/735/2/88
Publication status	Published - 2011

Keywords

galaxies : evolution
galaxies : ISM
galaxies : kinematics and dynamics
ISM : jets and outflows

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10.1088/0004-637X/735/2/88

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‘In these times, during the rise in the popularity of institutional repositories, the Society does not forbid authors from depositing their work in such repositories. However, the AAS regards the deposit of scholarly work in such repositories to be a decision of the individual scholar, as long as the individual's actions respect the diligence of the journals and their reviewers.’
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Alatalo, K., Blitz, L., Young, L. M., Davis, T. A., Bureau, M., Lopez, L. A., Cappellari, M., Scott, N., Shapiro, K., Crocker, A., Martin, S., Bois, M., Bournaud, F., Davies, R. L., de Zeeuw, P. T., Duc, P. A., Emsellem, E., Falcon-Barroso, J., Knochfar, S., ... Weijmans, A. (2011). Discovery of an active galactic nucleus driven molecular outflow in the local early-type galaxy NGC 1266. The Astrophysical Journal, 735(2), Article 88. https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/735/2/88

@article{5b34af81a31e4f38983ba1c153d28965,

title = "Discovery of an active galactic nucleus driven molecular outflow in the local early-type galaxy NGC 1266",

abstract = "We report the discovery of a powerful molecular wind from the nucleus of the non-interacting nearby S0 field galaxy NGC 1266. The single-dish CO profile exhibits emission to +/- 400 km s(-1) and requires a nested Gaussian fit to be properly described. Interferometric observations reveal a massive, centrally concentrated molecular component with a mass of 1.1 x 10(9) M-circle dot and a molecular outflow with a molecular mass of approximate to 2.4 x 10(7) M-circle dot. The molecular gas close to the systemic velocity consists of a rotating, compact nucleus with a mass of about 4.1 x 10(8) M-circle dot within a radius of approximate to 60 pc. This compact molecular nucleus has a surface density of approximate to 2.7 x 10(4) M-circle dot pc(-2), more than two orders of magnitude larger than that of giant molecular clouds in the disk of the Milky Way, and it appears to sit on the Kennicutt-Schmidt relation despite its extreme kinematics and energetic activity. We interpret this nucleus as a disk that confines the outflowing wind. A mass outflow rate of approximate to 13 M-circle dot yr(-1) leads to a depletion timescale of less than or similar to 85 Myr. The star formation in NGC 1266 is insufficient to drive the outflow, and thus it is likely driven by the active galactic nucleus. The concentration of the majority of the molecular gas in the central 100 pc requires an extraordinary loss of angular momentum, but no obvious companion or interacting galaxy is present to enable the transfer. NGC 1266 is the first known outflowing molecular system that does not show any evidence of a recent interaction.",

keywords = "galaxies : evolution, galaxies : ISM, galaxies : kinematics and dynamics, ISM : jets and outflows",

author = "K. Alatalo and L. Blitz and L.M. Young and T.A. Davis and M. Bureau and L.A. Lopez and M. Cappellari and N. Scott and K. Shapiro and A. Crocker and S. Martin and M. Bois and F. Bournaud and R.L. Davies and {de Zeeuw}, P.T. and P.A. Duc and E. Emsellem and J. Falcon-Barroso and S. Knochfar and D. Krajnovic and H. Kuntschner and P.-Y. Lablanche and R.M. McDermid and R. Morganti and T. Naab and T. Oosterloo and Marc Sarzi and P. Serra and A. Weijmans",

note = "{\textquoteleft}In these times, during the rise in the popularity of institutional repositories, the Society does not forbid authors from depositing their work in such repositories. However, the AAS regards the deposit of scholarly work in such repositories to be a decision of the individual scholar, as long as the individual's actions respect the diligence of the journals and their reviewers.{\textquoteright} Original article can be found at : http://iopscience.iop.org/ Copyright American Astronomical Society",

year = "2011",

doi = "10.1088/0004-637X/735/2/88",

language = "English",

volume = "735",

journal = "The Astrophysical Journal",

issn = "0004-637X",

publisher = "IOP Publishing Ltd.",

number = "2",

}

Alatalo, K, Blitz, L, Young, LM, Davis, TA, Bureau, M, Lopez, LA, Cappellari, M, Scott, N, Shapiro, K, Crocker, A, Martin, S, Bois, M, Bournaud, F, Davies, RL, de Zeeuw, PT, Duc, PA, Emsellem, E, Falcon-Barroso, J, Knochfar, S, Krajnovic, D, Kuntschner, H, Lablanche, P-Y, McDermid, RM, Morganti, R, Naab, T, Oosterloo, T, Sarzi, M, Serra, P & Weijmans, A 2011, 'Discovery of an active galactic nucleus driven molecular outflow in the local early-type galaxy NGC 1266', The Astrophysical Journal, vol. 735, no. 2, 88. https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/735/2/88

TY - JOUR

T1 - Discovery of an active galactic nucleus driven molecular outflow in the local early-type galaxy NGC 1266

AU - Alatalo, K.

AU - Blitz, L.

AU - Young, L.M.

AU - Davis, T.A.

AU - Bureau, M.

AU - Lopez, L.A.

AU - Cappellari, M.

AU - Scott, N.

AU - Shapiro, K.

AU - Crocker, A.

AU - Martin, S.

AU - Bois, M.

AU - Bournaud, F.

AU - Davies, R.L.

AU - de Zeeuw, P.T.

AU - Duc, P.A.

AU - Emsellem, E.

AU - Falcon-Barroso, J.

AU - Knochfar, S.

AU - Krajnovic, D.

AU - Kuntschner, H.

AU - Lablanche, P.-Y.

AU - McDermid, R.M.

AU - Morganti, R.

AU - Naab, T.

AU - Oosterloo, T.

AU - Sarzi, Marc

AU - Serra, P.

AU - Weijmans, A.

N1 - ‘In these times, during the rise in the popularity of institutional repositories, the Society does not forbid authors from depositing their work in such repositories. However, the AAS regards the deposit of scholarly work in such repositories to be a decision of the individual scholar, as long as the individual's actions respect the diligence of the journals and their reviewers.’ Original article can be found at : http://iopscience.iop.org/ Copyright American Astronomical Society

PY - 2011

Y1 - 2011

N2 - We report the discovery of a powerful molecular wind from the nucleus of the non-interacting nearby S0 field galaxy NGC 1266. The single-dish CO profile exhibits emission to +/- 400 km s(-1) and requires a nested Gaussian fit to be properly described. Interferometric observations reveal a massive, centrally concentrated molecular component with a mass of 1.1 x 10(9) M-circle dot and a molecular outflow with a molecular mass of approximate to 2.4 x 10(7) M-circle dot. The molecular gas close to the systemic velocity consists of a rotating, compact nucleus with a mass of about 4.1 x 10(8) M-circle dot within a radius of approximate to 60 pc. This compact molecular nucleus has a surface density of approximate to 2.7 x 10(4) M-circle dot pc(-2), more than two orders of magnitude larger than that of giant molecular clouds in the disk of the Milky Way, and it appears to sit on the Kennicutt-Schmidt relation despite its extreme kinematics and energetic activity. We interpret this nucleus as a disk that confines the outflowing wind. A mass outflow rate of approximate to 13 M-circle dot yr(-1) leads to a depletion timescale of less than or similar to 85 Myr. The star formation in NGC 1266 is insufficient to drive the outflow, and thus it is likely driven by the active galactic nucleus. The concentration of the majority of the molecular gas in the central 100 pc requires an extraordinary loss of angular momentum, but no obvious companion or interacting galaxy is present to enable the transfer. NGC 1266 is the first known outflowing molecular system that does not show any evidence of a recent interaction.

AB - We report the discovery of a powerful molecular wind from the nucleus of the non-interacting nearby S0 field galaxy NGC 1266. The single-dish CO profile exhibits emission to +/- 400 km s(-1) and requires a nested Gaussian fit to be properly described. Interferometric observations reveal a massive, centrally concentrated molecular component with a mass of 1.1 x 10(9) M-circle dot and a molecular outflow with a molecular mass of approximate to 2.4 x 10(7) M-circle dot. The molecular gas close to the systemic velocity consists of a rotating, compact nucleus with a mass of about 4.1 x 10(8) M-circle dot within a radius of approximate to 60 pc. This compact molecular nucleus has a surface density of approximate to 2.7 x 10(4) M-circle dot pc(-2), more than two orders of magnitude larger than that of giant molecular clouds in the disk of the Milky Way, and it appears to sit on the Kennicutt-Schmidt relation despite its extreme kinematics and energetic activity. We interpret this nucleus as a disk that confines the outflowing wind. A mass outflow rate of approximate to 13 M-circle dot yr(-1) leads to a depletion timescale of less than or similar to 85 Myr. The star formation in NGC 1266 is insufficient to drive the outflow, and thus it is likely driven by the active galactic nucleus. The concentration of the majority of the molecular gas in the central 100 pc requires an extraordinary loss of angular momentum, but no obvious companion or interacting galaxy is present to enable the transfer. NGC 1266 is the first known outflowing molecular system that does not show any evidence of a recent interaction.

KW - galaxies : evolution

KW - galaxies : ISM

KW - galaxies : kinematics and dynamics

KW - ISM : jets and outflows

U2 - 10.1088/0004-637X/735/2/88

DO - 10.1088/0004-637X/735/2/88

M3 - Article

SN - 0004-637X

VL - 735

JO - The Astrophysical Journal

JF - The Astrophysical Journal

IS - 2

M1 - 88

ER -

Discovery of an active galactic nucleus driven molecular outflow in the local early-type galaxy NGC 1266

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Keywords

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