A New Superwind Wolf-Rayet Galaxy Markarian 1259
Abstract
We report the discovery of a starburst-driven wind (superwind) from the starburst nucleus galaxy Mrk 1259. The estimated number ratio of Wolf-Rayet (WR) to O stars amounts to ~=0.09. While the nuclear emission-line region is due to the usual photoionization by massive stars, the circumnuclear emission-line regions show anomalous line ratios that can be due to cooling shocks. Since the host galaxy seems to be a face-on disk galaxy and the excitation conditions of the circumnuclear emission-line regions show spatial symmetry, we consider that we are seeing the superwind nearly from a pole-on view. Cooling shock models may explain the observed emission-line ratios of the circumnuclear regions, although a factor of 2 overabundance of nitrogen is necessary. All these suggest that the high-mass-enhanced starburst occurred ~5 × 106 yr ago in the nuclear region of Mrk 1259.
- Publication:
-
The Astrophysical Journal
- Pub Date:
- May 1997
- DOI:
- 10.1086/310615
- arXiv:
- arXiv:astro-ph/9702117
- Bibcode:
- 1997ApJ...480L...9O
- Keywords:
-
- GALAXIES: INDIVIDUAL NAME: MARKARIAN 1259;
- GALAXIES: STARBURST;
- STARS: WOLF-RAYET;
- Galaxies: Individual: Name: Markarian 1259;
- Galaxies: Starburst;
- Stars: Wolf-Rayet;
- Astrophysics
- E-Print:
- To be published in the Astrophysical Journal Letters, 15 pages, 4 figures