Submillimeter Line Spectrum of the Seyfert Galaxy NGC 1068 from the Herschel-SPIRE Fourier Transform Spectrometer
Abstract
The first complete submillimeter spectrum (190-670 μm) of the Seyfert 2 galaxy NGC 1068 has been observed with the SPIRE Fourier transform spectrometer on board the Herschel Space Observatory. The sequence of CO lines (J up = 4-13), lines from H2O, the fundamental rotational transition of hydrogen fluoride, two o-H2O+ lines, and one line each from CH+ and OH+ have been detected, together with the two [C I] lines and the [N II] 205 μm line. The observations in both single pointing mode with sparse image sampling and in mapping mode with full image sampling allow us to disentangle two molecular emission components, one due to the compact circumnuclear disk (CND) and one from the extended region encompassing the star-forming ring (SF-ring). Radiative transfer models show that the two CO components are characterized by densities of n(H2) = 104.5 and 102.9 cm-3 and temperatures of T kin = 100 K and 127 K, respectively. A comparison of the CO line intensities with the photodissociation region (PDR) and X-ray-dominated region (XDR) models, together with the other observational constraints, such as the observed CO surface brightness and the radiation field, indicates that the best explanation for the CO excitation of the CND is an XDR with a density of n(H2) ~ 104 cm-3 and an X-ray flux of 9 erg s-1 cm-2, consistent with illumination by the active galactic nucleus, while the CO lines in the SF-ring are better modeled by a PDR. The detected water transitions, together with those observed with the Herschel PACS spectrometer, can be modeled by a large velocity gradient model with low temperature (T kin ~ 40 K) and high density (n(H2) in the range 106.7-107.9 cm-3). The emission of H2O+ and OH+ are in agreement with PDR models with cosmic-ray ionization. The diffuse ionized atomic component observed through the [N II] 205 μm line is consistent with previous photoionization models of the starburst.
Herschel is an ESA space observatory with science instruments provided by European-led Principal Investigator consortia and with important participation from NASA.- Publication:
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The Astrophysical Journal
- Pub Date:
- October 2012
- DOI:
- 10.1088/0004-637X/758/2/108
- arXiv:
- arXiv:1208.6132
- Bibcode:
- 2012ApJ...758..108S
- Keywords:
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- galaxies: active;
- galaxies: individual: NGC 1068;
- galaxies: ISM;
- galaxies: nuclei;
- galaxies: Seyfert;
- galaxies: starburst;
- techniques: imaging spectroscopy;
- Astrophysics - Astrophysics of Galaxies;
- Astrophysics - Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics
- E-Print:
- Accepted for publication on the Astrophysical Journal, 30 August 2012