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arXiv · 2007.09123

Digging process in NGC 6951: the molecular disc bumped by the jet

D. May·J. E. Steiner·T. V. Ricci·R. B. Menezes·I. S. Andrade
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Abstract

We present a study of the central 200 pc of the galaxy NGC 6951, SAB(rs)bc, an active twin of the Milky Way, at a distance of 24 Mpc. Its nucleus has been observed in the optical with the GMOS-IFU, showing an outflow, and with the HST/ACS, revealing two extended structures with similar orientation, suggesting the presence of a collimating and/or obscuring structure. In order to ascertain this hypothesis, adaptive optics assisted NIR integral field spectroscopic observations were obtained with the NIFS spectrograph in the Gemini North telescope. We detected a compact structure of H$_2$ molecular gas, interpreted as a nearly edge-on disc with diameter of $\sim$47 pc, PA=124$\deg$ and velocity range from -40 to +40 km s$^{-1}$. This disc is misaligned by 32$\deg$ with respect to the radio jet and the ionization cones seen in the optical. There are two regions of turbulent gas, with position angles similar to the jet/cones, seen both in molecular and ionized phases; these regions are connected to the edges of the molecular disc and coincide with a high ratio of [N II]/H$\alpha$=5, suggesting that these regions are shock excited, partially ionized or both. We explain these structures as a consequence of a "digging process" that the jet inflicts on the disc, ejecting the molecular gas towards the ionization cones. The dynamical mass within 17 pc is estimated as $6.3\times10^{6}$$M_{\odot}$. This is an interesting case of an object presenting evidence of a connected feeding-feedback structure.

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D. May, J. E. Steiner, T. V. Ricci, R. B. Menezes, I. S. Andrade. 2020-07-17. Digging process in NGC 6951: the molecular disc bumped by the jet. https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stv2929

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