Interstellar Gas in the NGC 4410 Galaxy Group

Abstract

We present new radio continuum, 21 cm HI, and 2.6 mm CO data for the peculiar radio galaxy NGC 4410A and its companion NGC 4410B, and compare with available optical and X-ray maps. Our radio continuum maps show an asymmetric double-lobedstructure, with a high surface brightness lobe extending 3.6 arcmin (~100 kpc) to the southeast and a 6.2 arcmin (~180 kpc) low surface brightness feature in the northwest. Molecular gas is abundant in NGC 4410A, with M(H2) ~ 4 X 10^9 M(sun) (using the standard Galactic conversion factor), but is undetected in NGC 4410B. HI is less abundant, with M(HI) ~ 10^9 M(sun) for the pair. Our HI map shows a 3 X 10^8 M(sun) HI tail extending 1.7 arcmin (50 kpc) to the southeast of the pair, coincident with a faint optical tail and partially overlapping with the southeastern radio lobe. The HI tail is anti-coincident with a 2' (56 kpc) long X-ray structure aligned with a stellar bridge that connects the pair to a third galaxy. If this X-ray emission is associated with the group, there is 3 - 8 X 10^8 M(sun) of hot gas in this feature: either intracluster gas or shocked gas associated with the bridge. Our detection of abundant interstellar gas in this pair suggests that the distortions in this lobe map have been caused by the interstellar medium in this system. The interaction of the two galaxies and the subsequent motion of the interstellar medium in the system relative to the jet may have produced sufficient ram pressure to bend the radio jet. An alternative hypothesis is that the jet was distorted by ram pressure due to an intracluster medium, although the small radial velocity of NGC 4410A relative to the group and the lack of diffuse X-ray emission in the group makes this less likely unless the group is not virialized or is in the process of merging with another group.