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G. Tremblay

Publications and source records attributed to G. Tremblay.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

The JWST View of Cygnus A: Jet-Driven Coronal Outflow with a Twist

We present first results from James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) Near-Infrared Spectrograph (NIRSpec), Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI), and Keck Cosmic Webb Imager (KCWI) integral field spectroscopy of the powerful but highly obscured host-galaxy of the jetted radio source Cygnus A. We detect 169 infrared emission lines at 1.7--27 micron and explore the kinematics and physical properties of the extended narrow-line region (NLR) in unprecedented detail. The density-stratified NLR appears to be shaped by the initial blow-out and ongoing interaction of the radio jet with the interstellar medium, creating a multi-phase bicone with a layered structure composed of molecular and ionized gas. The NLR spectrum, with strong coronal emission at kpc-scale, is well-modeled by AGN photoionization. We find evidence that the NLR is rotating around the radio axis, perhaps mediated by magnetic fields and driven by angular momentum transfer from the radio jet. The overall velocity field of the NLR is well described by 250 km/s outflow along biconical spiral flow lines, combining both rotation and outflow signatures. There is particularly bright [Fe II] 1.644 micron emission from a dense, high-velocity dispersion, photoionized clump of clouds found near the projected radio axis. Outflows of 600--2000 km/s are found in bullets and streamers of ionized gas that may be ablated by the radio jet from these clouds, driving a local outflow rate of 40 Msun/yr.

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Two distinct molecular cloud populations detected in massive galaxies

We present new ALMA observations of CO, CN, CS, HCN and HCO$^{+}$ absorption seen against the bright and compact radio continuum sources of eight massive galaxies. Combined with archival observations, they reveal two distinct populations of molecular clouds, which we identify by combining CO emission and absorption profiles to unambiguously reveal each cloud's direction of motion and likely location. In galaxy disks, we see clouds with low velocity dispersions, low line of sight velocities and a lack of any systemic inflow or outflow. In galactic cores, we find high velocity dispersion clouds inflowing at up to 550 km/s. This provides observational evidence in favour of cold accretion onto galactic centres, which likely contributes to the fuelling of active galactic nuclei. We also see a wide range in the CO(2-1)/CO(1-0) ratios of the absorption lines. This is likely the combined effect of hierarchical substructure within the molecular clouds and continuum sources which vary in size with frequency.

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A massive multiphase plume of gas in Abell 2390's brightest cluster galaxy

We present new ALMA CO(2-1) observations tracing $2.2 \times 10^{10}$ solar masses of molecular gas in Abell 2390's brightest cluster galaxy, where half the gas is located in a one-sided plume extending 15 kpc out from the galaxy centre. This molecular gas has a smooth and positive velocity gradient, and is receding 250 km/s faster at its farthest point than at the galaxy centre. To constrain the plume's origin, we analyse our new observations alongside existing X-ray, optical and radio data. We consider the possibility that the plume is a jet-driven outflow with lifting aided by jet inflated X-ray bubbles, is a trail of gas stripped from the main galaxy by ram pressure, or is formed of more recently cooled and infalling gas. The galaxy's star formation and gas cooling rate suggest the lifespan of its molecular gas may be low compared with the plume's age -- which would favour a recently cooled plume. Molecular gas in close proximity to the active galactic nucleus is also indicated by 250 km/s wide CO(2-1) absorption against the radio core, as well as previously detected CO(1-0) and HI absorption. This absorption is optically thick and has a line of sight velocity towards the galaxy centre of 200 km/s. We discuss simple models to explain its origin.

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Does absorption against AGN reveal supermassive black hole accretion?

Galaxies often contain large reservoirs of molecular gas which shape their evolution. This can be through cooling of the gas -- which leads to star formation, or accretion onto the central supermassive black hole -- which fuels AGN activity and produces powerful feedback. Molecular gas has been detected in early-type galaxies on scales of just a few tens to hundreds of solar masses by searching for absorption against their compact radio cores. Using this technique, ALMA has found absorption in several brightest cluster galaxies, some of which show molecular gas moving towards their galaxy's core at hundreds of km/s. In this paper we constrain the location of this absorbing gas by comparing each galaxy's molecular emission and absorption. In four galaxies, the absorption properties are consistent with chance alignments between the continuum and a fraction of the molecular clouds visible in emission. In four others, the properties of the absorption are inconsistent with this scenario. In these systems the absorption is likely produced by a separate population of molecular clouds in close proximity to the galaxy core and with high inward velocities and velocity dispersions. We thus deduce the existence of two types of absorber, caused by chance alignments between the radio core and: (i) a fraction of the molecular clouds visible in emission, and (ii) molecular clouds close to the AGN, in the process of accretion. We also present the first ALMA observations of molecular emission in S555, Abell 2390, RXC J1350.3+0940 and RXC J1603.6+1553 -- with the latter three having molecular masses of $>10^{10}$M$_{\odot}$.

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Gas condensation in Brightest Group Galaxies unveiled with MUSE

The origin of the cold gas in central galaxies in groups is still a matter of debate. We present Multi-Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE) observations of 18 optically selected local Brightest Group Galaxies (BGGs) to study the kinematics and distribution of the optical emission-line gas. MUSE observations reveal a distribution of gas morphologies including ten complex networks of filaments extending up to 10 kpc to two compact (<3 kpc) and five extended (>5 kpc) disk-dominated structures. Some rotating disks show rings and elongated structures arising from the central disk. The kinematics of the stellar component is mainly rotation-dominated, which is very different from the disturbed kinematics and distribution found in the filamentary sources. The ionized gas is kinematically decoupled from the stellar component for most systems, suggesting an external origin for the gas. We also find that the Halpha luminosity correlates with the cold molecular mass. By exploring the thermodynamical properties of the hot atmospheres, we find that the filamentary sources and compact disks are found in systems with small central entropy values and tcool/teddy ratios. This suggests that, like for Brightest Cluster Galaxies in cool core clusters, the ionized gas are likely formed from hot halo gas condensations, consistently with the Chaotic Cold Accretion simulations (as shown via the C-ratio, Tat, and k-plot). We note that gaseous rotating disks are more frequent than in BCGs. An explanation for the origin of the gas in those objects is a contribution to gas fueling by mergers or group satellites, as qualitatively hinted by some sources of the present sample. Nonetheless, we discuss the possibility that some extended disks could also be a transition stage in an evolutionary sequence including filaments, extended disks and compact disks, as described by hot gas condensation models of cooling flows.

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The MURALES survey. V. Jet-induced star formation in 3C 277.3 (Coma A)

We present observations obtained with the VLT/MUSE optical integral field spectrograph of the radio source 3C277.3, located at a redshift of 0.085 and associated with the galaxy Coma A. An emission line region fully enshrouds the double-lobed radio source, which is ~60 kpc x 90 kpc in size. Based on the emission line ratios, we identified five compact knots in which the gas ionization is powered by young stars located as far as ~60 kpc from the host. The emission line filaments surrounding the radio emission are compatible with ionization from fast shocks (with a velocity of 350-500 km/s), but a contribution from star formation occurring at the edges of the radio source is likely. Coma A might be a unique example in the local Universe in which the expanding outflow triggers star formation throughout the whole radio source.

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The MURALES survey. IV. Searching for nuclear outflows in 3C radio galaxies at z < 0.3 with MUSE observations

We analyze VLT/MUSE observations of 37 radio galaxies from the Third Cambridge catalogue (3C) with redshift $<$0.3 searching for nuclear outflows of ionized gas. These observations are part of the MURALES project (a MUse RAdio Loud Emission line Snapshot survey), whose main goal is to explore the feedback process in the most powerful radio-loud AGN. We applied a nonparametric analysis to the [O~III] $\lambda$5007 emission line, whose asymmetries and high-velocity wings reveal signatures of outflows. We find evidence of nuclear outflows in 21 sources, with velocities between $\sim$400 - 1000 km s$^{-1}$, outflowing masses of $\sim 10^5-10^7$ M$_\odot$, and a kinetic energy in the range $\sim 10^{53} - 10^{56}$ erg. In addition, evidence for extended outflows is found in the 2D gas velocity maps of 13 sources of the subclasses of high-excitation (HEG) and broad-line (BLO) radio galaxies, with sizes between 0.4 and 20 kpc. We estimate a mass outflow rate in the range 0.4 - 30 M$_\odot$ yr$^{-1}$ and an energy deposition rate of ${\dot E}_{kin} \sim 10^{42}-10^{45} $ erg s$^{-1}$. Comparing the jet power, the nuclear luminosity of the active galactic nucleus, and the outflow kinetic energy rate, we find that outflows of HEGs and BLOs are likely radiatively powered, while jets likely only play a dominant role in galaxies with low excitation. The low loading factors we measured suggest that these outflows are driven by momentum and not by energy. Based on the gas masses, velocities, and energetics involved, we conclude that the observed ionized outflows have a limited effect on the gas content or the star formation in the host. In order to obtain a complete view of the feedback process, observations exploring the complex multiphase structure of outflows are required.

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The MURALES survey. III. Completing the MUSE observations of 37 3C low-z radio galaxies

We present the final observations of a complete sample of 37 radio galaxies from the Third Cambridge Catalog (3C) with redshift <0.3 and declination <20 degrees obtained with the VLT/MUSE optical integral field spectrograph. These data were obtained as part of the MURALES survey (a MUse RAdio Loud Emission line Snapshot survey) with the main goal of exploring the AGN feedback process in the most powerful radio sources. We present the data analysis and, for each source, the resulting emission line images and the 2D gas velocity field. Thanks to such an unprecedented depth these observations reveal emission line regions (ELRs) extending several tens of kiloparsec in most objects. The gas velocity shows ordered rotation in 25 galaxies, but in several sources it is highly complex. We find that the 3C sources show a connection between radio morphology and emission line properties. In the ten FRI sources the line emission region is generally compact, only a few kpc in size, and only in one case it exceeds the size of the host. Conversely, all but two of the FRII galaxies show large-scale structures of ionized gas. The median extent is 16 kpc with the maximum reaching a size of ~80 kpc. There are no apparent differences in extent or strength between the ELR properties of the FRII sources of high and low gas excitation. We confirm that the previous optical identification of 3C258 is incorrect: this radio source is likely associated with a QSO at z~ 1.54.

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Circumgalactic Gas and the Precipitation Limit

During the last decade, numerous and varied observations, along with increasingly sophisticated numerical simulations, have awakened astronomers to the central role the circumgalactic medium (CGM) plays in regulating galaxy evolution. It contains the majority of the baryonic matter associated with a galaxy, along with most of the metals, and must continually replenish the star forming gas in galaxies that continue to sustain star formation. And while the CGM is complex, containing gas ranging over orders of magnitude in temperature and density, a simple emergent property may be governing its structure and role. Observations increasingly suggest that the ambient CGM pressure cannot exceed the limit at which cold clouds start to condense out and precipitate toward the center of the potential well. If feedback fueled by those clouds then heats the CGM and causes it to expand, the pressure will drop and the "rain" will diminish. Such a feedback loop tends to suspend the CGM at the threshold pressure for precipitation. The coming decade will offer many opportunities to test this potentially fundamental principle of galaxy evolution.

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The MURALES survey II. Presentation of MUSE observations of 20 3C low-z radio galaxies and first results

We present observations of a complete sub-sample of 20 radio galaxies from the Third Cambridge Catalog (3C) with redshift <0.3 obtained from VLT/MUSE optical integral field spectrograph. These data have been obtained as part of the survey MURALES (a MUse RAdio Loud Emission line Snapshot survey) with the main goal of exploring the Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) feedback process in a sizeable sample of the most powerful radio sources at low redshift. We present the data analysis and, for each source, the resulting emission line images and the 2D gas velocity field. Thanks to their unprecedented depth (the median 3 sigma surface brightness limit in the emission line maps is 6X10^-18 erg s-1 cm-2 arcsec-2, these observations reveal emission line structures extending to several tens of kiloparsec in most objects. In nine sources the gas velocity shows ordered rotation, but in the other cases it is highly complex. 3C sources show a connection between radio morphology and emission line properties. Whereas, in three of the four Fanaroff and Riley Class I radio galaxies (FRIs), the line emission regions are compact, ~1 kpc in size; in all but one of the Class II radiogalaxies FRIIs, we detected large scale structures of ionized gas with a median extent of 17 kpc. Among the FRIIs, those of high and low excitation show extended gas structures with similar morphological properties, suggesting that they both inhabit regions characterized by a rich gaseous environment on kpc scale.

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Unveiling the Galaxy Cluster - Cosmic Web Connection with X-ray observations in the Next Decade

In recent years, the outskirts of galaxy clusters have emerged as one of the new frontiers and unique laboratories for studying the growth of large scale structure in the universe. Modern cosmological hydrodynamical simulations make firm and testable predictions of the thermodynamic and chemical evolution of the X-ray emitting intracluster medium. However, recent X-ray and Sunyaev-Zeldovich effect observations have revealed enigmatic disagreements with theoretical predictions, which have motivated deeper investigations of a plethora of astrophysical processes operating in the virialization region in the cluster outskirts. Much of the physics of cluster outskirts is fundamentally different from that of cluster cores, which has been the main focus of X-ray cluster science over the past several decades. A next-generation X-ray telescope, equipped with sub-arcsecond spatial resolution over a large field of view along with a low and stable instrumental background, is required in order to reveal the full story of the growth of galaxy clusters and the cosmic web and their applications for cosmology.

astro-ph.CO

Ubiquitous cold and massive filaments in cool core clusters

Multi-phase filamentary structures around Brightest Cluster Galaxies are likely a key step of AGN-feedback. We observed molecular gas in 3 cool cluster cores: Centaurus, Abell S1101, and RXJ1539.5 and gathered ALMA and MUSE data for 12 other clusters. Those observations show clumpy, massive and long, 3--25 kpc, molecular filaments, preferentially located around the radio bubbles inflated by the AGN (Active Galactic Nucleus). Two objects show nuclear molecular disks. The optical nebula is certainly tracing the warm envelopes of cold molecular filaments. Surprisingly, the radial profile of the H$\alpha$/CO flux ratio is roughly constant for most of the objects, suggesting that (i) between 1.2 to 7 times more cold gas could be present and (ii) local processes must be responsible for the excitation. Projected velocities are between 100--400 km s$^{-1}$, with disturbed kinematics and sometimes coherent gradients. This is likely due to the mixing in projection of several thin unresolved filaments. The velocity fields may be stirred by turbulence induced by bubbles, jets or merger-induced sloshing. Velocity and dispersions are low, below the escape velocity. Cold clouds should eventually fall back and fuel the AGN. We compare the filament's radial extent, r$_{fil}$, with the region where the X-ray gas can become thermally unstable. The filaments are always inside the low-entropy and short cooling time region, where t$_{cool}$/t$_{ff}$<20 (9 of 13 sources). The range t$_{cool}$/t$_{ff}$, 8-23 at r$_{fil}$, is likely due to (i) a more complex gravitational potential affecting the free-fall time (e.g., sloshing, mergers); (ii) the presence of inhomogeneities or uplifted gas in the ICM, affecting the cooling time. For some of the sources, r$_{fil}$ lies where the ratio of the cooling time to the eddy-turnover time, t$_{cool}$/t$_{eddy}$, is approximately unity.

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PKSB1740-517: An ALMA view of the cold gas feeding a distant interacting young radio galaxy

Cold neutral gas is a key ingredient for growing the stellar and central black hole mass in galaxies throughout cosmic history. We have used the Atacama Large Millimetre Array (ALMA) to detect a rare example of redshifted $^{12}$CO(2-1) absorption in PKS B1740-517, a young ($t \sim 1.6 \times 10^{3}$ yr) and luminous ($L_{\rm 5 GHz} \sim 6.6 \times 10^{43}$ erg s$^{-1}$ ) radio galaxy at $z = 0.44$ that is undergoing a tidal interaction with at least one lower-mass companion. The coincident HI 21-cm and molecular absorption have very similar line profiles and reveal a reservoir of cold gas ($M_{\rm gas} \sim 10^{7} - 10^{8}$ M$_{\odot}$), likely distributed in a disc or ring within a few kiloparsecs of the nucleus. A separate HI component is kinematically distinct and has a very narrow line width ($\Delta{v}_{\rm FWHM} \lesssim 5$ km s$^{-1}$), consistent with a single diffuse cloud of cold ($T_{\rm k} \sim 100$ K) atomic gas. The $^{12}$CO(2-1) absorption is not associated with this component, which suggests that the cloud is either much smaller than 100 pc along our sight-line and/or located in low-metallicity gas that was possibly tidally stripped from the companion. We argue that the gas reservoir in PKS B1740-517 may have accreted onto the host galaxy $\sim$50 Myr before the young radio AGN was triggered, but has only recently reached the nucleus. This is consistent with the paradigm that powerful luminous radio galaxies are triggered by minor mergers and interactions with low-mass satellites and represent a brief, possibly recurrent, active phase in the life cycle of massive early type galaxies.

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Stormy weather in 3C 196.1: nuclear outbursts and merger events shape the environment of the hybrid radio galaxy 3C 196.1

We present a multi-wavelength analysis based on archival radio, optical and X-ray data of the complex radio source 3C 196.1, whose host is the brightest cluster galaxy of a $z=0.198$ cluster. HST data show H$\alpha$+[N II] emission aligned with the jet 8.4 GHz radio emission. An H$\alpha$+[N II] filament coincides with the brightest X-ray emission, the northern hotspot. Analysis of the X-ray and radio images reveals cavities located at galactic- and cluster- scales. The galactic-scale cavity is almost devoid of 8.4 GHz radio emission and the south-western H$\alpha$+[N II] emission is bounded (in projection) by this cavity. The outer cavity is co-spatial with the peak of 147 MHz radio emission, and hence we interpret this depression in X-ray surface brightness as being caused by a buoyantly rising bubble originating from an AGN outburst $\sim$280 Myrs ago. A \textit{Chandra} snapshot observation allowed us to constrain the physical parameters of the cluster, which has a cool core with a low central temperature $\sim$2.8 keV, low central entropy index $\sim$13 keV cm$^2$ and a short cooling time of $\sim$500 Myr, which is $<0.05$ of the age of the Universe at this redshift. By fitting jumps in the X-ray density we found Mach numbers between 1.4 and 1.6, consistent with a shock origin. We also found compelling evidence of a past merger, indicated by a morphology reminiscent of gas sloshing in the X-ray residual image. Finally, we computed the pressures, enthalpies $E_{cav}$ and jet powers $P_{jet}$ associated with the cavities: $E_{cav}\sim7\times10^{58}$ erg, $P_{jet}\sim1.9\times10^{44}$ erg s$^{-1}$ for the inner cavity and $E_{cav}\sim3\times10^{60}$ erg, $P_{jet}\sim3.4\times10^{44}$ erg s$^{-1}$ for the outer cavity.

astro-ph.HE

The MURALES survey. I. A dual AGN in the radio galaxy 3C459?

We observed the FRII radio galaxy 3C459 (z=0.22) with the MUSE spectrograph at the Very Large Telescope (VLT) as part of the MURALES project (a MUse RAdio Loud Emission line Snapshot survey). We detected diffuse nuclear emission and a filamentary ionized gas structure forming a one-sided, triangular-shaped region extending out to $\sim$80 kpc. The central emission line region is dominated by two compact knots of similar flux: the first (N1) cospatial with the radio core and the (N2) second located 1.2" (5.3 kpc) to the SE. The two regions differ dramatically from the point of view of velocity (with an offset of ~400 km/s), line widths, and line ratios. This suggests that we are observing a dual AGN system formed by a radio loud AGN and type 2 QSO companion, which is the result of the recent merger that also produced its disturbed host morphology. The alternative possibility that N2 is just a bright emission line knot resulting from, for example, a jet-cloud interaction, is disfavored because of 1) the presence of a high ionization bicone whose apex is located at N2; 2) the observed narrow line widths; 3) its line luminosity (~10^42 erg s-1) typical of luminous QSOs; and 4) its location, which is offset from the jet path. The putative secondary AGN must be highly obscured, since we do not detect any emission in the Chandra and infrared Hubble Space Telescope images.

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ALMA observation of the disruption of molecular gas in M87

We present the results from ALMA observations centred $40^{\prime\prime}$ (3 kpc in projection) southeast of the nucleus of M87. We report the detection of extended CO (2-1) line emission with a total flux of $(5.5 \pm 0.6) \times 10^{-18}$ erg s$^{-1}$ cm$^{-2}$ and corresponding molecular gas mass $M_{H_2}=(4.7 \pm 0.4) \times 10^5 M_\odot$, assuming a Galactic CO to H$_2$ conversion factor. ALMA data indicate a line-of-sight velocity of $-129\pm3$ km s$^{-1}$, in good agreement with measurements based on the [CII] and H$\alpha$+[NII] lines, and a velocity dispersion of $\sigma=27\pm3$ km s$^{-1}$. The CO(2-1) emission originates only outside the radio lobe of the AGN seen in the 6~cm VLA image, while the filament prolongs further inwards at other wavelengths. The molecular gas in M87 appears to be destroyed or excited by AGN activity, either by direct interaction with the radio plasma, or by the shock driven by the lobe into the X-ray emitting atmosphere. This is an important piece of the puzzle in understanding the impact of the central AGN on the amount of the coldest gas from which star formation can proceed.

astro-ph.GA

Close entrainment of massive molecular gas flows by radio bubbles in the central galaxy of Abell 1795

We present new ALMA observations tracing the morphology and velocity structure of the molecular gas in the central galaxy of the cluster Abell 1795. The molecular gas lies in two filaments that extend 5 - 7 kpc to the N and S from the nucleus and project exclusively around the outer edges of two inner radio bubbles. Radio jets launched by the central AGN have inflated bubbles filled with relativistic plasma into the hot atmosphere surrounding the central galaxy. The N filament has a smoothly increasing velocity gradient along its length from the central galaxy's systemic velocity at the nucleus to -370 km/s, the average velocity of the surrounding galaxies, at the furthest extent. The S filament has a similarly smooth but shallower velocity gradient and appears to have partially collapsed in a burst of star formation. The close spatial association with the radio lobes, together with the ordered velocity gradients and narrow velocity dispersions, show that the molecular filaments are gas flows entrained by the expanding radio bubbles. Assuming a Galactic $X_{\mathrm{CO}}$ factor, the total molecular gas mass is $3.2\pm0.2\times10^{9}$M$_{\odot}$. More than half lies above the N radio bubble. Lifting the molecular clouds appears to require an infeasibly efficient coupling between the molecular gas and the radio bubble. The energy required also exceeds the mechanical power of the N radio bubble by a factor of two. Stimulated feedback, where the radio bubbles lift low entropy X-ray gas that becomes thermally unstable and rapidly cools in situ, provides a plausible model. Multiple generations of radio bubbles are required to lift this substantial gas mass. The close morphological association then indicates that the cold gas either moulds the newly expanding bubbles or is itself pushed aside and shaped as they inflate.

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Molecular Gas Along a Bright H-alpha Filament in 2A 0335+096 Revealed by ALMA

We present ALMA CO(1-0) and CO(3-2) observations of the brightest cluster galaxy (BCG) in the 2A 0335+096 galaxy cluster (z = 0.0346). The total molecular gas mass of (1.13+/-0.15) x 10^9 M_sun is divided into two components: a nuclear region and a 7 kpc long dusty filament. The central molecular gas component accounts for (3.2+/-0.4) x 10^8 M_sun of the total supply of cold gas. Instead of forming a rotationally-supported ring or disk, it is composed of two distinct, blueshifted clumps south of the nucleus and a series of low-significance redshifted clumps extending toward a nearby companion galaxy. The velocity of the redshifted clouds increases with radius to a value consistent with the companion galaxy, suggesting that an interaction between these galaxies <20 Myr ago disrupted a pre-existing molecular gas reservoir within the BCG. Most of the molecular gas, (7.8+/-0.9) x 10^8 M_sun, is located in the filament. The CO emission is co-spatial with a 10^4 K emission-line nebula and soft X-rays from 0.5 keV gas, indicating that the molecular gas has cooled out of the intracluster medium over a period of 25-100 Myr. The filament trails an X-ray cavity, suggesting that the gas has cooled from low entropy gas that has been lifted out of the cluster core and become thermally unstable. We are unable to distinguish between inflow and outflow along the filament with the present data. Cloud velocities along the filament are consistent with gravitational free-fall near the plane of the sky, although their increasing blueshifts with radius are consistent with outflow.

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