An image of the dust sublimation region in the nucleus of NGC 1068

O. Pfuhl; R. Davies; J. Dexter; H. Netzer; S. Hönig; D. Lutz; M. Schartmann; E. Sturm; A. Amorim; W. Brandner; Y. Clénet; P. T. De Zeeuw; A. Eckart; F. Eisenhauer; N. M. Förster Schreiber; F. Gao; P. J.V. Garcia; R. Genzel; S. Gillessen; D. Gratadour; M. Kishimoto; S. Lacour; F. Millour; T. Ott; T. Paumard; K. Perraut; G. Perrin; B. M. Peterson; P. O. Petrucci; M. A. Prieto; D. Rouan; J. Shangguan; T. Shimizu; A. Sternberg; O. Straub; C. Straubmeier; L. J. Tacconi; K. R.W. Tristram; P. Vermot; I. Waisberg; F. Widmann; J. Woillez

doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201936255

An image of the dust sublimation region in the nucleus of NGC 1068

O. Pfuhl, R. Davies^*, J. Dexter, H. Netzer, S. Hönig, D. Lutz, M. Schartmann, E. Sturm, A. Amorim, W. Brandner, Y. Clénet, P. T. De Zeeuw, A. Eckart, F. Eisenhauer, N. M. Förster Schreiber, F. Gao, P. J.V. Garcia, R. Genzel, S. Gillessen, D. GratadourM. Kishimoto, S. Lacour, F. Millour, T. Ott, T. Paumard, K. Perraut, G. Perrin, B. M. Peterson, P. O. Petrucci, M. A. Prieto, D. Rouan, J. Shangguan, T. Shimizu, A. Sternberg, O. Straub, C. Straubmeier, L. J. Tacconi, K. R.W. Tristram, P. Vermot, I. Waisberg, F. Widmann, J. Woillez

^*Corresponding author for this work

School of Physics and Astronomy

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

43 Scopus citations

Abstract

We present near-infrared interferometric data on the Seyfert 2 galaxy NGC 1068, obtained with the GRAVITY instrument on the European Southern Observatory Very Large Telescope Interferometer. The extensive baseline coverage from 5 to 60 Mλ allowed us to reconstruct a continuum image of the nucleus with an unrivaled 0.2 pc resolution in the K-band. We find a thin ring-like structure of emission with a radius r = 0.24 ± 0.03 pc, inclination i = 70 ± 5°, position angle PA = -50 ± 4°, and h/r < 0.14, which we associate with the dust sublimation region. The observed morphology is inconsistent with the expected signatures of a geometrically and optically thick torus. Instead, the infrared emission shows a striking resemblance to the 22 GHz maser disc, which suggests they share a common region of origin. The near-infrared spectral energy distribution indicates a bolometric luminosity of (0.4-4.7) × 1045 erg s-1, behind a large AK ≈ 5.5 (AV ≈ 90) screen of extinction that also appears to contribute significantly to obscuring the broad line region.

Original language	English
Article number	A1
Journal	Astronomy and Astrophysics
Volume	634
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/201936255
State	Published - 1 Feb 2020

Funding

Funders	Funder number
Engineering Research Centers
Centre National de la Recherche Sci-entifique
European Commission
Programme National Hautes Energies
Alexander von Humboldt-Stiftung
National Science Foundation	AST 1909711
Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia	SFRH/BSAB/142940/2018, UID/FIS/00099/2013
Horizon 2020 Framework Programme	610058, 677117

Keywords

Galaxies: Seyfert
Galaxies: active
Galaxies: nuclei
Techniques: interferometric

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10.1051/0004-6361/201936255

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Pfuhl, O., Davies, R., Dexter, J., Netzer, H., Hönig, S., Lutz, D., Schartmann, M., Sturm, E., Amorim, A., Brandner, W., Clénet, Y., De Zeeuw, P. T., Eckart, A., Eisenhauer, F., Förster Schreiber, N. M., Gao, F., Garcia, P. J. V., Genzel, R., Gillessen, S., ... Woillez, J. (2020). An image of the dust sublimation region in the nucleus of NGC 1068. Astronomy and Astrophysics, 634, Article A1. https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/201936255

@article{fe275ead9b7c43c080afbe79b723836a,

title = "An image of the dust sublimation region in the nucleus of NGC 1068",

abstract = "We present near-infrared interferometric data on the Seyfert 2 galaxy NGC 1068, obtained with the GRAVITY instrument on the European Southern Observatory Very Large Telescope Interferometer. The extensive baseline coverage from 5 to 60 Mλ allowed us to reconstruct a continuum image of the nucleus with an unrivaled 0.2 pc resolution in the K-band. We find a thin ring-like structure of emission with a radius r = 0.24 ± 0.03 pc, inclination i = 70 ± 5°, position angle PA = -50 ± 4°, and h/r < 0.14, which we associate with the dust sublimation region. The observed morphology is inconsistent with the expected signatures of a geometrically and optically thick torus. Instead, the infrared emission shows a striking resemblance to the 22 GHz maser disc, which suggests they share a common region of origin. The near-infrared spectral energy distribution indicates a bolometric luminosity of (0.4-4.7) × 1045 erg s-1, behind a large AK ≈ 5.5 (AV ≈ 90) screen of extinction that also appears to contribute significantly to obscuring the broad line region.",

keywords = "Galaxies: Seyfert, Galaxies: active, Galaxies: nuclei, Techniques: interferometric",

author = "O. Pfuhl and R. Davies and J. Dexter and H. Netzer and S. H{\"o}nig and D. Lutz and M. Schartmann and E. Sturm and A. Amorim and W. Brandner and Y. Cl{\'e}net and {De Zeeuw}, {P. T.} and A. Eckart and F. Eisenhauer and {F{\"o}rster Schreiber}, {N. M.} and F. Gao and Garcia, {P. J.V.} and R. Genzel and S. Gillessen and D. Gratadour and M. Kishimoto and S. Lacour and F. Millour and T. Ott and T. Paumard and K. Perraut and G. Perrin and Peterson, {B. M.} and Petrucci, {P. O.} and Prieto, {M. A.} and D. Rouan and J. Shangguan and T. Shimizu and A. Sternberg and O. Straub and C. Straubmeier and Tacconi, {L. J.} and Tristram, {K. R.W.} and P. Vermot and I. Waisberg and F. Widmann and J. Woillez",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} GRAVITY Collaboration et al. 2020.",

year = "2020",

month = feb,

day = "1",

doi = "10.1051/0004-6361/201936255",

language = "אנגלית",

volume = "634",

journal = "Astronomy and Astrophysics",

issn = "0004-6361",

publisher = "EDP Sciences",

}

Pfuhl, O, Davies, R, Dexter, J, Netzer, H, Hönig, S, Lutz, D, Schartmann, M, Sturm, E, Amorim, A, Brandner, W, Clénet, Y, De Zeeuw, PT, Eckart, A, Eisenhauer, F, Förster Schreiber, NM, Gao, F, Garcia, PJV, Genzel, R, Gillessen, S, Gratadour, D, Kishimoto, M, Lacour, S, Millour, F, Ott, T, Paumard, T, Perraut, K, Perrin, G, Peterson, BM, Petrucci, PO, Prieto, MA, Rouan, D, Shangguan, J, Shimizu, T, Sternberg, A, Straub, O, Straubmeier, C, Tacconi, LJ, Tristram, KRW, Vermot, P, Waisberg, I, Widmann, F & Woillez, J 2020, 'An image of the dust sublimation region in the nucleus of NGC 1068', Astronomy and Astrophysics, vol. 634, A1. https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/201936255

TY - JOUR

T1 - An image of the dust sublimation region in the nucleus of NGC 1068

AU - Pfuhl, O.

AU - Davies, R.

AU - Dexter, J.

AU - Netzer, H.

AU - Hönig, S.

AU - Lutz, D.

AU - Schartmann, M.

AU - Sturm, E.

AU - Amorim, A.

AU - Brandner, W.

AU - Clénet, Y.

AU - De Zeeuw, P. T.

AU - Eckart, A.

AU - Eisenhauer, F.

AU - Förster Schreiber, N. M.

AU - Gao, F.

AU - Garcia, P. J.V.

AU - Genzel, R.

AU - Gillessen, S.

AU - Gratadour, D.

AU - Kishimoto, M.

AU - Lacour, S.

AU - Millour, F.

AU - Ott, T.

AU - Paumard, T.

AU - Perraut, K.

AU - Perrin, G.

AU - Peterson, B. M.

AU - Petrucci, P. O.

AU - Prieto, M. A.

AU - Rouan, D.

AU - Shangguan, J.

AU - Shimizu, T.

AU - Sternberg, A.

AU - Straub, O.

AU - Straubmeier, C.

AU - Tacconi, L. J.

AU - Tristram, K. R.W.

AU - Vermot, P.

AU - Waisberg, I.

AU - Widmann, F.

AU - Woillez, J.

PY - 2020/2/1

Y1 - 2020/2/1

N2 - We present near-infrared interferometric data on the Seyfert 2 galaxy NGC 1068, obtained with the GRAVITY instrument on the European Southern Observatory Very Large Telescope Interferometer. The extensive baseline coverage from 5 to 60 Mλ allowed us to reconstruct a continuum image of the nucleus with an unrivaled 0.2 pc resolution in the K-band. We find a thin ring-like structure of emission with a radius r = 0.24 ± 0.03 pc, inclination i = 70 ± 5°, position angle PA = -50 ± 4°, and h/r < 0.14, which we associate with the dust sublimation region. The observed morphology is inconsistent with the expected signatures of a geometrically and optically thick torus. Instead, the infrared emission shows a striking resemblance to the 22 GHz maser disc, which suggests they share a common region of origin. The near-infrared spectral energy distribution indicates a bolometric luminosity of (0.4-4.7) × 1045 erg s-1, behind a large AK ≈ 5.5 (AV ≈ 90) screen of extinction that also appears to contribute significantly to obscuring the broad line region.

AB - We present near-infrared interferometric data on the Seyfert 2 galaxy NGC 1068, obtained with the GRAVITY instrument on the European Southern Observatory Very Large Telescope Interferometer. The extensive baseline coverage from 5 to 60 Mλ allowed us to reconstruct a continuum image of the nucleus with an unrivaled 0.2 pc resolution in the K-band. We find a thin ring-like structure of emission with a radius r = 0.24 ± 0.03 pc, inclination i = 70 ± 5°, position angle PA = -50 ± 4°, and h/r < 0.14, which we associate with the dust sublimation region. The observed morphology is inconsistent with the expected signatures of a geometrically and optically thick torus. Instead, the infrared emission shows a striking resemblance to the 22 GHz maser disc, which suggests they share a common region of origin. The near-infrared spectral energy distribution indicates a bolometric luminosity of (0.4-4.7) × 1045 erg s-1, behind a large AK ≈ 5.5 (AV ≈ 90) screen of extinction that also appears to contribute significantly to obscuring the broad line region.

KW - Galaxies: Seyfert

KW - Galaxies: active

KW - Galaxies: nuclei

KW - Techniques: interferometric

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85085128253&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1051/0004-6361/201936255

DO - 10.1051/0004-6361/201936255

M3 - ???researchoutput.researchoutputtypes.contributiontojournal.article???

AN - SCOPUS:85085128253

SN - 0004-6361

VL - 634

JO - Astronomy and Astrophysics

JF - Astronomy and Astrophysics

M1 - A1

ER -

An image of the dust sublimation region in the nucleus of NGC 1068

Abstract

Funding

Keywords

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