Abstract
The Bα and Bγ lines of atomic hydrogen have been observed at eight positions near the nucleus of NGC 253 with 6 arcsec spatial resolution. Most if not all of the bolometric luminosity of the central 200 pc of this galaxy is probably produced by O and B stars which have recently formed. The spatial distribution of the line fluxes is similar to that of the 10 μm flux, supporting the hypothesis that the 10 μm radiation is powered by the newly formed stars. The extinction to the ionized gas varies over small distances in this region, explaining the discrepancies between extinction and Lyman continuum luminosity derived separately from visual and infrared line observations.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 671 - 7 |
| Journal | Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society |
| Volume | 207 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| State | Published - Apr 1984 |
Keywords
- cosmic dust
- galactic nuclei
- galaxies
- infrared astronomical observations
- infrared sources (astronomical)
- interstellar matter
- star formation
- stars