Bibcode
DOI
Colina, Luis; Arribas, Santiago; Clements, David
Bibliographical reference
The Astrophysical Journal, Volume 602, Issue 1, pp. 181-189.
Advertised on:
2
2004
Journal
Citations
29
Refereed citations
25
Description
Integral field optical spectroscopy with the INTEGRAL system has been
used to investigate for the first time the two-dimensional kinematic and
ionization properties of the extended, warm, ionized gas in Arp 220 over
an area of 75.0"×40.0" (i.e., 28×15 kpc). The structure of
the ionized gas is divided into well-identified regions associated with
the X-ray-emitting plumes and extended lobes, previously studied in
detail by McDowell and collaborators. The overall ionization state of
the warm gas in the plumes and lobes, as traced by the [N II]/Hα
line, is consistent with high-velocity shocks expanding in a neutral
ambient medium. Changes in the ionization state of the gas along the
major axis of the plumes are detected, in particular in the outer
regions of the northwestern plume, where the transition between the main
stellar body of the galaxy and a broad, low surface brightness tidal
tail is located. If the plumes are produced by a starburst-driven
galactic wind, the efficiency in the conversion of mechanical to
radiation energy is a factor of at least 10 smaller than in galactic
winds developed in edge-on spiral galaxies with well-defined rotation
and axis of outflow. The kinematic properties of the lobes, with an
average velocity of +8 km s-1 (east lobe) and -79 km
s-1 (west lobe), are to a first order in agreement with the
predictions of the merger scenario, according to which the lobes are
tidally induced gas condensations produced during the merging process.
The largest velocity gradients of 50 km s-1 kpc-1
and velocity deviations of up to +280 and -320 km s-1 from
the systemic velocity are associated not with the plumes but with the
outer stellar envelope and broad tidal tails at distances of up to 7.5
kpc, indicating that the large-scale kinematics of the extended ionized
gas in Arp 220 is most likely dominated by the tidally induced motions,
and not by galactic winds associated with nuclear starbursts.
Based on observations with the William Herschel Telescope (WHT),
operated on the island of La Palma by the Isaac Newton Group (ING) in
the Spanish Observatorio del Roque de los Muchachos of the Instituto de
Astrofísica de Canarias.