Bibcode
DOI
Mulchaey, John S.; Tsvetanov, Zlatan; Wilson, Andrew S.; Perez-Fournon, Ismael
Bibliographical reference
Astrophysical Journal, Part 1 (ISSN 0004-637X), vol. 394, no. 1, July 20, 1992, p. 91-97.
Advertised on:
7
1992
Journal
Citations
35
Refereed citations
32
Description
Long-slit spectroscopy of the extended gas in the Seyfert galaxy NGC
3516 reveals considerable substructure in the narrow emission lines with
several kinematically distinct components visible in H-alpha and N II
lambda 6583. The velocity measurements cover almost all of the 3 kpc
scale, Z-shaped emission-line structure seen in narrow-band images and
suggest that a significant rotational component is present. At large
radii, strong deviations from this rotation are observed, indicating
that a radial component of motion to the gas is also required to
adequately describe the velocity field. There is a clear antisymmetry in
these deviations with the velocities being blueshifted with respect to
'normal' galactic rotation on the southwest side of the nucleus and
redshifted with respect to it on the northeast side. Although several
models can be invoked to explain the observed velocities, the symmetries
in the kinematics and emission-line morphology are most easily explained
by a bent bipolar mass outflow from the nucleus. In this simple model,
gas is ejected out of the plane of the stellar disk and is then slowed
by gravitational forces. As the gas trajectory begins to bend,
significant velocity deviations are produced. These observations provide
some of the best kinematic evidence for mass outflow, although indirect
arguments suggest they may be a common feature in many Seyfert galaxies.