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arXiv 1003.0680astro-ph.COastro-ph.GA
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NGC 404核:星团和可能的中等质量黑洞

The NGC 404 Nucleus: Star Cluster and Possible Intermediate Mass Black Hole

Anil C. Seth, Michele Cappellari, Nadine Neumayer, Nelson Caldwell, Nate Bastian, Knut Olsen, Robert D. Blum, Victor P. Debattista, Richard McDermid, Thomas Puzia, Andrew Stephens

摘要:

利用自适应光学辅助的近红外积分场光谱、光学光谱和HST成像技术研究了S0星系NGC 404的核形态、运动学和恒星星族。这些观测使NGC 404核的研究能够达到只有在最近的星系中才能达到的细节水平。表面亮度剖面显示了三个组成部分的存在,一个凸起,一个核星团,和一个半径小于3 pc的星团中心光过剩。这些组成部分有不同的运动学,在核星团中看到适度的旋转,在中央多余部分中看到反向旋转。氢分子的放射追踪到一个圆盘,它的旋转方向几乎与恒星的旋转方向正交。三个组成部分的恒星星族也是不同的,其中一半质量的核星团的年龄约为1 Gyr(可能是星系合并的结果),而隆起部分则由更老的恒星组成。恒星运动学的动力学模型给出了一个总质量为1.1x10^7 Msol的核心星团。对可能存在的中等质量黑洞的动态探测受到中心恒星质量分布不确定性的阻碍。假设质光比恒定,恒星动力学模型表明黑洞的质量小于1x10^5 Msol,而分子氢气体运动学最适合质量为4.5x10^5 Msol的黑洞。在近红外和活动星系核的分子氢发射线比率中,未解析的和可能变化的尘埃发射确实表明在这个附近的LINER星系中存在一个吸积黑洞。

英文摘要:

We examine the nuclear morphology, kinematics, and stellar populations in nearby S0 galaxy NGC 404 using a combination of adaptive optics assisted near-IR integral-field spectroscopy, optical spectroscopy, and HST imaging. These observations enable study of the NGC 404 nucleus at a level of detail possible only in the nearest galaxies. The surface brightness profile suggests the presence of three components, a bulge, a nuclear star cluster, and a central light excess within the cluster at radii <3 pc. These components have distinct kinematics with modest rotation seen in the nuclear star cluster and counter-rotation seen in the central excess. Molecular hydrogen emission traces a disk with rotation nearly orthogonal to that of the stars. The stellar populations of the three components are also distinct, with half of the mass of the nuclear star cluster having ages of ~1 Gyr (perhaps resulting from a galaxy merger), while the bulge is dominated by much older stars. Dynamical modeling of the stellar kinematics gives a total nuclear star cluster mass of 1.1x10^7 Msol. Dynamical detection of a possible intermediate mass black hole is hindered by uncertainties in the central stellar mass profile. Assuming a constant mass-to-light ratio, the stellar dynamical modeling suggests a black hole mass of <1x10^5 Msol, while the molecular hydrogen gas kinematics are best fit by a black hole with mass of 4.5x10^5 Msol. Unresolved and possibly variable dust emission in the near-infrared and AGN-like molecular hydrogen emission line ratios do suggest the presence of an accreting black hole in this nearby LINER galaxy.

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