A molecular absorption line survey towards the AGN of Hydra-A

Tom Rose; A. C. Edge; F. Combes; S. Hamer; B. R. McNamara; H. Russell; M. Gaspari; P. Salomé; C. Sarazin; G. R. Tremblay; S. A. Baum; M. N. Bremer; M. Donahue; A. C. Fabian; G. Ferland; N. Nesvadba; C. O'Dea; J. B.R. Oonk; A. B. Peck

doi:10.1093/mnras/staa1474

A molecular absorption line survey towards the AGN of Hydra-A

Tom Rose, A. C. Edge, F. Combes, S. Hamer, B. R. McNamara, H. Russell, M. Gaspari, P. Salomé, C. Sarazin, G. R. Tremblay, S. A. Baum, M. N. Bremer, M. Donahue, A. C. Fabian, G. Ferland, N. Nesvadba, C. O'Dea, J. B.R. Oonk, A. B. Peck

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18 Scopus citations

Abstract

We present Atacama Large Millimetre/submillimetre Array observations of the brightest cluster galaxy Hydra-A, a nearby (z = 0.054) giant elliptical galaxy with powerful and extended radio jets. The observations reveal CO(1-0), CO(2-1), ¹³CO(2-1), CN(2-1), SiO(5-4), HCO⁺(1-0), HCO⁺(2-1), HCN(1-0), HCN(2-1), HNC(1-0), and H₂CO(3-2) absorption lines against the galaxy's bright and compact active galactic nucleus. These absorption features are due to at least 12 individual molecular clouds that lie close to the centre of the galaxy and have velocities of approximately-50 to +10 km s^-1 relative to its recession velocity, where positive values correspond to inward motion. The absorption profiles are evidence of a clumpy interstellar medium within brightest cluster galaxies composed of clouds with similar column densities, velocity dispersions, and excitation temperatures to those found at radii of several kpc in the Milky Way. We also show potential variation in a ∼10 km s^-1 wide section of the absorption profile over a 2 yr time-scale, most likely caused by relativistic motions in the hot spots of the continuum source that change the background illumination of the absorbing clouds.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	364-380
Number of pages	17
Journal	Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Volume	496
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/staa1474
State	Published - Jun 11 2020

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 The Author(s) Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Royal Astronomical Society.

Funding

MG is supported by the Lyman Spitzer Jr. Fellowship (Princeton University) and by NASA Chandra GO8-19104X/GO9-20114X and HST GO-15890.020-A grants. TR is supported by the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) through grant no. ST/R504725/1. ACE acknowledges support from STFC grant no. ST/P00541/1.

Funders	Funder number
Princeton University
UK Industrial Decarbonization Research and Innovation Centre
Science and Technology Facilities Council	ST/T000244/1, ST/P00541/1, ST/R504725/1
U.S. Department of Energy Chinese Academy of Sciences Guangzhou Municipal Science and Technology Project Oak Ridge National Laboratory Extreme Science and Engineering Discovery Environment National Science Foundation National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center National Natural Science Foundation of China	1816537
NASA Chandra	HST GO-15890.020, GO8-19104X/GO9-20114X

Keywords

galaxies: clusters: general
galaxies: clusters: individual: Hydra-A
radio continuum: galaxies
radio lines: ISM

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Astronomy and Astrophysics
Space and Planetary Science

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10.1093/mnras/staa1474

Cite this

Rose, T., Edge, A. C., Combes, F., Hamer, S., McNamara, B. R., Russell, H., Gaspari, M., Salomé, P., Sarazin, C., Tremblay, G. R., Baum, S. A., Bremer, M. N., Donahue, M., Fabian, A. C., Ferland, G., Nesvadba, N., O'Dea, C., Oonk, J. B. R., & Peck, A. B. (2020). A molecular absorption line survey towards the AGN of Hydra-A. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 496(1), 364-380. https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/staa1474

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title = "A molecular absorption line survey towards the AGN of Hydra-A",

abstract = "We present Atacama Large Millimetre/submillimetre Array observations of the brightest cluster galaxy Hydra-A, a nearby (z = 0.054) giant elliptical galaxy with powerful and extended radio jets. The observations reveal CO(1-0), CO(2-1), 13CO(2-1), CN(2-1), SiO(5-4), HCO+(1-0), HCO+(2-1), HCN(1-0), HCN(2-1), HNC(1-0), and H2CO(3-2) absorption lines against the galaxy's bright and compact active galactic nucleus. These absorption features are due to at least 12 individual molecular clouds that lie close to the centre of the galaxy and have velocities of approximately-50 to +10 km s-1 relative to its recession velocity, where positive values correspond to inward motion. The absorption profiles are evidence of a clumpy interstellar medium within brightest cluster galaxies composed of clouds with similar column densities, velocity dispersions, and excitation temperatures to those found at radii of several kpc in the Milky Way. We also show potential variation in a ∼10 km s-1 wide section of the absorption profile over a 2 yr time-scale, most likely caused by relativistic motions in the hot spots of the continuum source that change the background illumination of the absorbing clouds.",

keywords = "galaxies: clusters: general, galaxies: clusters: individual: Hydra-A, radio continuum: galaxies, radio lines: ISM",

author = "Tom Rose and Edge, \{A. C.\} and F. Combes and S. Hamer and McNamara, \{B. R.\} and H. Russell and M. Gaspari and P. Salom{\'e} and C. Sarazin and Tremblay, \{G. R.\} and Baum, \{S. A.\} and Bremer, \{M. N.\} and M. Donahue and Fabian, \{A. C.\} and G. Ferland and N. Nesvadba and C. O'Dea and Oonk, \{J. B.R.\} and Peck, \{A. B.\}",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2020 The Author(s) Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Royal Astronomical Society.",

year = "2020",

month = jun,

day = "11",

doi = "10.1093/mnras/staa1474",

language = "English",

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Rose, T, Edge, AC, Combes, F, Hamer, S, McNamara, BR, Russell, H, Gaspari, M, Salomé, P, Sarazin, C, Tremblay, GR, Baum, SA, Bremer, MN, Donahue, M, Fabian, AC, Ferland, G, Nesvadba, N, O'Dea, C, Oonk, JBR & Peck, AB 2020, 'A molecular absorption line survey towards the AGN of Hydra-A', Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, vol. 496, no. 1, pp. 364-380. https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/staa1474

TY - JOUR

T1 - A molecular absorption line survey towards the AGN of Hydra-A

AU - Rose, Tom

AU - Edge, A. C.

AU - Combes, F.

AU - Hamer, S.

AU - McNamara, B. R.

AU - Russell, H.

AU - Gaspari, M.

AU - Salomé, P.

AU - Sarazin, C.

AU - Tremblay, G. R.

AU - Baum, S. A.

AU - Bremer, M. N.

AU - Donahue, M.

AU - Fabian, A. C.

AU - Ferland, G.

AU - Nesvadba, N.

AU - O'Dea, C.

AU - Oonk, J. B.R.

AU - Peck, A. B.

PY - 2020/6/11

Y1 - 2020/6/11

N2 - We present Atacama Large Millimetre/submillimetre Array observations of the brightest cluster galaxy Hydra-A, a nearby (z = 0.054) giant elliptical galaxy with powerful and extended radio jets. The observations reveal CO(1-0), CO(2-1), 13CO(2-1), CN(2-1), SiO(5-4), HCO+(1-0), HCO+(2-1), HCN(1-0), HCN(2-1), HNC(1-0), and H2CO(3-2) absorption lines against the galaxy's bright and compact active galactic nucleus. These absorption features are due to at least 12 individual molecular clouds that lie close to the centre of the galaxy and have velocities of approximately-50 to +10 km s-1 relative to its recession velocity, where positive values correspond to inward motion. The absorption profiles are evidence of a clumpy interstellar medium within brightest cluster galaxies composed of clouds with similar column densities, velocity dispersions, and excitation temperatures to those found at radii of several kpc in the Milky Way. We also show potential variation in a ∼10 km s-1 wide section of the absorption profile over a 2 yr time-scale, most likely caused by relativistic motions in the hot spots of the continuum source that change the background illumination of the absorbing clouds.

AB - We present Atacama Large Millimetre/submillimetre Array observations of the brightest cluster galaxy Hydra-A, a nearby (z = 0.054) giant elliptical galaxy with powerful and extended radio jets. The observations reveal CO(1-0), CO(2-1), 13CO(2-1), CN(2-1), SiO(5-4), HCO+(1-0), HCO+(2-1), HCN(1-0), HCN(2-1), HNC(1-0), and H2CO(3-2) absorption lines against the galaxy's bright and compact active galactic nucleus. These absorption features are due to at least 12 individual molecular clouds that lie close to the centre of the galaxy and have velocities of approximately-50 to +10 km s-1 relative to its recession velocity, where positive values correspond to inward motion. The absorption profiles are evidence of a clumpy interstellar medium within brightest cluster galaxies composed of clouds with similar column densities, velocity dispersions, and excitation temperatures to those found at radii of several kpc in the Milky Way. We also show potential variation in a ∼10 km s-1 wide section of the absorption profile over a 2 yr time-scale, most likely caused by relativistic motions in the hot spots of the continuum source that change the background illumination of the absorbing clouds.

KW - galaxies: clusters: general

KW - galaxies: clusters: individual: Hydra-A

KW - radio continuum: galaxies

KW - radio lines: ISM

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DO - 10.1093/mnras/staa1474

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SN - 0035-8711

VL - 496

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JO - Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

JF - Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

IS - 1

ER -

A molecular absorption line survey towards the AGN of Hydra-A

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Funding

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Access to Document

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