Abstract
We investigate the far infrared (IR) spectrum of NGC 1266, a S0 galaxy that contains a massive reservoir of highly excited molecular gas. Using the Herschel Fourier Transform Spectrometer, we detect the 12CO ladder up to J = (13-12), [C i] and [N ii] lines, and also strong water lines more characteristic of UltraLuminous IR Galaxies (ULIRGs). The12CO line emission is modeled with a combination of a low-velocity C-shock and a photodissociation region. Shocks are required to produce the H2O and most of the high-J CO emission. Despite having an IR luminosity 30 times less than a typical ULIRG, the spectral characteristics and physical conditions of the interstellar medium of NGC 1266 closely resemble those of ULIRGs, which often harbor strong shocks and large-scale outflows.
Original language | English (US) |
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Article number | L19 |
Journal | Astrophysical Journal Letters |
Volume | 779 |
Issue number | 2 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 2013 |
All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- Astronomy and Astrophysics
- Space and Planetary Science
Keywords
- Galaxies: individual (NGC 1266)
- ISM: jets and outflows
- ISM: lines and bands
- ISM: molecules
- Infrared: ISM
- Photon-dominated region (PDR)