Molecular Gas in the Powerful Radio Nucleus of the Ultraluminous Infrared Galaxy PKS 1345+12
Open Access
- 20 August 1999
- journal article
- research article
- Published by American Astronomical Society in The Astrophysical Journal
- Vol. 521 (2), L107-L110
- https://doi.org/10.1086/312198
Abstract
Millimeter CO (1 → 0) interferometry and high-resolution, Hubble Space Telescope 1.1, 1.6, and 2.2 μm imaging of the radio compact galaxy PKS 1345+12 are presented. With an infrared luminosity of ~2 × 1012 L☉, PKS 1345+12 is a prime candidate for studying the link between the ultraluminous infrared galaxy phenomenon and radio galaxies. These new observations probe the molecular gas distribution and obscured nuclear regions of PKS 1345+12 and provide morphological support for the idea that the radio activity in powerful radio galaxies is triggered by the merger of gas-rich galaxies. Two nuclei separated by 2'' (4.0 kpc) are observed in the near-infrared; the extended southeastern nucleus has colors consistent with reddened starlight, and the compact northwestern nucleus has extremely red colors indicative of an optical quasar with a warm dust component. Further, the molecular gas, 3 mm continuum, and radio emission are coincident with the redder nucleus, confirming that the northwestern nucleus is the site of the active galactic nucleus and that the molecular gas is the likely fuel source.This publication has 29 references indexed in Scilit:
- Molecular Gas in 3C 293: The First Detection of CO Emission and Absorption in a Fanaroff‐Riley Type II Radio GalaxyThe Astrophysical Journal, 1999
- The International Celestial Reference Frame as Realized by Very Long Baseline InterferometryThe Astronomical Journal, 1998
- VLBA Observations of Radio Reference Frame Sources. I.The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series, 1996
- Visual and Near-Infrared Imaging of Ultraluminous Infrared Galaxies: The IRAS 2 Jy SampleThe Astronomical Journal, 1996
- Molecular gas in powerful radio galaxies detected by IRASThe Astrophysical Journal, 1993
- Molecular gas in the powerful radio galaxies Perseus A and 4C 12.50The Astrophysical Journal, 1989
- Multicolor optical imaging of powerful far-infrared galaxies - More evidence for a link between galaxy mergers and far-infrared emissionThe Astronomical Journal, 1987
- Galaxy collisions and mergers - The genesis of very powerful radio sources?The Astrophysical Journal, 1986
- Recent star formation in interacting galaxies - II. Super starbursts in merging galaxiesMonthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 1985
- Images and spectra of the host galaxy of the QSO Markarian 1014The Astrophysical Journal, 1984