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- Title
The central dusty torus in the active nucleus of NGC 1068.
- Authors
Jaffe, W; Meisenheimer, K; Röttgering, H J A; Leinert, Ch; Richichi, A; Chesneau, O; Fraix-Burnet, D; Glazenborg-Kluttig, A; Granato, G-L; Graser, U; Heijligers, B; Köhler, R; Malbet, F; Miley, G K; Paresce, F; Pel, J-W; Perrin, G; Przygodda, F; Schoeller, M; Sol, H; Waters, L B F M; Weigelt, G; Woillez, J; De Zeeuw, P T
- Abstract
Active galactic nuclei (AGNs) display many energetic phenomena--broad emission lines, X-rays, relativistic jets, radio lobes--originating from matter falling onto a supermassive black hole. It is widely accepted that orientation effects play a major role in explaining the observational appearance of AGNs. Seen from certain directions, circum-nuclear dust clouds would block our view of the central powerhouse. Indirect evidence suggests that the dust clouds form a parsec-sized torus-shaped distribution. This explanation, however, remains unproved, as even the largest telescopes have not been able to resolve the dust structures. Here we report interferometric mid-infrared observations that spatially resolve these structures in the galaxy NGC 1068. The observations reveal warm (320 K) dust in a structure 2.1 parsec thick and 3.4 parsec in diameter, surrounding a smaller hot structure. As such a configuration of dust clouds would collapse in a time much shorter than the active phase of the AGN, this observation requires a continual input of kinetic energy to the cloud system from a source coexistent with the AGN.
- Publication
Nature, 2004, Vol 429, Issue 6987, p47
- ISSN
1476-4687
- Publication type
Journal Article
- DOI
10.1038/nature02531