Spitzer Observations of the Dusty Warped Disk of Centaurus A

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© 2006. The American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved. Printed in U.S.A.
, , Citation Alice C. Quillen et al 2006 ApJ 645 1092 DOI 10.1086/504418

0004-637X/645/2/1092

Abstract

Spitzer mid-infrared images of the dusty warped disk in the galaxy Centaurus A show a parallelogram-shaped structure. We successfully model the observed mid-infrared morphology by integrating the light from an emitting, thin, and warped disk, similar to that inferred from previous kinematic studies. The models with the best match to the morphology lack dust emission within the inner 0.1-0.8 kpc, suggesting that energetic processes near the nucleus have disturbed the inner molecular disk, creating a gap in the molecular gas distribution.

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10.1086/504418