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Enhanced UV radiation and dense clumps in the molecular outflow of Mrk 231

Accepted version
Peer-reviewed

Type

Article

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Authors

Cicone, C 
Aalto, S 
Muller, S 
Feruglio, C 

Abstract

We present interferometric observations of the CN(1-0) line emission in Mrk231 and combine them with previous observations of CO and other H2 gas tracers to study the physical properties of the massive molecular outflow. We find a strong boost of the CN/CO(1-0) line luminosity ratio in the outflow, which is unprecedented compared to any other known Galactic or extragalactic source. For the dense gas phase in the outflow traced by the HCN and CN emissions, we infer XCN≡[CN]/[H2]>XHCN by at least a factor of three, with H2 gas densities of nH2∼105−6 cm−3. In addition, for the first time, we resolve narrow spectral features in the HCN(1-0) and HCO+(1-0) high-velocity line wings tracing the dense phase of the outflow. The velocity dispersions of these spectral features, σv∼7−20 km s−1, are consistent with those of massive extragalactic giant molecular clouds detected in nearby starburst nuclei. The H2 gas masses inferred from the HCN data are quite high, Mmol∼0.3−5×108 M. Our results suggest that massive, denser molecular gas complexes survive embedded into the more diffuse H2 phase of the outflow, and that the chemistry of such outflowing dense clouds is affected by enhanced UV radiation.

Description

Keywords

galaxies: active, galaxies: evolution, galaxies: individual: Mrk 231, galaxies: interactions, submillimeter: galaxies, galaxies: ISM

Journal Title

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Conference Name

Journal ISSN

0004-6361
1432-0746

Volume Title

633

Publisher

EDP Sciences

Rights

All rights reserved
Sponsorship
Science and Technology Facilities Council (ST/M001172/1)
European Research Council (695671)
ERC STFC