A survey of molecular hydrogen in the central galaxies of cooling flows

Edge, A.C.; Wilman, R.J.; Johnstone, R.M.; Crawford, C.S.; Fabian, A.C.; Allen, S.W.

Abstract

We present a large sample of H- and K-band spectra of 32 optically line-luminous central cluster galaxies. We find significant rovibrational H2 emission in 23 of these galaxies as well as H recombination and/or [FeII] emission in another five. This represents a fourfold increase in the number of molecular line detections known. A number of the detections are of extended emission (5-20 kpc). In several objects we find significant [SiVI] emission that appears to correlate with the strength of high ionization lines in the optical (e.g. [OIII]). This comprehensive sample builds on previous work and confirms that warm (1000-2500 K) molecular hydrogen is present wherever there is ionized material in the cores of cooling flows and in most cases it also coincides with CO molecular line emission.

Citation

Edge, A., Wilman, R., Johnstone, R., Crawford, C., Fabian, A., & Allen, S. (2002). A survey of molecular hydrogen in the central galaxies of cooling flows. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 337(1), 49-62. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-8711.2002.05790.x

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Publication Date: 2002-11
• Deposit Date: Apr 28, 2008
• Publicly Available Date: Apr 28, 2008
• Journal: Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
• Print ISSN: 0035-8711
• Electronic ISSN: 1365-2966
• Publisher: Royal Astronomical Society
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 337
• Issue: 1
• Pages: 49-62
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-8711.2002.05790.x
• Keywords: Active galaxies, Clusters, Cooling flows, Galaxies, Elliptical, Lenticular, CD, Infrared.