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Submillimeter Array Imaging of the CO(3-2) Line and 860 μm Continuum of Arp 220: Tracing the Spatial Distribution of Luminosity

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Kazushi Sakamoto1,2,3, Junzhi Wang4,5, Martina C. Wiedner4,6, Zhong Wang4, Alison B. Peck1,7, Qizhou Zhang4, Glen R. Petitpas1, Paul T. P. Ho3,4 and David J. Wilner4

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We used the Submillimeter Array (SMA) to image 860 μm continuum and CO(3-2) line emission in the ultraluminous merging galaxy Arp 220, achieving a resolution of 0.23'' (80 pc) for the continuum and 0.33'' (120 pc) for the line. The CO emission peaks around the two merger nuclei with a velocity signature of gas rotation around each nucleus and is also detected in a kiloparsec-size disk encompassing the binary nucleus. The dust continuum, in contrast, is mostly from the two nuclei. The beam-averaged brightness temperature of both line and continuum emission exceeds 50 K at and around the nuclei, revealing the presence of warm molecular gas and dust. The dust emission morphologically agrees with the distribution of radio supernova features in the east nucleus, as expected when a starburst heats the nucleus. In the brighter west nucleus, however, the submillimeter dust emission is more compact than the supernova distribution. The 860 μm core, after deconvolution, has a size of 50-80 pc, consistent with recent 1.3 mm observations, and a peak brightness temperature of (0.9–1.6) × 102 K. Its bolometric luminosity is at least 2 × 1011 Lsun and could be ~1012 Lsun depending on source structure and 860 μm opacity, which we estimate to be of the order of τ860 ~ 1 (i.e., NH2 ~ 1025 cm −2). The starbursting west nuclear disk must have in its center a dust enshrouded AGN or a very young starburst equivalent to hundreds of super star clusters. Further spatial mapping of bolometric luminosity through submillimeter imaging is a promising way to identify the heavily obscured heating sources in Arp 220 and other luminous infrared galaxies.

Subject headings

galaxies: evolution; galaxies: individual (Arp 220); galaxies: ISM; galaxies: starburst; quasars: general


Dates

Issue 2 (2008 September 10)

Received 2007 December 14, accepted for publication 2008 May 30



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