ASPCS
 
Back to Volume
Paper: STIS Spectroscopy of Gas Disks in the Nuclei of Nearby, Radio-Loud, Early-Type Galaxies
Volume: 249, The Central Kiloparsec of Starbursts and AGN: the La Palma Connection
Page: 375
Authors: Noel-Storr, J.; Carollo, C. M.; Baum, S. A.; van der Marel, R. P.; O'Dea, C. P.; Verdoes Kleijn, G. A.; de Zeeuw, P. T.
Abstract: We present initial results of our analysis of line emission produced in gas disks found at the centers of a sample of nearby radio galaxies with radio jets. We obtained data using STIS (Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph) at three parallel slit positions on the nucleus of each galaxy. This allows us to map the Hα + [N ii] flux, the gas radial velocity, and the velocity dispersion. We find evidence of rotating disks in 11 of the sample galaxies and we cannot currently rule out a rotating disk model for the remaining eight. For rotating systems, we find that the minimum central enclosed mass is greater than or similar to the predicted black-hole mass based on ground-based stellar velocity dispersions. By modeling the gas dynamics we will go on to constrain the masses of the black holes. We will also investigate the properties of the gas disks themselves, giving us an insight into fueling, ionization mechanisms, and the structure of the central regions.
Back to Volume