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Session 24 - Seyfert & Starburst Galaxies; Winds, Outflows & Energetics.
Oral session, Monday, January 15
Corte Real, Hilton
We present the results from high-resolution near-infrared imaging of a sample of Seyfert galaxies, many of which possess ionization cones. In a number of these objects, red structures are seen straddling the nucleus, perpendicular to the cone and radio axes. In the most carefully studied case, Mkn 348, we attribute this to emission from warm dust. Although this dust cannot be in thermal equilibrium with the nuclear radiation field, X-rays from the nucleus are able to produce fast electrons (through photoelectric absorption or Compton scattering) which can excite molecular hydrogen and produce ultraviolet emission. We show that such a mechanism is capable of transiently heating small grains.
