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J.F. Gallimore (NRAO), S. A. Baum, C.P. O'Dea (STScI), A. Pedlar (NRAL, Jodrell Bank), E. Brinks (Univ. de Guanajuato)
We present the results of a VLA imaging survey of neutral hydrogen (21 cm) absorption in Seyfert, LINER, and starburst galaxies. Our main goal was to detect the neutral gas component of the parsec-scale torus proposed to obscure the central engine in narrow-line AGNs. Consistent with earlier non-imaging surveys, we detect most (9 out of 13) of the radio-bright galaxies in our survey. Both broad-line (type 1) and narrow-line (type 2) Seyferts are detected. The absorbing gas typically distributes over hundred parsec scales and is presumably associated with an inner galaxian disk. More surprisingly, several well-known buried Seyfert 1 nuclei are not detected in 21 cm absorption. We discuss the implications for unifying schemes and the nature of radio continuum emission from Seyfert nuclei. We also compare the gas properties of normal spiral galaxy disks with the active spirals of our survey.