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C. E. Max (LLNL and UCSC), D. Whysong, R. Antonucci (UCSB), G. Canalizo, B. A. Macintosh (LLNL), A. Stockton (U Hawaii)
We report on near-infrared imaging and spectroscopy of the core of Cygnus A, using adaptive optics systems at the Lick and Keck Observatories. In our images, a V-shaped ionization cone structure is seen to the south-east of the nucleus, as in previous HST NICMOS observations. To the north-west of the nucleus are two diffuse emission regions. We have obtained K-band spectra of these regions and of the nucleus. Paschen alpha spectra show emission near the nucleus with FWHM ~1000 km/s. The diffuse emission regions to the north-west and south-east have narrower linewidths. We interpret these data in terms of models for the core of Cygnus A.
This work was performed under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Energy, National Nuclear Security Administration by the University of California, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory under contract No. W-7405-Eng-48, and was supported in part by the National Science Foundation Science and Technology Center for Adaptive Optics, managed by the University of California at Santa Cruz under cooperative agreement No. AST - 9876783.