Shocked Molecular Hydrogen in the 3C 326 Radio Galaxy System

TL;DR

The study reveals strong shock-heated molecular hydrogen emission in the 3C 326 radio galaxy, likely caused by tidal interactions rather than star formation or jet shocks, indicating a specific galaxy evolution stage.

Contribution

First detailed analysis of shock-heated molecular hydrogen in 3C 326, suggesting tidal interactions as the heating mechanism rather than jet shocks or star formation.

Findings

H2 emission accounts for 17% of IR luminosity

H2 temperature range 125-1000 K, warm H2 mass 1.1E9 Msun

Evidence of tidal interaction features supporting shock heating scenario

Abstract

The Spitzer spectrum of the giant FR II radio galaxy 3C 326 is dominated by very strong molecular hydrogen emission lines on a faint IR continuum. The H2 emission originates in the northern component of a double-galaxy system associated with 3C 326. The integrated luminosity in H2 pure-rotational lines is 8.0E41 erg/s, which corresponds to 17% of the 8-70 micron luminosity of the galaxy. A wide range of temperatures (125-1000 K) is measured from the H2 0-0 S(0)-S(7) transitions, leading to a warm H2 mass of 1.1E9 Msun. Low-excitation ionic forbidden emission lines are consistent with an optical LINER classification for the active nucleus, which is not luminous enough to power the observed H2 emission. The H2 could be shock-heated by the radio jets, but there is no direct indication of this. More likely, the H2 is shock-heated in a tidal accretion flow induced by interaction with the southern companion galaxy. The latter scenario is supported by an irregular morphology, tidal bridge, and possible tidal tail imaged with IRAC at 3-9 micron. Unlike ULIRGs, which in some cases exhibit H2 line luminosities of comparable strength, 3C 326 shows little star-formation activity (~0.1 Msun/yr). This may represent an important stage in galaxy evolution. Starburst activity and efficient accretion onto the central supermassive black hole may be delayed until the shock-heated H2 can kinematically settle and cool