Ammonia (J,K) = (1,1) to (4,4) and (6,6) inversion lines detected in the Seyfert 2 galaxy NGC 1068

TL;DR

This study reports the first detection of ammonia inversion lines in a Seyfert galaxy, NGC 1068, revealing warm molecular gas with temperatures around 80-140 K and providing insights into the galaxy's interstellar medium composition.

Contribution

It is the first detection of ammonia in a Seyfert galaxy, expanding understanding of molecular gas in active galactic nuclei environments.

Findings

Detected ammonia lines in NGC 1068 using GBT.

Estimated molecular gas temperature around 80-140 K.

Derived ammonia abundance and formation conditions.

Abstract

We present the detection of the ammonia (NH3) (J,K) = (1,1) to (4,4) and (6,6) inversion lines toward the prototypical Seyfert 2 galaxy NGC 1068, made with the Green Bank Telescope (GBT). This is the first detection of ammonia in a Seyfert galaxy. The ortho-to-para-NH3 abundance ratio suggests that the molecule was formed in a warm medium of at least 20 K. For the NH3 column density and fractional abundance, we find (1.09\pm0.23)\times10^14 cm^-2 and (2.9\pm0.6)\times10^-8, respectively, from the inner 1.2 kpc of NGC 1068. The kinetic temperature can be constrained to 80\pm20 K for the bulk of the molecular gas, while some fraction has an even higher temperature of 140\pm30 K.