ALMA Resolves the Nuclear Disks of Arp 220
Nick Scoville, Lena Murchikova, Fabian Walter, Catherine Vlahakis, Jin, Koda, Paul Vanden Bout, Joshua Barnes, Lars Hernquist, Kartik Sheth, Min Yun,, David Sanders, Lee Armus, Pierre Cox, Todd Thompson, Brant Robertson, Laura, Zschaechner, Linda Tacconi, Paul Torrey

TL;DR
This paper uses high-resolution ALMA imaging to resolve and analyze the gas distribution and kinematics of the nuclear disks in Arp 220, revealing detailed structures, optical thickness, and a central massive object.
Contribution
First high-resolution ALMA imaging of Arp 220's nuclei providing detailed gas distribution, kinematics, and evidence of a central Keplerian mass component.
Findings
The West nucleus shows optically thick dust with a temperature of ~147 K.
The West nucleus contains a central mass of approximately 8×10^8 solar masses.
The nuclear disks are symmetric, indicating a merger timescale longer than their rotation period.
Abstract
We present 90 mas (37 pc) resolution ALMA imaging of Arp 220 in the CO (1-0) line and continuum at mm. The internal gas distribution and kinematics of both galactic nuclei are well-resolved for the first time. In the West nucleus, the major gas and dust emission extends out to 0.2\arcsec radius (74 pc); the central resolution element shows a strong peak in the dust emission but a factor 3 dip in the CO line emission. In this nucleus, the dust is apparently optically thick () at mm with a dust brightness temperature K. The column of ISM at this nucleus is cm, corresponding to 900 gr cm. The East nucleus is more elongated with radial extent 0.3\arcsec or pc. The derived kinematics of the nuclear disks provide a good fit to the line profiles, yielding the…
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