Molecular Gas Kinematics and Line Diagnostics in Early-type Galaxies: NGC4710 and NGC5866

TL;DR

This study uses interferometric observations of multiple molecular lines to analyze the physical conditions of molecular gas in the nuclear discs and inner rings of two edge-on lenticular galaxies, revealing differences in gas density, temperature, and star formation activity.

Contribution

It provides a detailed multi-line analysis of molecular gas in early-type galaxies, highlighting the physical state differences between nuclear discs and inner rings.

Findings

Nuclear discs have hotter, more diffuse, and denser molecular gas than inner rings.

Molecular gas conditions are similar to photo-dissociation regions.

Star formation activity is milder in the inner rings.

Abstract

We present interferometric observations of CO lines (12CO(1-0, 2-1) and 13CO(1-0, 2-1)) and dense gas tracers (HCN(1-0), HCO+(1-0), HNC(1-0) and HNCO(4-3)) in two nearby edge-on barred lenticular galaxies, NGC 4710 and NGC 5866, with most of the gas concentrated in a nuclear disc and an inner ring in each galaxy. We probe the physical conditions of a two-component molecular interstellar medium in each galaxy and each kinematic component by using molecular line ratio diagnostics in three complementary ways. First, we measure the ratios of the position-velocity diagrams of different lines, second we measure the ratios of each kinematic component's integrated line intensities as a function of projected position, and third we model these line ratios using a non-local thermodynamic equilibrium radiative transfer code. Overall, the nuclear discs appear to have a tenuous molecular gas component that is hotter, optically thinner and with a larger dense gas fraction than that in the inner rings, suggesting more dense clumps immersed in a hotter more diffuse molecular medium. This is consistent with evidence that the physical conditions in the nuclear discs are similar to those in photo-dissociation regions. A similar picture emerges when comparing the observed molecular line ratios with those of other galaxy types. The physical conditions of the molecular gas in the nuclear discs of NGC4710 and NGC5866 thus appear intermediate between those of spiral galaxies and starbursts, while the star formation in their inner rings is even milder.