First detection of the 448 GHz H2O transition in space

Journal article

We present the first detection of the ortho-H2O 4₂₃ - 3₃₀ transition at 448 GHz in space. We observed this transition in the local (z = 0.010) luminous infrared (IR) galaxy ESO 320-G030 (IRAS F11506-3851) using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA). The water 4₂₃ - 3₃₀ emission, which originates in the highly obscured nucleus of this galaxy, is spatially resolved over a region of ~65 pc in diameter and shows a regular rotation pattern compatible with the global molecular and ionized gas kinematics. The line profile is symmetric and well fitted by a Gaussian with an integrated flux of 37.0 ± 0.7 Jy km s^-1 . Models predict this water transition as a potential collisionally excited maser transition. On the contrary, in this galaxy, we find that the 4₂₃ - 3₃₀ emission is primarily excited by the intense far-IR radiation field present in its nucleus. According to our modeling, this transition is a probe of deeply buried galaxy nuclei thanks to the high dust optical depths (τ 100μm > 1, NH > 10^24 cm^-2 ) required to efficiently excite it.

Authors: Pereira-Santaella, M; González-Alfonso, E; Usero, A; García-Burillo, S; Martín-Pintado, J

• Publication status: Published
• Peer review status: Peer reviewed
• Publisher: EDP Sciences
• Journal: Astronomy & Astrophysics
• Volume: 601
• Pages: L3
• Publication date: 2017-05-01
• Acceptance date: 2017-04-18
• DOI: 10.1051/0004-6361/201730851
• EISSN: 1432-0746
• ISSN: 0004-6361
• Language: English
• Keywords: galaxies: nuclei; galaxies: ISM; ISM: molecules; infrared: galaxies