Detection of a super-star cluster as the ionizing source in the low-luminosity active galactic nucleus NGC 4303

9 pags., 4 figs., 2 tabs.

Bibliographic Details
Authors: Colina, Luis, González Delgado, Rosa M., Mas-Hesse, J. Miguel, Leitherer, Claus
Format: article
Status:Published version
Publication Date:2002
Country:España
Institution:Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)
Repository:DIGITAL.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSIC
OAI Identifier:oai:digital.csic.es:10261/191615
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/10261/191615
Access Level:Open access
Keyword:Galaxies: nuclei
Galaxies: individual (NGC 4303)
Galaxies: star clusters
Ultraviolet: galaxies
Galaxies: active
Galaxies: starburst
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spelling Detection of a super-star cluster as the ionizing source in the low-luminosity active galactic nucleus NGC 4303Colina, LuisGonzález Delgado, Rosa M.Mas-Hesse, J. MiguelLeitherer, ClausGalaxies: nucleiGalaxies: individual (NGC 4303)Galaxies: star clustersUltraviolet: galaxiesGalaxies: activeGalaxies: starburst9 pags., 4 figs., 2 tabs.Hubble Space Telescope (HST) ultraviolet Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS) imaging and spectroscopy of the low-luminosity active galactic nucleus (LLAGN) NGC 4303 have identified the previously detected UV-bright nucleus of this galaxy as a compact, massive, and luminous stellar cluster. The cluster with a size (FWHM) of 3.1 pc and an ultraviolet luminosity log L1500 Å (ergs s-1 A-1) = 38.33 is identified as a nuclear super-star cluster (SSC) like those detected in the circumnuclear regions of spirals and starburst galaxies. The UV spectrum showing the characteristic broad P Cygni lines produced by the winds of massive young stars is best fitted by the spectral energy distribution of a massive cluster of 105 M⊙ (for a Salpeter initial mass function law with lower mass cutoff of 1 M⊙) generated in an instantaneous burst 4 Myr ago. The ionizing energy produced by this cluster exceeds the flux needed to explain the nuclear Ha luminosity. No evidence for an additional nonthermal ionizing source associated with an accreting black hole is detected in the ultraviolet. These new HST/STIS results unambiguously show the presence of a compact SSC in the nucleus of a low-luminosity AGN, which is also its dominant ionizing source. We hypothesize that at least some LLAGNs in spirals could be understood as the result of the combined ionizing radiation emitted by an evolving SSC (i.e., determined by the mass and age) and a black hole accreting with low radiative efficiency (i.e., radiating at low sub-Eddington luminosities) coexisting in the inner few parsecs region. Complementary multifrequency studies give the first hints of the very complex structure of the central 10 pc of NGC 4303, where a young SSC apparently coexists with a low-efficiency accreting black hole and with an intermediate/old compact star cluster and where, in addition, an evolved starburst could also be present. If structures such as those detected in NGC 4303 are common in the nuclei of spirals, the modeling of the different stellar components and their contribution to the dynamical mass has to be established accurately before deriving any firm conclusion about the mass of central black holes of few to several million solar masses.L. C., R. G. D., and J. M. M. H. acknowledge support from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Technology (MCYT) through grants PB98-0340-C02, AYA-2001-3939- C03-01, and AYA-2001-3939-C03-02.Peer ReviewedUniversity of Chicago PressMinisterio de Ciencia y Tecnología (España)Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas [https://ror.org/02gfc7t72]2019201920022019info:eu-repo/semantics/articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501Publisher's versioninfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersionhttp://hdl.handle.net/10261/191615reponame:DIGITAL.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSICinstname:Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)Inglés#PLACEHOLDER_PARENT_METADATA_VALUE##PLACEHOLDER_PARENT_METADATA_VALUE##PLACEHOLDER_PARENT_METADATA_VALUE#MCyT/AYA2001-3939-C03-01MCyT/PB98-0340-C02MCyT/AYA-2001-3939-C03-02https://doi.org/10.1086/342839Síinfo:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessoai:digital.csic.es:10261/1916152026-05-22T06:33:51Z
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv Detection of a super-star cluster as the ionizing source in the low-luminosity active galactic nucleus NGC 4303
title Detection of a super-star cluster as the ionizing source in the low-luminosity active galactic nucleus NGC 4303
spellingShingle Detection of a super-star cluster as the ionizing source in the low-luminosity active galactic nucleus NGC 4303
Colina, Luis
Galaxies: nuclei
Galaxies: individual (NGC 4303)
Galaxies: star clusters
Ultraviolet: galaxies
Galaxies: active
Galaxies: starburst
title_short Detection of a super-star cluster as the ionizing source in the low-luminosity active galactic nucleus NGC 4303
title_full Detection of a super-star cluster as the ionizing source in the low-luminosity active galactic nucleus NGC 4303
title_fullStr Detection of a super-star cluster as the ionizing source in the low-luminosity active galactic nucleus NGC 4303
title_full_unstemmed Detection of a super-star cluster as the ionizing source in the low-luminosity active galactic nucleus NGC 4303
title_sort Detection of a super-star cluster as the ionizing source in the low-luminosity active galactic nucleus NGC 4303
dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv Colina, Luis
González Delgado, Rosa M.
Mas-Hesse, J. Miguel
Leitherer, Claus
author Colina, Luis
author_facet Colina, Luis
González Delgado, Rosa M.
Mas-Hesse, J. Miguel
Leitherer, Claus
author_role author
author2 González Delgado, Rosa M.
Mas-Hesse, J. Miguel
Leitherer, Claus
author2_role author
author
author
dc.contributor.none.fl_str_mv Ministerio de Ciencia y Tecnología (España)
Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas [https://ror.org/02gfc7t72]
dc.subject.none.fl_str_mv Galaxies: nuclei
Galaxies: individual (NGC 4303)
Galaxies: star clusters
Ultraviolet: galaxies
Galaxies: active
Galaxies: starburst
topic Galaxies: nuclei
Galaxies: individual (NGC 4303)
Galaxies: star clusters
Ultraviolet: galaxies
Galaxies: active
Galaxies: starburst
description 9 pags., 4 figs., 2 tabs.
publishDate 2002
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2002
2019
2019
2019
dc.type.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/article
http://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501
Publisher's version
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
format article
status_str publishedVersion
dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv http://hdl.handle.net/10261/191615
url http://hdl.handle.net/10261/191615
dc.language.none.fl_str_mv Inglés
language_invalid_str_mv Inglés
dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv #PLACEHOLDER_PARENT_METADATA_VALUE#
#PLACEHOLDER_PARENT_METADATA_VALUE#
#PLACEHOLDER_PARENT_METADATA_VALUE#
MCyT/AYA2001-3939-C03-01
MCyT/PB98-0340-C02
MCyT/AYA-2001-3939-C03-02
https://doi.org/10.1086/342839
Sí
dc.rights.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
eu_rights_str_mv openAccess
dc.publisher.none.fl_str_mv University of Chicago Press
publisher.none.fl_str_mv University of Chicago Press
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv reponame:DIGITAL.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSIC
instname:Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)
instname_str Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)
reponame_str DIGITAL.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSIC
collection DIGITAL.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSIC
repository.name.fl_str_mv
repository.mail.fl_str_mv
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score 15,812429

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