Program: GS-2007A-Q-41

Title:The dusty circumnuclear material around active galaxy nuclei
PI:Patrick Roche
Co-I(s): Michael Colling, Rachel Mason

Abstract

This is a companion proposal to one submitted for Gemini-N. We propose to use Michelle, TReCs, NIRI and GNIRS to investigate the spatial extent of the dust and ionic line emission and the depths and profiles of dust absorption bands in a sample of nearby infrared-bright galaxies with heavily obscured nuclei. Initial observations obtained with TReCS and Michelle in 2004 have revealed variations in the dust emission and absorption optical depth on subarcsecond scales in Circinus, NGC 1068 and NGC 5506, while measurement of ionic emission lines ([SIV] and [NeII] ) reveal the relationship between the ionised gas and the dusty core. We now wish to extend this initial investigation to a larger sample of nearby galaxies to investigate the relationship between hydrocarbon and silicate grain absorption columns and the location of crystalline silicates in the most obscured objects.

Publications using this program's data