Thermal imaging of dust hiding the black hole in NGC 1068

Violeta Gámez Rosas (), Jacob W. Isbell, Walter Jaffe, Romain G. Petrov, James H. Leftley, Karl-Heinz Hofmann, Florentin Millour, Leonard Burtscher, Klaus Meisenheimer, Anthony Meilland, Laurens B. F. M. Waters, Bruno Lopez, Stéphane Lagarde, Gerd Weigelt, Philippe Berio, Fatme Allouche, Sylvie Robbe-Dubois, Pierre Cruzalèbes, Felix Bettonvil, Thomas Henning, Jean-Charles Augereau, Pierre Antonelli, Udo Beckmann, Roy Boekel, Philippe Bendjoya, William C. Danchi, Carsten Dominik, Julien Drevon, Jack F. Gallimore, Uwe Graser, Matthias Heininger, Vincent Hocdé, Michiel Hogerheijde, Josef Hron, Caterina M. V. Impellizzeri, Lucia Klarmann, Elena Kokoulina, Lucas Labadie, Michael Lehmitz, Alexis Matter, Claudia Paladini, Eric Pantin, Jörg-Uwe Pott, Dieter Schertl, Anthony Soulain, Philippe Stee, Konrad Tristram, Jozsef Varga, Julien Woillez, Sebastian Wolf, Gideon Yoffe and Gerard Zins
Additional contact information
Violeta Gámez Rosas: Leiden University
Jacob W. Isbell: Max Planck Institute for Astronomy
Walter Jaffe: Leiden University
Romain G. Petrov: Université Côte d’Azur, Observatoire de la Côte d’Azur, CNRS
James H. Leftley: Université Côte d’Azur, Observatoire de la Côte d’Azur, CNRS
Karl-Heinz Hofmann: Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy
Florentin Millour: Université Côte d’Azur, Observatoire de la Côte d’Azur, CNRS
Leonard Burtscher: Leiden University
Klaus Meisenheimer: Max Planck Institute for Astronomy
Anthony Meilland: Université Côte d’Azur, Observatoire de la Côte d’Azur, CNRS
Laurens B. F. M. Waters: Department of Astrophysics, IMAPP, Radboud University
Bruno Lopez: Université Côte d’Azur, Observatoire de la Côte d’Azur, CNRS
Stéphane Lagarde: Université Côte d’Azur, Observatoire de la Côte d’Azur, CNRS
Gerd Weigelt: Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy
Philippe Berio: Université Côte d’Azur, Observatoire de la Côte d’Azur, CNRS
Fatme Allouche: Université Côte d’Azur, Observatoire de la Côte d’Azur, CNRS
Sylvie Robbe-Dubois: Université Côte d’Azur, Observatoire de la Côte d’Azur, CNRS
Pierre Cruzalèbes: Université Côte d’Azur, Observatoire de la Côte d’Azur, CNRS
Felix Bettonvil: ASTRON
Thomas Henning: Max Planck Institute for Astronomy
Jean-Charles Augereau: Université Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, IPAG
Pierre Antonelli: Université Côte d’Azur, Observatoire de la Côte d’Azur, CNRS
Udo Beckmann: Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy
Roy Boekel: Max Planck Institute for Astronomy
Philippe Bendjoya: Université Côte d’Azur, Observatoire de la Côte d’Azur, CNRS
William C. Danchi: NASA
Carsten Dominik: University of Amsterdam
Julien Drevon: Université Côte d’Azur, Observatoire de la Côte d’Azur, CNRS
Jack F. Gallimore: Bucknell University
Uwe Graser: Max Planck Institute for Astronomy
Matthias Heininger: Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy
Vincent Hocdé: Université Côte d’Azur, Observatoire de la Côte d’Azur, CNRS
Michiel Hogerheijde: Leiden University
Josef Hron: Department of Astrophysics University of Vienna
Caterina M. V. Impellizzeri: Leiden University
Lucia Klarmann: Max Planck Institute for Astronomy
Elena Kokoulina: Université Côte d’Azur, Observatoire de la Côte d’Azur, CNRS
Lucas Labadie: Physikalisches Institut der Universität zu Köln
Michael Lehmitz: Max Planck Institute for Astronomy
Alexis Matter: Université Côte d’Azur, Observatoire de la Côte d’Azur, CNRS
Claudia Paladini: European Southern Observatory
Eric Pantin: Centre d’Etudes de Saclay
Jörg-Uwe Pott: Max Planck Institute for Astronomy
Dieter Schertl: Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy
Anthony Soulain: University of Sydney
Philippe Stee: Université Côte d’Azur, Observatoire de la Côte d’Azur, CNRS
Konrad Tristram: European Southern Observatory
Jozsef Varga: Leiden University
Julien Woillez: European Southern Observatory
Sebastian Wolf: University of Kiel
Gideon Yoffe: Max Planck Institute for Astronomy
Gerard Zins: European Southern Observatory

Nature, 2022, vol. 602, issue 7897, 403-407

Abstract: Abstract In the widely accepted ‘unified model’1 solution of the classification puzzle of active galactic nuclei, the orientation of a dusty accretion torus around the central black hole dominates their appearance. In ‘type-1’ systems, the bright nucleus is visible at the centre of a face-on torus. In ‘type-2’ systems the thick, nearly edge-on torus hides the central engine. Later studies suggested evolutionary effects2 and added dusty clumps and polar winds3 but left the basic picture intact. However, recent high-resolution images4 of the archetypal type-2 galaxy NGC 10685,6, suggested a more radical revision. The images displayed a ring-like emission feature that was proposed to be hot dust surrounding the black hole at the radius where the radiation from the central engine evaporates the dust. That ring is too thin and too far tilted from edge-on to hide the central engine, and ad hoc foreground extinction is needed to explain the type-2 classification. These images quickly generated reinterpretations of the dichotomy between types 1 and 27,8. Here we present new multi-band mid-infrared images of NGC 1068 that detail the dust temperature distribution and reaffirm the original model. Combined with radio data (J.F.G. and C.M.V.I., manuscript in preparation), our maps locate the central engine that is below the previously reported ring and obscured by a thick, nearly edge-on disk, as predicted by the unified model. We also identify emission from polar flows and absorbing dust that is mineralogically distinct from that towards the Milky Way centre.

Date: 2022
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DOI: 10.1038/s41586-021-04311-7

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