661
Astronomers using the Large Millimeter Telescope (LMT) in Mexico have observed the galaxy Messier 61 (NGC 4303), also known as the Swelling Spiral galaxy. The study revealed dense molecular gas and the presence of a dust torus in the central part of this spiral galaxy, which is located at a distance of 52,5 million light years from Earth, reports Phys.
Messier 61 is one of the largest galaxies in the Virgo cluster and exhibits significant star-forming activity. The central region of this galaxy (with a radius of 2600 light years) contains several molecular gas lines, including hydrogen cyanide (HCN) and carbon dioxide (CO). The mass of dense gas in this zone is estimated at 47 million solar masses, which is a quarter of the total mass of molecular hydrogen.
Analysis of the spectral energy distribution showed that the galaxy has a large dust torus with an inclination of about 67 degrees and a brightness of 71 tridecillion erg/s. This adds up to star formation at a rate of about six solar masses per year, consistent with the main sequence for normal galaxies not far from the Milky Way.
The researchers also concluded that the emission from the central region of the galaxy, measuring 1,6 kiloparsecs, is a combination of an active galactic nucleus (AGN) with a contribution of up to 20% and a star-forming galaxy.
The results confirm the importance of such studies for understanding the evolution of galaxies and the role of supermassive black holes in shaping the structure of the universe.
Astronomers using the Large Millimeter Telescope (LMT) in Mexico have observed the galaxy Messier 61 (NGC 4303), also known as the Swelling Spiral galaxy. The study revealed dense molecular gas and the presence of a dust torus in the central part of this spiral galaxy, which is located at a distance of 52,5 million light years from Earth, reports Phys.
Messier 61 is one of the largest galaxies in the Virgo cluster and exhibits significant star-forming activity. The central region of this galaxy (with a radius of 2600 light years) contains several molecular gas lines, including hydrogen cyanide (HCN) and carbon dioxide (CO). The mass of dense gas in this zone is estimated at 47 million solar masses, which is a quarter of the total mass of molecular hydrogen.
Analysis of the spectral energy distribution showed that the galaxy has a large dust torus with an inclination of about 67 degrees and a brightness of 71 tridecillion erg/s. This adds up to star formation at a rate of about six solar masses per year, consistent with the main sequence for normal galaxies not far from the Milky Way.
The researchers also concluded that the emission from the central region of the galaxy, measuring 1,6 kiloparsecs, is a combination of an active galactic nucleus (AGN) with a contribution of up to 20% and a star-forming galaxy.
The results confirm the importance of such studies for understanding the evolution of galaxies and the role of supermassive black holes in shaping the structure of the universe.
