Open AccessOn the origin and excitation of the extended nebula surrounding NGC 1275
Author(s) -
Hatch N. A.,
Crawford C. S.,
Johnstone R. M.,
Fabian A. C.
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
monthly notices of the royal astronomical society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.058
H-Index - 383
eISSN - 1365-2966
pISSN - 0035-8711
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2966.2006.09970.x
Subject(s) - physics , nebula , astrophysics , intracluster medium , metallicity , astronomy , line (geometry) , star cluster , doubly ionized oxygen , planetary nebula , excitation , line of sight , emission spectrum , galaxy , stars , galaxy cluster , spectral line , geometry , mathematics , quantum mechanics
We use line‐of‐sight velocity information on the filamentary emission‐line nebula of NGC 1275 to infer a dynamical model of the nebula's flow through the surrounding intracluster gas. We detect outflowing gas and flow patterns that match simulations of buoyantly rising bubbles from which we deduce that some of the nebula filaments have been drawn out of NGC 1275. We find a radial gradient of the ratio [N ii ]λ6584/Hα which may be due to a variation in metallicity, interactions with the surrounding intracluster medium or a hardening of the excitation mechanism. We find no preferred spatial correlation of stellar clusters within the filaments and there is a notable lack of [O iii ]λ5007 emission, therefore it is unlikely that the filaments are ionized by stellar ultraviolet.