Deep Chandra Observations of NGC 5728. III. Probing the High-resolution X-Ray Morphology and Multiphase Interstellar Medium Interactions in the Circumnuclear Region
Year: 2024
Type: article
Abstract: We present a detailed imaging analysis of 260 ks of subarcsecond resolution Chandra (ACIS-S) observations of the nearby Seyfert 2 galaxy NGC 5728. Our study focuses on the bright and diffuse soft X-ray emission within the galaxy's inner ∼1 kpc. By comparing the X-ray emission across different energy bands, we identify localized variations in the absorbing column and emission processes. We observe more X-ray absorption in the direction perpendicular to the bicone, which is co-located with an inner warped CO disk in the galaxy. The innermost region, which shows the strongest excess of hard X-ray emission, is spatially coincident with the CO (2–1) emission from the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array and dusty spirals we find in a Hubble Space Telescope V − H color map. We detect soft extended emission associated with the circumnuclear star-forming ring at ∼1 kpc, suggestive of hot gas with kT = 0.44 keV. We derive measurements for the hot gas mass, M = 7.9 × 105 M ⊙, pressure, p = 2.0 × 10−10 dyne cm−2, and cooling times, τ c = 193.2 Myr. In the vicinity of the star-forming ring, we detect two X-ray point sources, with soft X-ray spectra, and 0.3–7 keV luminosities L ∼ 8 × 1038 erg s−1. These properties suggest X-ray binaries.
Source: The Astrophysical Journal
Language: English
Subfield: Astronomy and Astrophysics
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $4,499
Funders: National Science Foundation, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, California Institute of Technology, National Radio Astronomy Observatory, National Science Council, Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute, National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, National Institutes of Natural Sciences
Award: G1390571956
OpenAlex ID: W4405595662