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A Long-Term Space Astrophysics Research Program. An X-Ray Perspective of the Components and Structure of GalaxiesWe present optical and archival X-ray data on the disturbed morphology radio elliptical NGC 1316 (Fornax A) that displays numerous low surface brightness shells, loops and tails. An extended (81x27 min or 9x3 kpc) emission line region (EELR) at a projected distance of 35 kpc from the nucleus has been discovered in a approximately 9Ox35 kpc, approximately 3.Ox1O(solar luminosity(B)) tidal tail. The position and extreme size of the EELR suggest it is related to the merger process. We suggest that the ionization mechanism of the EELR is shock excitation, and the gas is remnant from the merger progenitor. X-ray emission is detected near two tidal tails. Hot, approximately 5 x 10(exp 6)K gas is probably the predominant gas component in the tidal tail ISM. However based on the current tidal tail (cold + warm + hot) gas mass, a large fraction of the tidal tail progenitor gas may already reside in the nucleus of NGC 1316. The numerous and varied tidal tail system suggests that a disk-disk or disk-E merger could have taken place greater than or equal to 1 Gyr ago, whilst a low mass, gas rich galaxy started to merge approximately 0.5 Gyr ago.
Document ID
19980016964
Acquisition Source
Headquarters
Document Type
Preprint (Draft being sent to journal)
Authors
Fabbiano, G. (Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory Cambridge, MA United States)
Date Acquired
September 6, 2013
Publication Date
January 1, 1998
Subject Category
Astrophysics
Report/Patent Number
PREPRINT-SERIES-4621
NASA/CR-1998-207105
NAS 1.26:207105
Funding Number(s)
CONTRACT_GRANT: NAGw-2681
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Work of the US Gov. Public Use Permitted.

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