Title:	Radio recombination lines from the starburst galaxy NGC 3256
Authors:	Roy, A.L. Goss, W.M. Mohan, Niruj R. Anantharamaiah, K.R.
Keywords:	galaxies: individual: NGC 3256 galaxies: nuclei radio lines: galaxies
Issue Date:	Jun-2005
Publisher:	EDP Sciences
Citation:	Astronomy and Astrophysics, 2005, Vol.435, p831-837
Abstract:	We have detected the radio recombination lines H91α and H92α with rest frequencies of 8.6 GHz and 8.3 GHz from the starburst nucleus NGC 3256 at an angular resolution of 16.4'' × 9.6'' using the Australia Telescope Compact Array and at an angular resolution of 12.0'' × 2.9'' using the VLA. The line was detected at ~1 mJy beam-1 peak with a width of 160 km s-1 with the ATCA and at ~0.5 mJy beam-1 peak with a width of 114 km s-1 with the VLA. Modelling the line emitting region as a collection of H II regions, we derive constraints on the required number of H II regions, their temperature, density, and distribution. We find that a collection of 10 to 300 H II regions with temperatures of 5000 K, densities of 1000 cm-3 to 5000 cm-3 and diameters of 15 pc produced good matches to the line and continuum emmission. The Lyman continuum production rate required to maintain the ionization is 2 × 1052~s-1 to 6 × 1053~s-1, which requires 600 to 17 000 O5 stars to be produced in the starburst.
URI:	http://hdl.handle.net/2289/1635
ISSN:	0004-6361
Alternative Location:	http://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0502448 http://dx.doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361:20041825
Copyright:	(2005) by the European Southern Observatory (ESO).
Appears in Collections:	Research Papers (A&A)

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