A submillimeter exponential disk in M 51: Evidence for an extended cold dust disk

R. Meijerink, R. P.J. Tilanus, C. P. Dullemond, F. P. Israel, P. P. Van Der Werf

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

33 Scopus citations

Abstract

A 850 μm map of the interacting spiral galaxy M 51 shows well-defined spiral arms, closely resembling the structures seen in CO and HI emission. However, most of the 850 μm emission originates in an underlying exponential disk, a component that has not been observed before in a face-on galaxy at these wavelengths. The scale-length of this disk is 5.45 kpc, which is somewhat larger than the scale-length of the stellar disk, but somewhat smaller than that of atomic hydrogen. Its profile cannot be explained solely by a radial disk temperature gradient but requires the underlying dust to have an exponential distribution as well. This reinforces the view that the submm emission from spiral galaxy disks traces total hydrogen column density, i.e. the sum of H2 and H I. A canonical gas-to-dust ratio of 100 ± 26 is obtained for k850 = 1.2 g-1 cm2, where k850 is the dust opacity at 850 μm.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)427-434
Number of pages8
JournalAstronomy and astrophysics
Volume430
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - Feb 2005
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Galaxies: ISM
  • Galaxy: general
  • Radio continuum: galaxies

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Astronomy and Astrophysics
  • Space and Planetary Science

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