Exploring the inner region of NGC 1316 through CO ALMA data

Abstract

The merger remnant NGC 1316 (Fornax A) is the brightest galaxy in the Fornax cluster, and it is thethird nearest radio-bright galaxy (D = 20.8 ± 0.5 Mpc) hosting an Active Galactic Nuclei. Due to the complexityof this source, on a variety of scales and components, it was observed at different wavelengths. Deep opticalimages revealed complex structures such as ripples and loops in its outer regions, while far-infrared observationsshow prominent dust extinction in its inner part. The dust is found in diverse structures that include a northwest shell, a south-east blob, an extended component to the south-west, and dust patches among them. Someof these features are well traced by CO as well. The presence of a bent nuclear jet was reported in previousworks, after radio continuum observations, suggesting an interaction between the jet and the interstellar mediumof the galaxy. NGC 1316 is a remarkable object because it harbours a notable subpopulation of young globularclusters. To better understand the history and the physical processes that are currently taking place in the innerregion of NGC 1316, we started to gather the public data at various spectral ranges, from instruments such asALMA, VLA, Chandra and HST. In this poster, we will focus on the available CO(J=2-1) ALMA data, and theinformation that could be retrieved from them