NGC 3783

NGC 3783
Hubble Space Telescope image of NGC 3793
Observation data (J2000 epoch)
ConstellationCentaurus
Right ascension11h 39m 01.721s[1]
Declination–37° 44′ 18.60″[1]
Redshift0.008506 ± 0.000100[2]
Heliocentric radial velocity+2,817[3] km/s
Distance135.7 Mly (41.60[4] Mpc)
Group or clusterNGC 3783 group
Apparent magnitude (V)13.43
Characteristics
TypeSBa[5]
Apparent size (V)1′.9 × 1′.7[5]
Notable featuresSeyfert 1
Other designations
MCG -06-26-004, PGC 36101[6]

NGC 3783 is a barred spiral galaxy located about 135[4] million light years away in the constellation Centaurus.[7] It is inclined by an angle of 23° to the line of sight from the Earth along a position angle of about 163°. The morphological classification of SBa[5] indicates a bar structure across the center (B) and tightly-wound spiral arms (a).[8] Although not shown by this classification, observers note the galaxy has a luminous inner ring surrounding the bar structure. The bright compact nucleus is active and categorized as a Seyfert 1 type. This nucleus is a strong source of X-ray emission and undergoes variations in emission across the electromagnetic spectrum.[5]

Artist's impression of the surroundings of the supermassive black hole in NGC 3783 (ESO)

The source of the activity in this galaxy is a rapidly rotating supermassive black hole, which is located at the core and is surrounded by an accretion disk of dust.[9] The estimated mass of this black hole, from reverberation mapping, is about 2.8 million times the mass of the Sun.[10] Interferometric observations yield an inner radius of 0.52 ± 0.16 ly (0.16 ± 0.05 pc) for the orbiting torus of dust.[11]

This is a member of a loose association of 47 galaxies known as the NGC 3783 group. Located at a mean distance of 117 million light-years (36 Mpc), the group is centered at coordinates α = 11h 37m 12s, δ = –37° 30′ 57.6″: equivalent to about 870×10^3 ly (267 kpc) from NGC 3783. The NGC 3783 group has a mean velocity of 2,903 ± 26 km/s with respect to the Sun and a velocity dispersion of 190 ± 24 km/s. The diffuse X-ray emission of the group is roughly centered on the galaxy NGC 3783.[12] The NGC 3783 group is located in the Hydra-Antlia region of the Hydra-Centurus Supercluster.[13][14]

  • NGC 3783 as seen by the legacy surveys. The bright star on the lower left is HD 101274
    NGC 3783 as seen by the legacy surveys. The bright star on the lower left is HD 101274
  • This video shows an artist's impression of the dusty wind emanating from the black hole at the centre of galaxy NGC 3783

References

  1. ^ a b Skrutskie, Michael F.; et al. (February 1, 2006), "The Two Micron All Sky Survey (2MASS)", The Astronomical Journal, 131 (2): 1163–1183, Bibcode:2006AJ....131.1163S, doi:10.1086/498708, ISSN 0004-6256, S2CID 18913331.
  2. ^ Strauss, Michael A.; et al. (November 1992), "A redshift survey of IRAS galaxies. VII - The infrared and redshift data for the 1.936 Jansky sample", Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series, 83 (1): 29–63, Bibcode:1992ApJS...83...29S, doi:10.1086/191730.
  3. ^ Jones, D. Heath; et al. (October 2009), "The 6dF Galaxy Survey: final redshift release (DR3) and southern large-scale structures", Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 399 (2): 683–698, arXiv:0903.5451, Bibcode:2009MNRAS.399..683J, doi:10.1111/j.1365-2966.2009.15338.x, S2CID 119223679.
  4. ^ a b Pereira-Santaella, Miguel; et al. (December 2010), "The Mid-infrared High-ionization Lines from Active Galactic Nuclei and Star-forming Galaxies", The Astrophysical Journal, 725 (2): 2270–2280, arXiv:1010.5129, Bibcode:2010ApJ...725.2270P, doi:10.1088/0004-637X/725/2/2270, S2CID 39630754.
  5. ^ a b c d García-Barreto, J. A.; et al. (August 1999), "HI spatial distribution in the galaxy NGC 3783", Astronomy and Astrophysics, 348: 685–692, arXiv:astro-ph/9906492, Bibcode:1999A&A...348..685G.
  6. ^ "NGC 3783". SIMBAD. Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg. Retrieved 2021-02-19.
  7. ^ "The active galaxy NGC 3783 in the constellation of Centaurus", European Southern Observatory, June 20, 2013, retrieved 2013-06-29.
  8. ^ Buta, Ronald J.; et al. (2007), Atlas of Galaxies, Cambridge University Press, pp. 13–17, ISBN 978-0521820486.
  9. ^ Brenneman, L. W.; et al. (August 2011), "The Spin of the Supermassive Black Hole in NGC 3783", The Astrophysical Journal, 736 (2): 103, arXiv:1104.1172, Bibcode:2011ApJ...736..103B, doi:10.1088/0004-637X/736/2/103, S2CID 59522696.
  10. ^ Bentz, Misty C.; et al. (2021), "A Detailed View of the Broad-line Region in NGC 3783 from Velocity-resolved Reverberation Mapping", The Astrophysical Journal, 920 (2): 112, arXiv:2108.00482, Bibcode:2021ApJ...920..112B, doi:10.3847/1538-4357/ac19af, S2CID 236777045.
  11. ^ Weigelt, G.; et al. (May 2012), "VLTI/AMBER observations of the Seyfert nucleus of NGC 3783", Astronomy & Astrophysics, 541: L9, arXiv:1204.6122, Bibcode:2012A&A...541L...9W, doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201219213, S2CID 118540180.
  12. ^ Kilborn, Virginia A.; et al. (September 2006), "Gaseous tidal debris found in the NGC 3783 group", Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 371 (2): 739–749, arXiv:astro-ph/0606463, Bibcode:2006MNRAS.371..739K, doi:10.1111/j.1365-2966.2006.10697.x, S2CID 10340132.
  13. ^ Tully, R. Brent (1988). Nearby galaxies catalog. Cambridge; New York: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-35299-4.
  14. ^ Fouque, P.; Gourgoulhon, E.; Chamaraux, P.; Paturel, G. (1992-05-01). "Groups of galaxies within 80 Mpc. II. The catalogue of groups and group members". Astronomy and Astrophysics Supplement Series. 93: 211–233. Bibcode:1992A&AS...93..211F. ISSN 0365-0138.