3C48: Evidence for two merger nuclei? Melanie Krips University of Cologne Andreas Eckart University of Cologne Roberto Neri IRAM, France Jens Zuther University of Cologne Dennis Downes IRAM, France Julia Scharwaechter University of Cologne Submillimeter Astronomy in the era of the SMA June 13, 2005 The Mice - Interacting galaxies Hubblesite.org

Stockton & Ridgeway 1991 Nucleus 3C48A 3C48 Pro Merger: " tail" towards NW (e.g. Stockton & Ridgeway 1991) bright host galaxy with large gas mass of 3  M  (Scoville et al. 1993; Wink et al. 1997) 2nd peak 3C48A in NIR (Zuther et al. 2004) extension of radio emission towards 3C48A (Feng et al. 2005) Feng et al core counterjet jet 3C48A

Nucleus 3C48A 3C48 Contra Merger: where is counter tail?  like Antennae galaxies but seen from a different viewing angle (Scharwaechter et al. 2004) Nature of 3C48A? 2 nd nucleus or interaction of the jet with ISM? Feng et al core counterjet jet 3C48A

3C48 New IRAM PdBI Observations (~1-2"): (Krips et al., accept. at A&A) continumm: 3.5 & 1.2mm line: 12 CO(1-0) (merged with Wink et al. 1997) 1.2mm & 3.5mm continuum

1.2mm continuum emission 3C48 Results (continuum): 1 st map of continuum at 1.2mm in very good agreement with radio maps MERLIN 1.6GHz (18cm) 1.2mm continuum emission Feng et al QSO jet 3C48A

1.2mm continuum emission 3C48 Continuum model: 2 Gaussian model is not enough: residuum  noise  3 Gaussian model fits much better (4  )

3C48 Feng et al new PdBI data

Results ( 12 CO(1-0)): consistent with Wink et al and Scoville et al extended emission total molecular gas mass: 1-6  M  Stockton & Ridgeway 1991 CO(1-0) 3C48 3 different lines?

3C48 two different positions!

3C48

Molecular gas masses: 3C48A  M  QSO-blue  M  QSO-red  M   3C48A has largest gas mass!!! one component 3C48A QSO CO-  disks 

3C48 Outlook still need further observations extended PdBI to separate the 2 CO systems SMA to reveal further the non-thermal and/or thermal continuum emission at higher frequencies