DUST EMISSION FROM A PARSEC-SCALE STRUCTURE IN THE SEYFERT 1 NUCLEUS OF NGC 4151

Abstract

We report mid-infrared interferometric measurements (based on observations collected at the European Organisation for Astronomical Research in the Southern Hemisphere, Chile, programme number 081.B-0092(A)) with ∼10 mas resolution, which resolve the warm (T = 285+25−50 K) thermal emission at the center of NGC 4151. Using pairs of Very Large Telescope 8.2 m telescopes with the Mid-infrared interferometric instrument and by comparing the data to a Gaussian model, we determined the diameter of the dust emission region, albeit only along one position angle, to be (2.0 ± 0.4) pc (FWHM). This is the first size and temperature estimate for the nuclear warm dust distribution in a Seyfert 1 galaxy. The parameters found are comparable to those in Seyfert 2 galaxies, thus providing direct support for the unified model. Using simple analytic temperature distributions, we find that the mid-infrared emission is probably not the smooth continuation of the hot nuclear source that is marginally resolved with K-band interferometry. We also detected weak excess emission around 10.5 μm in our shorter baseline observation, possibly indicating that silicate emission is extended to the parsec scale.