Astron. Astrophys. 337, 80-84 (1998)

The circumnuclear ring of ionized gas in NGC 3593 ^*

E.M. Corsini ¹, A. Pizzella ², J.G. Funes ,  S.J. ³, J.C. Vega Beltrán ⁴ and F. Bertola <sup>3

1</sup> Osservatorio Astrofisico di Asiago, Dipartimento di Astronomia, Università di Padova, via dell'Osservatorio 8, I-36012 Asiago, Italy
² European Southern Observatory, Alonso de Cordova 3107, Casilla 19001, Santiago 19, Chile
³ Dipartimento di Astronomia, Università di Padova, vicolo dell'Osservatorio 5, I-35122 Padova, Italy
⁴ Osservatorio Astronomico di Padova, Telescopio Nazionale Galileo, vicolo dell'Osservatorio 5, I-35122 Padova, Italy

Received 5 February 1998 / Accepted 19 May 1998

Abstract

We present the results of narrow-band H+[N II ] imaging of the early-type spiral NGC 3593 in combination with a study of the flux radial profiles of the [N II ] ( 654.80, 658.34 nm), H, and [S II ] ( 671.65, 673.08 nm) emission lines along its major axis. The galaxy is known to contain two counterrotating stellar discs of different size and luminosity. We find that the H emission mainly derives from a small central region of . It consists of a filamentary pattern with a central ring. This has a diameter of about ( kpc) and it contributes about half of the total H flux. The ring is interpreted as the result of the interaction between the acquired retrograde gas which later formed the smaller counterrotating stellar disc and the pre-existing prograde gas of the galaxy.

Key words: galaxies: individual: NGC 3593 galaxies: interactions galaxies: ISM galaxies: spirals galaxies: structure

* Based on observations carried out at ESO, La Silla (Chile) (ESO N. 52, 1-020) and on observations with the VATT: the Alice P. Lennon Telescope and the Thomas J. Bannan Astrophysics Facility.

Send offprint requests to: E.M. Corsini
Corrsepondence to: corsini@pd.astro.it

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Contents

• 1. Introduction
• 2. Observations, data reduction and results
  • 2.1. Narrow-band imaging
  • 2.2. Long-slit spectroscopy
• 3. Discussion and conclusions
• Acknowledgements
• References

© European Southern Observatory (ESO) 1998

Online publication: August 6, 1998
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