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  • SHOCK EXCITED MOLECULES IN ...
    Pellegrini, E W; Smith, J D; Wolfire, M G; Draine, B T; Crocker, A F; Croxall, K V; van der Werf, P; Dale, D A; Rigopoulou, D; Wilson, C D

    Astrophysical journal. Letters, 12/2013, Volume: 779, Issue: 2
    Journal Article

    We investigate the far infrared (IR) spectrum of NGC 1266, a S0 galaxy that contains a massive reservoir of highly excited molecular gas. Using the Herschel Fourier Transform Spectrometer, we detect the super(12)CO ladder up to J = (13-12), CI and NII lines, and also strong water lines more characteristic of UltraLuminous IR Galaxies (ULIRGs). The super(12)CO line emission is modeled with a combination of a low-velocity C-shock and a photodissociation region. Shocks are required to produce the H sub(2)O and most of the high-J CO emission. Despite having an IR luminosity 30 times less than a typical ULIRG, the spectral characteristics and physical conditions of the interstellar medium of NGC 1266 closely resemble those of ULIRGs, which often harbor strong shocks and large-scale outflows.