Contribution
Uncovering the kpc-scale stellar ring of the Centaurus A galaxy
Presenter: Jouni Kainulainen (University of Helsinki)
Abstract: We reveal the stellar light originating from the kiloparsec-scale, ring-like structure of the Centaurus A galaxy in unprecedented detail. In particular, we use sub-arcsecond resolution near infrared images to create a “dust-free” view of this structure that is heavily obscured by the central dust lane at visual wavelengths. We then use such data to examine the shape and the total luminosity of the structure. With diffraction-limited (resolution of ∼ 0.1 arcsec or 1.6 pc) near infrared data taken with the NACO instrument on VLT, we show that the structure contains several thousand point-like sources with the most luminous ones being MK = −11 mag. We discuss the implications of these observations for the star-forming activity of the structure. Finally, we discuss the large-scale geometry implied by the reddening signatures of dust in our near infrared images.