Unveiling the Hidden Nucleus of IC 5063 with NICMOS

Abstract

We present high-resolution near-infrared images of the Seyfert 2 galaxy IC 5063 obtained using the NearInfrared Camera and Multiobject Spectrometer (NICMOS) in broadband filters at 1.1, 1.6, and 2.2 mm (FWHM # 00.21at2.2mm). The images show a very red, unresolved point source at the center of the galaxy, confirming the existence of the obscured active nucleus inferred from previous ground-based studies. The 2.2 mm flux, supplemented with ground-based L9-band observations, suggests thermal emission equivalent to a blackbody at a temperature of 720 K. We ascribe the emission not to direct light from the nucleus, but to hot dust in the inner part of the torus. The 1.6 mm emission is only minimally affected by the hot dust emission. The luminosity of the central source producing most of the 1.6 mm emission, not corrected for extinction, is ergs s , integrated over the F160W filter only. 41 21 1.5 # 10 We also present lower spatial resolution images of IC 5063 obtained with NIC...