Extended optical line emission from 3C 293 - Radio jets propagating through a rotating gaseous disk

Abstract

Broad-band blue and narrow band H-alpha + forbidden N II wavelengths 6548, 6583 imaging together with long slit spectroscopic data on the forbidden O II wavelength 3727 and forbidden O III wavelength 5007 lines are presented for the peculiar radio galaxy 3C 293. The results provide strong evidence that the powerful, kiloparsec-sized radio core of this source is immersed in a rapidly rotating gaseous disk. The relatively broad lines through the disk are probably due to the transfer of kinetic energy from radio jets to the ambient medium. The radio and optical emission may be associated with shocks propagating through a two or more phase interstellar medium. The Z-shaped radio morhology may be due to collisions between the jet and dense disk material.