Constraints on the circumnuclear absorber in NGC 1052 from Radio and X-ray Observations

Multi-frequency studies of the pc-scale twin-jet in NGC 1052 have revealed the presence of a dense circumnuclear absorber obscuring the central engine. We analyze the brightness temperature distribution along the approaching, eastern pc-scale jet of NGC 1052 based on observational data obtained with the VLBA at 5, 8.4, 22 and 43 GHz. We present evidence for a geometry in which the central absorber covers also #0.3 pc of the approaching jet in addition to the previously known obscuration of the receding jet. Further constraints on the properties of the circumnuclear absorber in NGC 1052 are obtained using the CHANDRA X-ray observatory. A rather moderate X-ray absorbing column density, substantially lower than previously published values, is derived from the nuclear X-ray spectrum. Imaging the extended X-ray emission reveals the presence of various jet-related X-ray emitting regions in NGC 1052: a bright compact core, unresolved knots in the jet structure, and an elongated, di#use emission region whose spectrum can be described by a thermal model. We compare the spatial distribution of the di#use X-ray emission on kpc-scales with the radio structure derived from a MERLIN observation and an optical image taken by the Hubble Space Telescope