Gas dynamics in the luminous merger NGC 6240

We report 0.5 x 0.9 resolution, interferometric observations of the 1.3 mm CO J=2#->#1 line in the infrared luminous galactic merger NGC 6240. About half of the CO flux is concentrated in a rotating but highly turbulent, thick disk structure centered between the two radio and near-infrared nuclei. A number of gas features connect this #approx#500 pc diameter central disk to larger scales. Throughout this region the molecular gas has local velocity widths which exceed 300 km s"-"1 FWHM and even reach FWZP line widths of 1000 km s"-"1 in a number of directions. The mass of the central gas concentration constitutes a significant fraction of the dynamical mass, M_g_a_s(R#<=#470 pc)#propor to#2-4 x 10"9 M_sun#propor to#0.3-0.7 M_d_y_n. We conclude that NGC 6240 is in an earlier merging stage than the prototypical ultraluminous galaxy, Arp 220. The interstellar gas in NGC 6240 is in the process of settling between the two progenitor stellar nuclei, is dissipating rapidly and will likely form a central thin disk. In the next merger stage, NGC 6240 may well experience a major starburst like that observed in Arp 220. (orig.)SIGLEAvailable from TIB Hannover: RN 9303(465) / FIZ - Fachinformationszzentrum Karlsruhe / TIB - Technische InformationsbibliothekDEGerman