High Resolution CO(3-2) and HCO+(4-3) Imaging of the Luminous Infrared Galaxy NGC 6240

We present interferometric CO(3-2), HCO+(4-3) and 870 micron continuum images of the luminous infrared galaxy NGC 6240 obtained at the Submillimeter Array (SMA). Our spatially resolved CO (3–2) and HCO+(4–3) emission peaks between the two nuclear components that are known to both harbor AGNs. The kinematical information provided by the CO (3–2) emission shows a rotating disk centered around the northern AGN and a possible face-on disk around the southern AGN, but the kinematics of gas between the two nuclei is extremely turbulent.

High Resolution CO(3-2) and HCO+(4-3) Imaging of the Luminous Infrared Galaxy NGC 6240 Conferences