Chandra Observations of the Evolving Core of the Starburst Galaxy NGC 253
Abstract
Chandra observations of the core of the nearby starburst galaxy NGC 253 reveal a heavily absorbed source of hard X-rays embedded within the nuclear starburst region. The source has an unabsorbed, 2 to 10 keV luminosity of >=1039 erg/s and photoionizes the surrounding gas. We observe this source through a dusty torus with a neutral absorbing column density of NH ~ 2x1023 cm-2. The torus is hundreds of pc across and collimates the starburst-driven nuclear outflow. We suggest that the ionizing source is an intermediate-mass black hole or a weakly accreting supermassive black hole, which may signal the beginnings or endings of AGN activity.
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