Draft version December 17, 2018 A Preprint typeset using L TEX style emulateapj v. 14/09/00 KINEMATICS OF PLANETARY NEBULAE IN M51’S TIDAL DEBRIS Patrick R. Durrell
[email protected] Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Penn State University, 525 Davey Lab, University Park, PA 16802 J. Christopher Mihos1, John J. Feldmeier
[email protected],
[email protected] Department of Astronomy, Case Western Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Ave, Cleveland, OH 44106 George H. Jacoby
[email protected] WIYN Observatory2, P.O. Box 26732, Tucson AZ 85726 and Robin Ciardullo
[email protected] Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Penn State University, 525 Davey Lab, University Park, PA 16802 accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journal ABSTRACT We report the results of a radial velocity survey of planetary nebulae (PNe) located in the tidal features of the well-known interacting system NGC 5194/95 (M51). We find clear kinematic evidence that M51’s northwestern tidal debris consists of two discrete structures which overlap in projection – NGC 5195’s own tidal tail, and diffuse material stripped from NGC 5194. We compare these kinematic data to a new numerical simulation of the M51 system, and show that the data are consistent with the classic “single passage” model for the encounter, with a parabolic satellite trajectory and a 2:1 mass ratio. We also comment on the spectra of two unusual objects: a high-velocity PN which may be associated with NGC 5194’s halo, and a possible interloping high-redshift galaxy. Subject headings: galaxies: individual (M51) — galaxies: interactions — galaxies: kinematics and dynamics — planetary nebulae: general 1.