HCN(1-0) cube for the nucleus of M51

Our goal is to understand the interplay between AGN feedback and the interstellar medium in M51, a nearby spiral galaxy with a modest AGN and a kpc-scale radio jet expanding through the disc of the galaxy. For that, we combine molecular gas observations in the CO(1-0) and HCN(1-0) lines from the Plateau de Bure interferometer with archival radio, X-ray, and optical data.

We show that there is a significant scarcity of CO emission in the ionisation cone, while molecular gas emission tends to accumulate towards the edges of the cone. The distribution and kinematics of CO and HCN line emission reveal AGN feedback effects out to r~500pc, covering the whole extent of the radio jet, with complex kinematics in the molecular gas which displays strong local variations. We propose that this is the result of the almost coplanar jet pushing on molecular gas in different directions as it expands; the effects are more pronounced in HCN than in CO emission, probably as the result of radiative shocks.