THE NUCLEUS OF THE CYGNUS-A GALAXY AT HIGH-RESOLUTION

Newly obtained high resolution optical images of the prototypical lumi nous radio galaxy Cygnus A (3C 405) indicate an inhomogeneous distribu tion of obscuring dust and - in combination with previous data - three types of radiation (stellar and blue featureless continuum as well as luminous line emission) in its central regions. The galaxy should not be classified as a colliding pair of galaxies, neither as a dust-lane galaxy. The alleged double nucleus finds its origin in heavy obscurat ion coupled to excess line emission in the central regions of an other wise normal giant elliptical galaxy. A strongly reddened nuclear compo nent, corresponding with the Cygnus A radio core, is found to emit fai nt but concentrated narrow line emission. Ali data appear consistent w ith identification of Cygnus A as a radio-loud quasar having its radio axis oriented at about 35-degrees from the sky plane. The presumed du st torus obscuring the quasar continuum is inferred to be smaller than 800 parsecs. A more elaborate description of this work is found in Ve stergaard and Barthel (1993) which also contains plates of the images mentioned.