High-resolution mid-infrared imaging of the nucleus of NGC 1068

We have obtained mid-infrared images of the nucleus of NGC 1068 from the Ha le 5 m telescope at Mount Palomar with diffraction-limited resolution and h igh sensitivity at lambda = 8.8, 10.3, and 12.5 mu m. Deconvolved images sh ow that the infrared emission extends north to south in the inner 2 ", cons isting of a central peak, a component extending 1 " north of the central so urce, a component extending 1 " south of the central source, and several sm aller structures located 1 " to the northeast. The central peak is extended 0." 4 N-S and unresolved (less than or equal to 0." 2) E-W. We find that 5 0% +/- 5% of the flux emerges from the central 0." 4 and that a single unre solved point source can account for only 27% +/- 5% of the total flux. Howe ver, if the central peak arises from optically thick emission, we estimate that the emitting region has a projected area greater than or equal to 2 pc (2) and thus may contain a compact source such as a parsec-scale torus. We observe a correspondence between the northern extension and northeastern so urces appearing on the mid-infrared images and the [O III] clouds A-C and E . We interpret the faint optical counterpart to the mid-infrared southern e xtension as being due to a partial obscuration by the intervening disk of t he host galaxy. The N-S extension of the mid-infrared emission coincides wi th one wall of the conical narrow-line region and aligns with the N-S orien tation of the radio jet close to the nucleus. We interpret the infrared emi ssion as arising from the optically thick dust that lines the walls of the low-density cavity formed by the radio jet and heated by radiation from the central source.