Dm. Crenshaw et Sb. Kraemer, Resolved spectroscopy of the narrow-line region in NGC 1068. I. The natureof the continuum emission, ASTROPHYS J, 532(1), 2000, pp. 247-255
We present the first long-slit spectra of the Seyfert 2 galaxy NGC 1068 obt
ained by the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS); the spectra cover
the wavelength range 1150-10270 Angstrom at a spatial resolution of 0 ".05
-0 ".1 and a spectral resolving power of lambda/Delta lambda approximate to
1000. In this first paper, we concentrate on the far-UV to near-IR continu
um emission from the continuum "hot spot" and surrounding regions extending
out to +/-6 ".0 (+/-432 pc) at a position angle of 202 degrees. In additio
n to the broad emission lines detected by spectropolarimetry, the hot spot
shows the "little blue bump" in the 2000-4000 Angstrom range, which is due
to Fe II and Balmer continuum emission. The continuum shape of the hot spot
is indistinguishable from that of NGC 4151 and other Seyfert 1 galaxies. T
hus, the hot spot is reflected emission from the hidden nucleus, due to ele
ctron scattering (as opposed to wavelength-dependent dust scattering). The
hot spot is similar to 0 ".3 in extent and accounts for 20% of the scattere
d light in the inner 500 pc. We are able to deconvolve the extended continu
um emission in this region into two components: electron-scattered light fr
om the hidden nucleus (which dominates in the UV) and stellar light (which
dominates in the optical and near-IR). The scattered light is heavily conce
ntrated toward the hot spot, is stronger in the northeast, and is enhanced
in regions of strong narrow-line emission. The stellar component is more ex
tended, concentrated southwest of the hot spot, is dominated by an old (gre
ater than or equal to 2 x 10(9) yr) stellar population, and includes a nucl
ear stellar cluster that is similar to 200 pc in extent.