This review summarizes the state of the knowledge of the nearby (D = 3.4 Mpc) radio source Centaurus A and its host galaxy NGC 5128. The massive elliptical host galaxy appears to be moderately triaxial. It contains a strongly warped thin disk, rich in gas, dust and young stars, and roughly aligned with the minor axis of the elliptical galaxy. This and other evidence suggests that NGC 5128 has experienced a major merger at least once in its past. The subparsec nucleus is variable at radio and X-ray wavelengths and is probably powered by accretion onto a black hole of moderate mass. HI and molecular line absorption against the nucleus suggest significal inflow of material. Linear radio/X-ray jets emanating from the nucleus become subrelativistic at a few parsec, expand into plumes at about 5 kpc, and then turn into huge radio lobes extending out to 250 kpc. A compact disk surrounds the nucleus. It is not aligned with any of the principal axes of the elliptical galaxy, but perpendicular to the inner jets. The jet-collimating mechanism, probably tied to this circumnuclear disk, appears to be precessing on timescales of a times 10**7 yerars.Comment: Reviw; 46 pages; Figures not include

The LOFAR Two-metre Sky Survey (LoTSS) is a deep 120-168 MHz imaging survey that will eventually cover the entire northern sky. Each of the 3170 pointings will be observed for 8 h, which, at most declinations, is sufficient to produce ∼5 resolution images with a sensitivity of ∼100 µJy/beam and accomplish the main scientific aims of the survey, which are to explore the formation and evolution of massive black holes, galaxies, clusters of galaxies and large-scale structure. Owing to the compact core and long baselines of LOFAR, the images provide excellent sensitivity to both highly extended and compact emission. For legacy value, the data are archived at high spectral and time resolution to facilitate subarcsecond imaging and spectral line studies. In this paper we provide an overview of the LoTSS. We outline the survey strategy, the observational status, the current calibration techniques, a preliminary data release, and the anticipated scientific impact. The preliminary images that we have released were created using a fully automated but direction-independent calibration strategy and are significantly more sensitive than those produced by any existing large-area low-frequency survey. In excess of 44 000 sources are detected in the images that have a resolution of 25 , typical noise levels of less than 0.5 mJy/beam, and cover an area of over 350 square degrees in the region of the HETDEX Spring Field (right ascension 10h45m00s to 15h30m00s and declination 45• 00 00 to 57• 00 00 ).

Ultra) luminous infrared galaxies ((U)LIRGs) are objects characterized by their extreme infrared (8-1000 μm) luminosities (L LIRG > 10 11 L and L ULIRG > 10 12 L ). The Herschel Comprehensive ULIRG Emission Survey (PI: van der Werf) presents a representative flux-limited sample of 29 (U)LIRGs that spans the full luminosity range of these objects (10 11 L L IR 10 13 L ). With the Herschel Space Observatory, we observe [C ii] 157 μm, [O i] 63 μm, and [O i] 145 μm line emission with Photodetector Array Camera and Spectrometer, CO J = 4-3 through J = 13-12, [C i] 370 μm, and [C i] 609 μm with SPIRE, and low-J CO transitions with ground-based telescopes.The CO ladders of the sample are separated into three classes based on their excitation level. In 13 of the galaxies, the [O i] 63 μm emission line is self absorbed. Comparing the CO excitation to the InfraRed Astronomical Satellite 60/100 μm ratio and to far infrared luminosity, we find that the CO excitation is more correlated to the far infrared colors. We present cooling budgets for the galaxies and find fine-structure line flux deficits in theand [C i] lines in the objects with the highest far IR fluxes, but do not observe this for CO 4 J upp 13. In order to study the heating of the molecular gas, we present a combination of three diagnostic quantities to help determine the dominant heating source. Using the CO excitation, the CO J = 1-0 linewidth, and the active galactic nucleus (AGN) contribution, we conclude that galaxies with large CO linewidths always have high-excitation CO ladders, and often low AGN contributions, suggesting that mechanical heating is important.

Context. To reveal the origin of mid-infrared radiation from the core of Centaurus A, we carried out interferometric observations with the MID-infrared Interferometer (MIDI) at ESO's VLTI telescope array. Aims. Observations were obtained with four baselines between unit telescopes of the VLTI, two of them roughly along the radio axis and two orthogonal to it. The interferometric measurements are spectrally resolved with λ/∆λ = 30 in the wavelength range 8 to 13 µm. Their resolution reaches 15 mas at the shortest wavelengths. Supplementary observations were obtained in the near-infrared with the adaptive optics instrument NACO, and at mm wavelengths with SEST and JCMT. Methods. The mid-infrared emission from the core of Centaurus A is dominated by an unresolved point source (<10 mas). Observations with baselines orientated perpendicular to the radio jet reveal an extended component which can be interpreted as a geometrically thin, dusty disk, the axis of which is aligned with the radio jet. Its diameter is about 0.6 pc. It contributes between 20% (at λ 8 µm) and 40% (at λ 13 µm) to the nuclear flux from Centaurus A and contains dust at about 240 K. We argue, that the unresolved emission is dominated by a synchrotron source. Its overall spectrum is characterized by an F ν ∼ ν −0.36 power-law which cuts off exponentially towards high frequencies at ν c = 8 × 10 13 Hz and becomes optically thick at ν < ν 1 45 GHz. Results. Based on a Synchrotron Self Compton (SSC) interpretation for the γ-ray emission, we find a magnetic field strength of 26 µT and a maximum energy of relativistic electrons of γ c = E c /m e c 2 = 8500. Near γ c , the acceleration time scale is τ acc = 4 days, in good agreement with the fastest flux variations, observed at X-ray frequencies. Our SSC model argues for a Doppler factor δ 1 whichtogether with the jet-counter jet ratio of the radio jets on parsec scale -results in an upper limit for the bulk Lorentz factor Γ jet < 2.5, at variance with the concept of a "mis-directed BL Lac object". Conclusions. We estimate a thermal luminosity of the core, P th 1.3 × 10 34 W = 1.5 × 10 −4 × L Edd , intermediate between the values for highly efficiently accreting AGN (e.g. Seyfert galaxies) and those of typical FR I radio galaxies. This luminosity, which is predominantly released in X-rays, is most likely generated in an Advection Dominated Accretion Flow (ADAF) and seems just sufficient to heat the dusty disk.

Context. Low-frequency radio continuum observations (<300 MHz) can provide valuable information on the propagation of low-energy cosmic ray electrons (CRE). Nearby spiral galaxies have hardly been studied in this frequency range because of the technical challenges of low-frequency radio interferometry. This is now changing with the start of operations of LOFAR. Aims. We aim to study the propagation of low-energy CRE in the interarm regions and the extended disk of the nearly face-on spiral galaxy Messier 51. We also search for polarisation in M 51 and other extragalactic sources in the field. Methods. The grand-design spiral galaxy M 51 was observed with the LOFAR High Frequency Antennas (HBA) and imaged in total intensity and polarisation. This observation covered the frequencies between 115 MHz and 175 MHz with 244 subbands of 8 channels each, resulting in 1952 channels. This allowed us to use RM synthesis to search for polarisation. Results. We produced an image of total emission of M 51 at the mean frequency of 151 MHz with 20 resolution and 0.3 mJy rms noise, which is the most sensitive image of a galaxy at frequencies below 300 MHz so far. The integrated spectrum of total radio emission is described well by a power law, while flat spectral indices in the central region indicate thermal absorption. We observe that the disk extends out to 16 kpc and see a break in the radial profile near the optical radius of the disk. The radial scale lengths in the inner and outer disks are greater at 151 MHz, and the break is smoother at 151 MHz than those observed at 1.4 GHz. The arm-interarm contrast is lower at 151 MHz than at 1400 MHz, indicating propagation of CRE from spiral arms into interarm regions. The correlations between the images of radio emission at 151 MHz and 1400 MHz and the FIR emission at 70 μm reveal breaks on scales of 1.4 and 0.7 kpc, respectively. The total (equipartition) magnetic field strength decreases from about 28 μG in the central region to about 10 μG at 10 kpc radius. No significant polarisation was detected from M 51, owing to severe Faraday depolarisation. Six extragalactic sources are detected in polarisation in the M 51 field of 4.1 • × 4.1 • size. Two sources show complex structures in Faraday space. Conclusions. Our main results, the scale lengths of the inner and outer disks at 151 MHz and 1.4 GHz, arm-interarm contrast, and the break scales of the radio-FIR correlations, can be explained consistently by CRE diffusion, leading to a longer propagation length of CRE of lower energy. The distribution of CRE sources drops sharply at about 10 kpc radius, where the star formation rate also decreases sharply. We find evidence that thermal absorption is primarily caused by H ii regions. The non-detection of polarisation from M 51 at 151 MHz is consistent with the estimates of Faraday depolarisation. Future searches for polarised emission in this frequency range should concentrate on regions with low star formation rates.Key words. polarization -cosmic rays -galaxies: ISM -galaxies: ...