RADIO AND EMISSION-LINE JETS IN THE TYPE-2 SEYFERT-GALAXY MARKARIAN-1066 (UGC-2456)

Hubble Space Telescope (HST) images, ground-based spectroscopy, and a new VLA map of the type 2 Seyfert galaxy Markarian 1066 (UGC 2456) are used to study the morphology, kinematics, and excitation of the ionized gas and its relation to the radio continuum source. The H alpha + [N II] image reveals emission from a region 3'' (490 h(-1) pc, h = H-0/100 km s(-1) Mpc(-1)) long centered on the nucleus, while the [O III]-emitting gas is concentrated into a bright ''jetlike'' structure extending 1''14 (230 h(-1) pc) NW of the nucleus. Ground-based spectroscopy indicates that both high- and low-excitation components are present in the narrow-line region. The low-excitation emission lines have ratios similar to those of LINERs, trace out a rotation curve with amplitude approximate to 200 km s(-1), and probably originate from gas in the galaxy disk. However, relative to this rotation curve, the CO mi-emitting gas is blueshifted NW of the nucleus and redshifted SE of the nucleus. The VLA 3.6 cm map confirms that the radio source is ''linear'' and resembles a bipolar jet. Both the [O III] and H alpha+[N II] distributions align with the radio axis. The highest excitation gas coincides with the NW radio jet. High-excitation gas may also be associated with the SE radio jet, but its line emission is attenuated by obscuration in the foreground galactic disk. We discuss two possible scenarios which can account for the observed association between the high-excitation gas and the radio jet. A nuclear continuum source could emit ionizing photons anisotropically and preferentially along the jet. Alternatively, shocks may form at the boundary between the jet and ambient cloud material and generate ionizing photons in situ. The radio and emission-line jets in Mrk 1066 are approximately aligned with the galaxy's bar in projection on the sky. However, an analysis of a volume-limited sample of Seyfert galaxies indicates no strong alignment between kiloparsec scale stellar bars and similar to 100 pc scale radio sources.