In some objects the type 1 components are obscured from direct view by an encircling geometrically and optically thick dusty torus. This leads to a more direct observational test for the torus size, as a large torus will be visible in silhouette against the counter-cone. 4 degrees and a minimum diameter for the torus of 200 pc. The H-band polarized flux intensity of NGC 1068. The contours represent the fainter features of the image, whilst the false colours emphasise the detail in the central nuclear region.
North is to the top and east to the left.
The contours represent the fainter features of the image and the false-colour image is of the brighter features. Any polarized flux associated with the emission line knots closer to the nucleus are unresolved from the nucleus in Fig 1. The named regions are features of the polarized intensity related to physical structures of the active nucleus, as discussed in the text. The absorption owing to the torus is clearly evident on both arms of the counter-cone polarized flux, and a reliminary geometrical analysis along the lines of Young et al. The nuclear region shows a D-shape structure with an extension along the postulated torus axis.