Resolving the obscuring torus in NGC 1068 with the power of infrared
  interferometry: Revealing the inner funnel of dust
  We present new interferometric data obtained with MIDI (MID infrared
Interferometric instrument) for the Seyfert II galaxy NGC 1068, with an
extensive coverage of sixteen uv points. These observations resolve the nuclear
mid-infrared emission from NGC 1068 in unprecedented detail with a maximum
resolution of 7 mas. For the first time, sufficient uv points have been
obtained, allowing us to generate an image of the source using maximum entropy
image reconstruction. The features of the image are similar to those obtained
by modelling. We find that the mid-infrared emission can be represented by two
components, each with a Gaussian brightness distribution. The first, identified
as the inner funnel of the obscuring torus, is hot (800K), 1.35 parsec long,
and 0.45 parsec thick in FWHM at a PA=-42 degrees (from north to east). It has
an absorption profile different than standard interstellar dust and with
evidence for clumpiness. The second component is 3 by 4 pc in FWHM with T=300K,
and we identify it with the cooler body of the torus. The compact component is
tilted by 45 degrees with respect to the radio jet and has similar size and
orientation to the observed water maser distribution. We show how the dust
distribution relates to other observables within a few parsecs of the core of
the galaxy such as the nuclear masers, the radio jet, and the ionization cone.
We compare our findings to a similar study of the Circinus galaxy and other
relevant studies. Our findings shed new light on the relation between the
different parsec-scale components in NGC 1068 and the obscuring torus.
