Disentangling the circumnuclear environs of Centaurus A: II. On the
  nature of the broad absorption line
  We report on atomic gas (HI) and molecular gas (as traced by CO(2-1))
redshifted absorption features toward the nuclear regions of the closest
powerful radio galaxy, Centaurus A (NGC 5128). Our HI observations using the
Very Long Baseline Array allow us to discern with unprecedented sub-parsec
resolution HI absorption profiles toward different positions along the 21 cm
continuum jet emission in the inner 0."3 (or 5.4 pc). In addition, our CO(2-1)
data obtained with the Submillimeter Array probe the bulk of the absorbing
molecular gas with little contamination by emission, not possible with previous
CO single-dish observations. We shed light with these data on the physical
properties of the gas in the line of sight, emphasizing the still open debate
about the nature of the gas that produces the broad absorption line (~55 km/s).
First, the broad H I line is more prominent toward the central and brightest 21
cm continuum component than toward a region along the jet at a distance ~ 20
mas (or 0.4 pc) further from it. This suggests that the broad absorption line
arises from gas located close to the nucleus, rather than from diffuse and more
distant gas. Second, the different velocity components detected in the CO(2-1)
absorption spectrum match well other molecular lines, such as those of
HCO+(1-0), except the broad absorption line that is detected in HCO+(1-0) (and
most likely related to that of the H I). Dissociation of molecular hydrogen due
to the AGN seems to be efficient at distances <= 10 pc, which might contribute
to the depth of the broad H I and molecular lines.
