Nuclear and Extended Spectra of NGC 1068 - II: Near-Infrared Stellar
  Population Synthesis
  We performed stellar population synthesis on the nuclear and extended regions
of NGC 1068 by means of near-infrared spectroscopy to disentangle their
spectral energy distribution components. This is the first time that such a
technique is applied to the whole 0.8 - 2.4 micron wavelength interval in this
galaxy. NGC 1068 is one of the nearest and probably the most studied Seyfert 2
galaxy, becoming an excellent laboratory to study the interaction between black
holes, the jets that they can produce and the medium in which they propagate.
Our main result is that traces of young stellar population are found at ~ 100
south of the nucleus. The contribution of a power-law continuum in the centre
is about 25%, which is expected if the light is scattered from a Seyfert 1
nucleus. We find peaks in the contribution of the featureless continuum about
100 - 150 pc from the nucleus on both sides. They might be associated with
regions where the jet encounters dense clouds. Further support to this scenario
is given by the peaks of hot dust distribution found around these same regions
and the H2 emission line profile, leading us to propose that the peaks might be
associate to regions where stars are being formed. Hot dust also has an
important contribution to the nuclear region, reinforcing the idea of the
presence of a dense, circumnuclear torus in this galaxy. Cold dust appears
mostly in the south direction, which supports the view that the southwest
emission is behind the plane of the galaxy and is extinguished very likely by
dust in the plane. Intermediate age stellar population contributes
significantly to the continuum, specially in the inner 200 pc.
