2001A&A...376..402C

In order to test if the molecular ``shells'' observed by Charmandaris et al. (2000A&A...356L...1C) could be due to a molecular outflow, we have mapped CO in J=10 and 21 along the jet axis of Centaurus A. Where our map coincides with their observed positions, like them, we obtain 4σ detections with a similar antenna temperature for CO 10, although both transitions appear to be somewhat wider in velocity dispersion than theirs. As well as these, we have several tentative detections at distances of >5kpc from the nucleus, and although these results are of too poor quality in order to verify or refute the shell model in favour of a molecular outflow, our observations of the inner kpc do suggest that at least a small-scale outflow is a possibility. Whether this would be a component of a larger-scale outflow or exists in conjunction with the molecular gas shells will have to wait for a much more extensive mapping of the large-scale gas distribution in Centaurus A, for which these and the results of Charmandaris et al. (2000A&A...356L...1C) will hopefully provide sufficient motivation.