2002ApJ...566..705B

An examination of the positions and redshifts of the compact QSO-like objects reported near the Seyfert 2 galaxy NGC 1068 has revealed many relationships that strongly suggest that the objects have been ejected from the galaxy. Although some of the same relations have been found for the compact objects near NGC 3516, the higher number of sources near NGC 1068 has resulted in a detailed physical model. The results indicate that the objects have been expelled in at least four similarly structured ejection events from a point near the center of NGC 1068 within the last 6x10⁶ yr and with very modest velocities [line-of-sight components ~(1-2)x10⁴ km.s^–1]. From the age and rotation angle of successive events, the rotation period of the central object is calculated to be ∼10⁷ yr, in good agreement with the nuclear rotation period obtained from kinematic studies of NGC 1068. The large redshifts of the objects cannot be explained by their modest ejection velocities and require an additional large intrinsic component.