Compact near-infrared sources in the center of the extraordinary galaxy IC 860

Context. Hubble Space Telescope (HST) images are used to study the structure of the central regions of the luminous infrared galaxy (LIRG) IC 860. IC 860 is of special interest as a system with an extreme central concentration of molecular gas cloaking its compact obscured nucleus (CON). The CON provides most of the 1.5 × 10 11 L ⊙ luminosity in IC 860 from an undetermined combination of stellar and active galactic nucleus power sources. Aims. We mapped and photometered the central molecular zone (CMZ) of IC 860 motivated by a previous detection of a luminous compact nuclear source. Our objective was to study the properties of the CMZ and its relationship to the CON, which we identified as an opaque central region in archival near-infrared (NIR) images. Methods. We measured the coordinates of the compact NIR source, IC860-a, from HST coordinates calibrated with Gaia positions. The photometry of the HST images yielded magnitudes, colors, and high V-band dust optical depths based on foreground screen dust models. Photometry corrected for dimming by dust yielded NIR luminosities of IC860-a and the CMZ. Results. IC 860 has distinct compact central luminosity sources. Most of the NIR luminosity is from the CMZ, while the LIRG-CON is an obscured region centered in the CMZ. IC860-a, on the northeastern side of the CMZ, is offset by ≈0.2″ from the CON, has a luminosity of ∼10 9 L ⊙ , and may be a massive young stellar complex or intruding nucleus. Conclusions. The inner CMZ in IC 860 contains two luminous compact objects. The CON is identified for the first time as an obscured central source, while the structure of the CMZ+CON is complicated by the presence of IC860-a, compact object and possibly a massive young stellar system or second nucleus. The presence of IC 860-a in combination with the CON is a further signature of the unusual evolution of the gas-rich IC 860 CMZ.