The authors present a high-resolution 2 cm VLA continuum map of the nuclear region of the spiral galaxy NGC 253. The central radio source is barely resolved (0arcsec.05×0arcsec.04): the implied brightness temperature of ⪆9×104K indicates nonthermal nuclear activity. The central source in NGC 253 is surrounded by compact knots (⪉0arcsec.1), with brightness temperatures of at least a few thousand degrees. These knots lie in the plane of the galaxy, and may represent emission associated with starforming regions or they may be related to ejection from the nuclear source. The latter possibility is suggested because the knots are highly collimated over the central 9arcsec (≡100 pc) to within 1° in projection.
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Turner et al. (1985) studied this question.