Revisiting the Group-Dominant Elliptical NGC 5044 in the Radio Band: Continuum Emission and Detection of HI Absorption

We present new MeerKAT L-band (continuum and HI) and upgraded Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (300-850 MHz) observations of the archetypal cool-core group-dominant early-type galaxy NGC 5044. Our new continuum images reveal diffuse, steep spectrum ($\alpha_{0.99\,\rm GHz}^{1.56\,\rm GHz}=-1.53\pm0.6$) radio emission extending about 25 kpc around the unresolved radio core. The observed radio emission overlaps with the known X-ray cavities, but is not confined to them. We also find the first direct evidence of neutral atomic gas in NGC 5044, in the form of a 3.8$\sigma$ significant two-component HI absorption line seen against the emission of the active nucleus. The peak velocities are well correlated with the previously reported CO(2-1) absorption, but the HI lines are moderately broader, spanning velocities from $265\,\rm \, km\,s^{-1}$ to $305\,\rm \, km\,s^{-1}$. We do not detect HI emission, but place an upper limit of $M_{HI}< 5.4 \times 10^{7} \, M_{\odot}$ in the central 15 arcsec (2.2 kpc) of the galaxy. This is significantly less than the estimated molecular gas content, and implies a molecular-to-atomic mass ratio of $\geq $1.7:1, consistent with these gas phases forming through cooling from the hot intra-group medium. We also constrain the spin temperature to $T_{\rm spin}\leq 950\,\rm K$, indicating that the detected HI is in the cold neutral phase.