Digging process in NGC 6951: the molecular disc bumped by the jet

We present a study of the central 200 pc of the galaxy NGC 6951, SAB(rs) bc, an active twin of the Milky Way, at a distance of 24 Mpc. Its nucleus has been observed in the optical with the Integral Field Unit of the Gemini Multi-Object Spectrograph, showing an outflow, and with the HST/ACS, revealing two extended structures with similar orientation, suggesting the presence of a collimating and/or obscuring structure. In order to ascertain this hypothesis, adaptive optics assisted NIR integral field spectroscopic observations were obtained with the Near-Infrared Integral Field Spectrograph in the Gemini North telescope. We detected a compact structure of H-2 molecular gas, interpreted as a nearly edge-on disc with diameter of similar to 47 pc, PA = 124 degrees and velocity range from -40 to +40 km s(-1). This disc is misaligned by 32 degrees with respect to the radio jet and the ionization cones seen in the optical. There are two regions of turbulent gas, with position angles similar to the jet/cones, seen both in molecular and ionized phases; these regions are connected to the edges of the molecular disc and coincide with a high ratio of {[}N II]/H alpha = 5, suggesting that these regions are shock excited, partially ionized or both. We explain these structures as a consequence of a `digging process' that the jet inflicts on the disc, ejecting the molecular gas towards the ionization cones. The dynamical mass within 17 pc is estimated as 6.3 x 10(6) M-circle dot. This is an interesting case of an object presenting evidence of a connected feeding-feedback structure. (AU)