Context. Feedback from accreting supermassive black holes (SMBHs) is often identified as the main mechanism responsible for regulating star formation in active galactic nucleus (AGN) host galaxies. ...However, the relationships between AGN activity, radiation, winds, and star formation are complex and still far from being understood. Aims. We study scaling relations between AGN properties, host galaxy properties, and AGN winds. We then evaluate the wind mean impact on the global star formation history, taking into account the short AGN duty cycle with respect to that of star formation. Methods. We first collect AGN wind observations for 94 AGN with detected massive winds at sub-pc to kpc spatial scales. We then fold AGN wind scaling relations with AGN luminosity functions, to evaluate the average AGN wind mass-loading factor as a function of cosmic time. Results. We find strong correlations between the AGN molecular and ionised wind mass outflow rates and the AGN bolometric luminosity. The power law scaling is steeper for ionised winds (slope 1.29 ± 0.38) than for molecular winds (0.76 ± 0.06), meaning that the two rates converge at high bolometric luminosities. The molecular gas depletion timescale and the molecular gas fraction of galaxies hosting powerful AGN driven winds are 3–10 times shorter and smaller than those of main sequence galaxies with similar star formation rate (SFR), stellar mass, and redshift. These findings suggest that, at high AGN bolometric luminosity, the reduced molecular gas fraction may be due to the destruction of molecules by the wind, leading to a larger fraction of gas in the atomic ionised phase. The AGN wind mass-loading factor η = ṀOF/SFR is systematically higher than that of starburst driven winds. Conclusions. Our analysis shows that AGN winds are, on average, powerful enough to clean galaxies from their molecular gas only in massive systems at z ≲ 2, i.e. a strong form of co-evolution between SMBHs and galaxies appears to break down for the least massive galaxies.
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Mrk 231 is a nearby ultra-luminous IR galaxy exhibiting a kpc-scale, multi-phase AGN-driven outflow. This galaxy represents the best target to investigate in detail the morphology and energetics of ...powerful outflows, as well as their still poorly-understood expansion mechanism and impact on the host galaxy. In this work, we present the best sensitivity and angular resolution maps of the molecular disk and outflow of Mrk 231, as traced by CO(2−1) and (3−2) observations obtained with the IRAM/PdBI. In addition, we analyze archival deep Chandra and NuSTAR X-ray observations. We use this unprecedented combination of multi-wavelength data sets to constrain the physical properties of both the molecular disk and outflow, the presence of a highly-ionized ultra-fast nuclear wind, and their connection. The molecular CO(2−1) outflow has a size of ~1 kpc, and extends in all directions around the nucleus, being more prominent along the south-west to north-east direction, suggesting a wide-angle biconical geometry. The maximum projected velocity of the outflow is nearly constant out to ~1 kpc, thus implying that the density of the outflowing material must decrease from the nucleus outwards as ~r-2. This suggests that either a large part of the gas leaves the flow during its expansion or that the bulk of the outflow has not yet reached out to ~1 kpc, thus implying a limit on its age of ~1 Myr. Mapping the mass and energy rates of the molecular outflow yields \hbox{$\rm \dot {\it M}$}M˙ OF = 500−1000 M⊙ yr-1 and Ėkin,OF = 7−10 × 1043 erg s-1. The total kinetic energy of the outflow is Ekin,OF is of the same order of the total energy of the molecular disk, Edisk. Remarkably, our analysis of the X-ray data reveals a nuclear ultra-fast outflow (UFO) with velocity −20 000 km s-1, \hbox{$\rm \dot {\it M}$} M ˙ UFO = 0.3−2.1 M⊙ yr-1, and momentum load \hbox{$\rm \dot {\it P}$} P ˙ UFO/ \hbox{$\dot {\it P}$} P ˙ rad = 0.2−1.6. We find Ėkin,UFO ~ Ėkin,OF as predicted for outflows undergoing an energy conserving expansion. This suggests that most of the UFO kinetic energy is transferred to mechanical energy of the kpc-scale outflow, strongly supporting that the energy released during accretion of matter onto super-massive black holes is the ultimate driver of giant massive outflows. The momentum flux \hbox{$\rm \dot {\it P}$} P ˙ OF derived for the large scale outflows in Mrk 231 enables us to estimate a momentum boost \hbox{$\rm \dot {\it P}$} P ˙ OF/ \hbox{$\dot {\it P}$} P ˙ UFO ≈ 30−60. The ratios Ėkin,UFO/Lbol,AGN = 1−5 % and Ėkin,OF/Lbol,AGN = 1−3 % agree with the requirements of the most popular models of AGN feedback.
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We study the properties of massive, galactic-scale outflows of molecular gas and investigate their impact on galaxy evolution. We present new IRAM PdBI CO(1–0) observations of local ultra-luminous ...infrared galaxies (ULIRGs) and quasar-hosts: a clear signature of massive and energetic molecular outflows, extending on kpc scales, is found in the CO(1–0) kinematics of four out of seven sources, with measured outflow rates of several 100 M⊙ yr-1. We combine these new observations with data from the literature, and explore the nature and origin of massive molecular outflows within an extended sample of 19 local galaxies. We find that starburst-dominated galaxies have an outflow rate comparable to their star formation rate (SFR), or even higher by a factor of ~2–4, implying that starbursts can indeed be effective in removing cold gas from galaxies. Nevertheless, our results suggest that the presence of an active galactic nucleus (AGN) can boost the outflow rate by a large factor, which is found to increase with the LAGN/Lbol ratio. The gas depletion time scales due to molecular outflows are anti-correlated with the presence and luminosity of an AGN in these galaxies, and range from a few hundred million years in starburst galaxies down to just a few million years in galaxies hosting powerful AGNs. In quasar hosts, the depletion time scales due to the outflow are much shorter than the depletion time scales due to star formation. We estimate the outflow kinetic power and find that, for galaxies hosting powerful AGNs, it corresponds to about 5% of the AGN luminosity, as expected by models of AGN feedback. Moreover, we find that momentum rates of about 20 LAGN/c are common among the AGN-dominated sources in our sample. For “pure” starburst galaxies, our data tentatively support models in which outflows are mostly momentum-driven by the radiation pressure from young stars onto dusty clouds. Overall, our results indicate that, although starbursts are effective in powering massive molecular outflows, the presence of an AGN may strongly enhance such outflows, and therefore have a profound feedback effect on the evolution of galaxies by efficiently removing fuel for star formation, hence quenching star formation.
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Abstract
This paper provides an update of our previous scaling relations between galaxy-integrated molecular gas masses, stellar masses, and star formation rates (SFRs), in the framework of the star ...formation main sequence (MS), with the main goal of testing for possible systematic effects. For this purpose our new study combines three independent methods of determining molecular gas masses from CO line fluxes, far-infrared dust spectral energy distributions, and ∼1 mm dust photometry, in a large sample of 1444 star-forming galaxies between
z
= 0 and 4. The sample covers the stellar mass range log(
M
*
/
M
⊙
) = 9.0–11.8, and SFRs relative to that on the MS,
δ
MS = SFR/SFR(MS), from 10
−1.3
to 10
2.2
. Our most important finding is that all data sets, despite the different techniques and analysis methods used, follow the same scaling trends, once method-to-method zero-point offsets are minimized and uncertainties are properly taken into account. The molecular gas depletion time
t
depl
, defined as the ratio of molecular gas mass to SFR, scales as (1 +
z
)
−0.6
× (
δ
MS)
−0.44
and is only weakly dependent on stellar mass. The ratio of molecular to stellar mass
μ
gas
depends on (
1
+
z
)
2.5
×
(
δ
MS
)
0.52
×
(
M
*
)
−
0.36
, which tracks the evolution of the specific SFR. The redshift dependence of
μ
gas
requires a curvature term, as may the mass dependences of
t
depl
and
μ
gas
. We find no or only weak correlations of
t
depl
and
μ
gas
with optical size
R
or surface density once one removes the above scalings, but we caution that optical sizes may not be appropriate for the high gas and dust columns at high
z
.
We present CO(2−1) and adjacent continuum observations of seven nearby radio-quiet type-2 quasars (QSO2s) obtained with ALMA at ∼0.2″ resolution (370 pc at
z
∼ 0.1). These QSO2s are luminous (
L
...OIII
> 10
8.5
L
⊙
∼
M
B
< −23), and their host galaxies massive (
M
*
∼ 10
11
M
⊙
). The CO morphologies are diverse, including disks and interacting systems. Two of the QSO2s are red early-type galaxies with no CO(2–1) detected. In the interacting galaxies, the central kiloparsec contains 18–25% of the total cold molecular gas, whereas in the spirals it is only ∼5–12%. J1010+0612 and J1430+1339 show double-peaked CO flux maps along the major axis of the CO disks that do not have an optical counterpart at the same angular resolution. Based on our analysis of the ionized and molecular gas kinematics and millimeter continuum emission, these CO morphologies are most likely produced by active galactic nucleus (AGN) feedback in the form of outflows, jets, and/or shocks. The CO kinematics of the QSO2s with CO(2−1) detections are dominated by rotation but also reveal noncircular motions. According to our analysis, these noncircular motions correspond to molecular outflows that are mostly coplanar with the CO disks in four of the QSO2s, and either to a coplanar inflow or vertical outflow in the case of J1010+0612. These outflows represent 0.2–0.7% of the QSO2s’ total molecular gas mass and have maximum velocities of 200–350 km s
−1
, radii from 0.4 to 1.3 kpc, and outflow mass rates of 8–16
M
⊙
yr
−1
. These outflow properties are intermediate between those of the mild molecular outflows measured for Seyfert galaxies and the fast and energetic outflows shown by ultra-luminous infrared galaxies. This suggests that it is not only AGN luminosity that drives massive molecular outflows. Other factors such as jet power, coupling between winds, jets, and/or ionized outflows and the CO disks, and amount or geometry of dense gas in the nuclear regions might also be relevant. Thus, although we do not find evidence for a significant impact of quasar feedback on the total molecular gas reservoirs and star formation rates, it appears to be modifying the distribution of cold molecular gas in the central kiloparsec of the galaxies.
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Evidence of strong quasar feedback in the early Universe Maiolino, R.; Gallerani, S.; Neri, R. ...
Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. Letters,
September 2012, 2012-09-01, 20120901, Volume:
425, Issue:
1
Journal Article
Peer reviewed
Open access
ABSTRACT
Most theoretical models invoke quasar‐driven outflows to quench star formation in massive galaxies, and this feedback mechanism is required to account for the population of old and passive ...galaxies observed in the local Universe. The discovery of massive, old and passive galaxies at z∼ 2 implies that such quasar feedback on to the host galaxy must have been at work very early on, close to the reionization epoch. We have observed the C ii 158 m transition in SDSS J114816.64+525150.3, which, at z= 6.4189, is one of the most distant quasars known. We detect broad wings of the line tracing a quasar‐driven massive outflow. This is the most distant massive outflow ever detected and is likely tracing the long‐sought quasar feedback, already at work in the early Universe. The outflow is marginally resolved on scales of ∼16 kpc, implying that the outflow can really affect the whole galaxy, as required by quasar feedback models. The inferred outflow rate, , is the highest ever found. At this rate, the outflow can clean the gas in the host galaxy, and therefore quench star formation, in a few million years.
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We report new detections and limits from a NOEMA and ALMA CO(1-0) search for molecular outflows in 13 local galaxies with high far-infrared surface brightness, and combine these with local universe ...CO outflow results from the literature. The CO line ratios and spatial outflow structure of our targets provide some constraints on the conversion steps from observables to physical quantities such as molecular mass outflow rates. Where available, ratios between outflow emission in higher J CO transitions and in CO(1-0) are typically consistent with excitation
R
i
1
≲ 1. However, for IRAS 13120−5453,
R
31
= 2.10 ± 0.29 indicates optically thin CO in the outflow. Like much of the outflow literature, we use
α
CO(1 − 0)
= 0.8, and we present arguments for using
C
= 1 in deriving molecular mass outflow rates
Ṁ
out
=
C
M
out
v
out
/
R
out
. We compare the two main methods for molecular outflow detection: CO millimeter interferometry and
Herschel
OH-based spectroscopic outflow searches. For 26 sources studied with both methods, we find an 80% agreement in detecting
v
out
≳ 150 km s
−1
outflows, and non-matches can be plausibly ascribed to outflow geometry and signal-to-noise ratio. For a published sample of 12 bright ultraluminous infrared galaxies with detailed OH-based outflow modeling, CO outflows are detected in all but one. Outflow masses, velocities, and sizes for these 11 sources agree well between the two methods, and modest remaining differences may relate to the different but overlapping regions sampled by CO emission and OH absorption. Outflow properties correlate better with active galactic nucleus (AGN) luminosity and with bolometric luminosity than with far-infrared surface brightness. The most massive outflows are found for systems with current AGN activity, but significant outflows in nonAGN systems must relate to star formation or to AGN activity in the recent past. We report scaling relations for the increase of outflow mass, rate, momentum rate, and kinetic power with bolometric luminosity. Short flow times of ∼10
6
yr and some sources with resolved multiple outflow episodes support a role of intermittent driving, likely by AGNs.
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ABSTRACT
We present Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) observations of eight highly excited CO (${\rm J_{\rm up}}$ > 8) lines and continuum emission in two z ∼ 6 quasars: ...SDSS J231038.88+185519.7 (hereafter J2310), for which CO(8–7), CO(9–8), and CO(17–16) lines have been observed, and ULAS J131911.29+095951.4 (J1319), observed in the CO(14–13), CO(17–16), and CO(19–18) lines. The continuum emission of both quasars arises from a compact region (<0.9 kpc). By assuming a modified blackbody law, we estimate dust masses of log(Mdust/M⊙) = 8.75 ± 0.07 and log(Mdust/M⊙) = 8.8 ± 0.2 and dust temperatures of Tdust = 76 ± 3 K and $T_{\rm dust}=66^{+15}_{-10}\,{\rm K}$, respectively, for J2310 and J1319. Only CO(8–7) and CO(9–8) in J2310 are detected, while 3σ upper limits on luminosities are reported for the other lines of both quasars. The CO line luminosities and upper limits measured in J2310 and J1319 are consistent with those observed in local active galactic nuclei and starburst galaxies, and other z ∼ 6 quasars, except for SDSS J1148+5251 (J1148), the only quasar at z = 6.4 with a previous CO(17–16) line detection. By computing the CO spectral line energy distributions normalized to the CO(6–5) line and far-infrared luminosities for J2310, J1319, and J1148, we conclude that different gas heating mechanisms (X-ray radiation and/or shocks) may explain the different CO luminosities observed in these z ∼ 6 quasar. Future ${\rm J_{\rm up}}$ > 8 CO observations will be crucial to understand the processes responsible for molecular gas excitation in luminous high-z quasars.
We study the redshift evolution of the quasar (QSO) UV luminosity function (LF) for 0.5 < z < 6.5, by collecting the most up to date observational data and, in particular, the recently discovered ...population of faint active galactic nuclei (AGNs). We fit the QSO LF using either a double power-law function or a Schechter function, finding that both forms provide good fits to the data. We derive empirical relations for the LF parameters as a function of redshift and, based on these results, predict the QSO UV LF at z = 8. From the inferred LF evolution, we compute the redshift evolution of the QSO/AGN comoving ionizing emissivity and hydrogen photoionization rate. If faint AGNs are included, the contribution of QSOs to reionization increases substantially. However, their level of contribution critically depends on the detailed shape of the QSO LF, which can be constrained by efficient searches of high-z QSOs. To this aim, we predict the expected (i) number of z > 6 QSOs detectable by ongoing and future near-infrared surveys (as EUCLID and Wide-Field Infrared Survey Telescope), and (ii) number counts for a single radio-recombination line observation with Square Kilometre Array-MID (FoV = 0.49 deg2) as a function of the Hnα flux density, at 0 < z < 8. These surveys (even at z < 6) will be fundamental to better constrain the role of QSOs as reionization sources.
Past observations of quasar host galaxies at z> 6 have found cold gas and star formation on compact scales of a few kiloparsecs. We present new high sensitivity IRAM Plateau de Bure Interferometer ...follow-up observations of the C ii 158 μm emission line and far-infrared (FIR) continuum in the host galaxy of SDSS J1148+5251, a luminous quasar at redshift 6.4189. We find that a large portion of the gas traced by C ii is at high velocities, up to ~1400 km s-1relative to the systemic velocity, confirming the presence of a major outflow as indicated by previous observations. The outflow has a complex morphology and reaches a maximum projected radius of ≃30 kpc. The extreme spatial extent of the outflow allows us, for the first time in an external galaxy, to estimate mass-loss rate, kinetic power, and momentum rate of the outflow as a function of the projected distance from the nucleus and the dynamical time scale. These trends reveal multiple outflow events during the past 100 Myr, although the bulk of the mass, energy, and momentum appear to have been released more recently within the past ~20 Myr. Surprisingly, we discover that the quiescent gas at systemic velocity is also extremely extended. More specifically, we find that, while 30% of the C ii within v ∈(−200, 200) km s-1 traces a compact component that is not resolved by our observations, 70% of the C ii emission in this velocity range is extended with a projected full width at half maximum (FWHM) size of 17.4 ± 1.4 kpc. We detect FIR continuum emission associated with both the compact and the extended C ii components, although the extended FIR emission has a FWHM of 11 ± 3 kpc, thus smaller than the extended C ii source. Overall, our results indicate that the cold gas traced by C ii is distributed up to r ~ 30 kpc in the host galaxy of SDSS J1148+5251. A large amount of extended C ii is likely to be associated with star formation occurring on large scales, but the C ii source extends well beyond the FIR continuum, and additional multi-wavelength observations are needed in order to clarify the origin of this very extended C ii .
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