We present the results of a pilot JVLA project aimed at studying the bulk of the radio-emitting AGN population, that was unveiled by the NVSS/FIRST and SDSS surveys. The key questions are related to ...the origin of their radio-emission and to its connection with the properties of their hosts. We obtained A-array observations at the JVLA at 1.4, 4.5, and 7.5 GHz for 12 sources, a small but representative subsample. The radio maps reveal compact unresolved or only slightly resolved radio structures on a scale of 1−3 kpc, with the one exception of a hybrid FR I/FR II source extended over ~40 kpc. Thanks to either the new high-resolution maps or to the radio spectra, we isolated the radio core component in most of them. We split the sample into two groups. Four sources have low black hole (BH) masses (mostly ~107 M⊙) and are hosted by blue galaxies, often showing evidence of a contamination from star formation to their radio emission, and are associated with radio-quiet (RQ) AGN. The second group consists in seven radio-loud (RL) AGN, which are located in red massive (~1011 M⊙) early-type galaxies, have high BH masses (≳108 M⊙), and are spectroscopically classified as low excitation galaxies (LEG). These are all characteristics typical of FR I radio galaxies. They also lie on the correlation between radio core power and O III line luminosity defined by FR Is. However, they are more core-dominated (by a factor of ~30) than FR Is and show a deficit of extended radio emission. We dub these sources “FR 0” to emphasize their lack of prominent extended radio emission, which is their single distinguishing feature with respect to FR Is. The differences in radio properties between FR 0s and FR Is might be ascribed to an evolutionary effect, with the FR 0 sources undergoing rapid intermittency that prevents the growth of large-scale structures. However, this contrasts with the scenario in which low-luminosity radio-galaxies are fed by continuous accretion of gas from their hot coronae. In our preferred scenario the lack of extended radio emission in FR 0s is due to their lower jet Lorentz Γ factor with respect to FR Is. The slower jets in FR 0s are more subject to instabilities and entrainment, which causes their premature disruption.
Several studies indicate that radio-loud (RL) active galactic nuclei (AGNs) are produced only by the most massive black holes (BH), M
BH ∼ 108–1010 M⊙. This idea has been challenged by the discovery ...of RL Narrow Line Seyfert 1 (RL NLSy1), having estimated masses of M
BH ∼ 106–107 M⊙. However, these low M
BH estimates might be due to projection effects. Spectropolarimetry allows us to test this possibility by looking at RL NLSy1s under a different perspective, i.e. from the viewing angle of the scattering material. We here report the results of a pilot study of Very Large Telescope spectropolarimetric observations of the RL NLSy1 PKS 2004−447. Its polarization properties are remarkably well reproduced by models in which the scattering occurs in an equatorial structure surrounding its broad-line region, seen close to face-on. In particular, we detect a polarized Hα line with a width of ∼9000 km s−1, ∼6 times broader than the width seen in direct light. This corresponds to a revised estimate of M
BH ∼ 6 × 108 M⊙, well within the typical range of RL AGN. The double-peaked polarized broad Hα profile of the target suggests that the rare combination of the orientation effects and a broad line region dominated by the rotation might account for this class of objects, casting doubts on the virial estimates of BH mass for type-I AGN.
Context. Ionized outflows, revealed by broad asymmetric wings of the O III λ5007 line, are commonly observed in active galactic nuclei (AGN) but the low intrinsic spatial resolution of the ...observations has generally prevented a detailed characterization of their properties. The MAGNUM survey aims at overcoming these limitations by focusing on the nearest AGN, including NGC 1365, a nearby Seyfert galaxy (D ∼ 17 Mpc), hosting a low-luminosity active nucleus (Lbol ∼ 2 × 1043 erg s−1). Aims. We want to obtain a detailed picture of the ionized gas in the central ∼5 kpc of NGC 1365 in terms of physical properties, kinematics, and ionization mechanisms. We also aim to characterize the warm ionized outflow as a function of distance from the nucleus and its relation with the nuclear X-ray wind. Methods. We employed optical integral-field spectroscopic observations from VLT/MUSE to investigate the warm ionized gas and Chandra ACIS-S X-ray data for the hot highly-ionized phase. We obtained flux, kinematic, and diagnostic maps of the optical emission lines, which we used to disentangle outflows from gravitational motions in the disk and measure the gas properties down to a spatial resolution of ∼70 pc. We then performed imaging spectroscopy on Chandra ACIS-S data guided by the matching with MUSE maps. Results. The O III emission mostly traces a kpc-scale biconical outflow ionized by the AGN having velocities up to ∼200 km s−1. Hα emission traces instead star formation in a circumnuclear ring and along the bar, where we detect non-circular streaming gas motions. Soft X-rays are predominantly due to thermal emission from the star-forming regions, but we manage to isolate the AGN photoionized component which nicely matches the O III emission. The mass outflow rate of the extended ionized outflow is similar to that of the nuclear X-ray wind and then decreases with radius, implying that the outflow either slows down or that the AGN activity has recently increased. However, the hard X-ray emission from the circumnuclear ring suggests that star formation might in principle contribute to the outflow. The integrated mass outflow rate, kinetic energy rate, and outflow velocity are broadly consistent with the typical relations observed in more luminous AGN.
Abstract
Spatially resolved observations of active galactic nuclei (AGN) host galaxies undergoing feedback processes are one of the most relevant avenues through which galactic evolution can be ...studied, given the long-lasting effects AGN feedback has on gas reservoirs, star formation, and AGN environments at all scales. Within this context, we report results from Very Large Telescope/MUSE integral field optical spectroscopy of TN J1049-1258, one of the most powerful radio sources known, at a redshift of 3.7. We detected extended (∼18 kpc) Ly
α
emission, spatially aligned with the radio axis, redshifted by 2250 ± 60 km s
−1
with respect to the host galaxy systemic velocity, and cospatial with UV continuum emission. This Ly
α
emission could arise from a companion galaxy, although there are arguments against this interpretation. Alternatively, it might correspond to an outflow of ionized gas stemming from the radio galaxy. The outflow would be the highest redshift spatially resolved ionized outflow to date. The enormous amount of energy injected, however, appears to be unable to quench the host galaxy’s prodigious star formation, occurring at a rate of ∼4500
M
⊙
yr
−1
, estimated using its far-infrared luminosity. Within the field, we also found two companion galaxies at projected distances of ∼25 and ∼60 kpc from the host, which suggests the host galaxy is harbored within a protocluster.
We present HST/ACS narrowband images of a low-z sample of 19 3C radio galaxies to study the H and O iii emissions from the narrow-line region. Based on nuclear emission-line ratios, we divide the ...sample into high- and low-excitation galaxies (HEGs and LEGs). We observe different line morphologies, extended O iii emission, large O iii/H scatter across the galaxies, and a radio-line alignment. In general, HEGs show more prominent emission-line properties than LEGs: larger, more disturbed, more luminous, and more massive regions of ionized gas with slightly larger covering factors. We find evidence of correlations between line luminosities and (radio and X-ray) nuclear luminosities. All of these results point to a main common origin, the active nucleus, which ionizes the surrounding gas. However, the contribution of additional photoionization mechanisms (jet shocks and star formation) is needed to account for the different line properties of the two classes. A relationship between the accretion, photoionization, and feedback modes emerges from this study. For LEGs (hot-gas accretors), the synchrotron emission from the jet represents the main source of ionizing photons. The lack of cold gas and star formation in their hosts accounts for the moderate ionized-gas masses and sizes. For HEGs (cold-gas accretors), an ionizing continuum from a standard disk and shocks from the powerful jets are the main sources of photoionization, with a contribution from star formation. These components, combined with the large reservoir of cold/dust gas brought from a recent merger, account for the properties of their extended emission-line regions.
Abstract
While supermassive black holes are ubiquitous features of galactic nuclei, only a small minority are observed during episodes of luminous accretion. The physical mechanism(s) driving the ...onset of fueling and ignition in these active galactic nuclei (AGN) are still largely unknown for many galaxies and AGN-selection criteria. Attention has focused on AGN triggering by means of major galaxy mergers gravitationally funneling gas toward the galactic center, with evidence both for and against this scenario. However, several recent studies have found that radio-loud AGN overwhelmingly reside in ongoing or recent major galaxy mergers. In this study, we test the hypothesis that major galaxy mergers are important triggers for radio-loud AGN activity in powerful quasars during cosmic noon (1 ≲
z
≲ 2). To this end, we compare Hubble Space Telescope WFC3/IR observations of the
z
> 1 3CR radio-loud broad-lined quasars to three matched radio-quiet quasar control samples. We find strong evidence for major-merger activity in nearly all radio-loud AGN, in contrast to the much lower merger fraction in the radio-quiet AGN. These results suggest major galaxy mergers are key ingredients in launching powerful radio jets. Given many of our radio-loud quasars are blue, our results present a possible challenge to the “blowout” paradigm of galaxy evolution models in which blue quasars are the quiescent end result following a period of red quasar feedback initiated by a galaxy merger. Finally, we find a tight correlation between black hole mass and host galaxy luminosity for these different high-redshift AGN samples that is inconsistent with those observed for local elliptical galaxies.
We present the results from high-resolution observations carried out with the eMERLIN UK-array and the European VLBI network (EVN) for a sample of 15 FR 0s, i.e., compact core-dominated radio sources ...associated with nearby early-type galaxies (ETGs), which represent the bulk of the local radio galaxy population. The 5 GHz eMERLIN observations available for five objects exhibit sub-mJy core components and reveal pc-scale twin jets for four out of five FR 0s once the eMERLIN and JVLA archival visibilities data are combined. The 1.66 GHz EVN observations available for 10 FR 0s display one- and two-sided jetted morphologies and compact cores. The pc-scale core emission contributes, on average, to about one tenth of the total extended radio emission, although we noted an increasing core contribution for flat-/inverted-spectrum sources. We found an unprecedented linear correlation between the pc-scale core luminosity (∼1021.3–1023.6 W Hz−1) and O III line luminosity, generally considered as proxy of the accretion power, for a large sample of LINER-type radio-loud low-luminosity active nuclei, all hosted in massive ETGs, which include FR 0s and FR Is. This result represents further evidence of a common jet–disc coupling in FR 0s and FR Is, despite then differing in kpc-scale radio structure. For our objects and for other FR 0 samples reported in the literature, we estimated the jet brightness sidedness ratios, which typically range between one and three. This parameter roughly gauges the jet bulk Lorentz factor Γ, which turns out to range from 1 to 2.5 for most of the sample. This corroborates the scenario that FR 0s are characterized by mildly relativistic jets, possibly as a result of lower-spinning black holes (BHs) than the highly spinning BHs of relativistic-jetted radio galaxies, FR Is.
We explore the radio properties of powerful (rest-frame luminosity $ at 500 MHz) high-redshift ($z 3.5$) quasars. The aim of this study is to gain a better understanding of radio-loud sources at the ...epoch when they reach the highest space density. We selected 29 radio-loud quasars at low radio frequencies (76 MHz). Their radio spectra, covering the range from 76 MHz to 5 GHz, are generally well reproduced by a single power law. We created samples that were matched in radio luminosity at lower redshift (from $z to $z to investigate any spectral evolution. We find that the fraction of flat-spectrum radio quasars (FSRQs) strongly increases with redshift (from $ 8<!PCT!>$ at z=1.2 to $ 45<!PCT!>$ at z$>$3.5). This effect is also observed in quasars with lower luminosities (down to $ The increase in the fraction of FSRQs with redshift corresponds to a decrease in the steep- spectrum radio quasars. This result can be explained when we assume that the beaming factor and the slope of the luminosity function do not change with redshift and if high-redshift radio-loud sources can be recognized as quasars only when they are seen at a small viewing angle ($ but most of them, about 90<!PCT!> are obscured in the UV and optical bands. We also found a trend for the size of radio sources to decrease with increasing redshift. Because projection effects are insufficient to cause this trend, we suggest that the large amount of gas causing the nuclear obscuration also hampers the growth of the more distant sources.
We have used GMOS-IFU and high-resolution HST-ACS observations to map, in unprecedented detail, the gas velocity field and structure within the 0.7 kpc circumnuclear ring of the SBb LINER/Seyfert 1 ...galaxy NGC 1097. We find clear evidence of radial streaming motions associated with spiral structures leading to the unresolved (<3.5 pc) nucleus, which we interpret as part of the fueling chain by which gas is transported to the nuclear starburst and supermassive black hole.
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