We present new subarcsecond-resolution Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA) imaging at 10 GHz of 155 ultraluminous (Lbol ∼ 1011.7-1014.2 L ) and heavily obscured quasars with redshifts z ∼ 0.4-3. ...The sample was selected to have extremely red mid-infrared-optical color ratios based on data from the Wide-Field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) along with a detection of bright, unresolved radio emission from the NRAO VLA Sky Survey (NVSS) or Faint Images of the Radio Sky at Twenty cm Survey. Our high-resolution VLA observations have revealed that the majority of the sources in our sample (93 out of 155) are compact on angular scales <0 2 (≤1.7 kpc at z ∼ 2). The radio luminosities, linear extents, and lobe pressures of our sources are similar to young radio active galactic nuclei (e.g., gigahertz-peaked spectrum GPS and compact steep-spectrum CSS sources), but their space density is considerably lower. Application of a simple adiabatic lobe expansion model suggests relatively young dynamical ages (∼104-7 yr), relatively high ambient ISM densities (∼1-104 cm−3), and modest lobe expansion speeds (∼30-10,000 km s−1). Thus, we find our sources to be consistent with a population of newly triggered, young jets caught in a unique evolutionary stage in which they still reside within the dense gas reservoirs of their hosts. Based on their radio luminosity function and dynamical ages, we estimate that only ∼20% of classical large-scale FR I/II radio galaxies could have evolved directly from these objects. We speculate that the WISE-NVSS sources might first become GPS or CSS sources, of which some might ultimately evolve into larger radio galaxies.
We have performed a search over 3440 deg2 of Epoch 1 (2017-2019) of the Very Large Array Sky Survey to identify unobscured quasars in the optical (0.2 < z < 3.2) and obscured active galactic nuclei ...(AGNs) in the infrared that have brightened dramatically in the radio over the past one to two decades. These sources would have been previously classified as "radio-quiet" quasars based on upper limits from the Faint Images of the Radio Sky at Twenty cm survey (1993-2011), but they are now consistent with "radio-loud" quasars ( ). A quasi-simultaneous, multiband (∼1-18 GHz) follow-up study of 14 sources with the VLA has revealed compact sources (<0 1 or <1 kpc) with peaked radio spectral shapes. The high-amplitude variability over decadal timescales at 1.5 GHz (100% to >2500%) but roughly steady fluxes over a few months at 3 GHz are inconsistent with extrinsic variability due to propagation effects, thus favoring an intrinsic origin. We conclude that our sources are powerful quasars hosting compact/young jets. This challenges the generally accepted idea that "radio-loudness" is a property of the quasar/AGN population that remains fixed on human timescales. Our study suggests that frequent episodes of short-lived AGN jets that do not necessarily grow to large scales may be common at high redshift. We speculate that intermittent but powerful jets on subgalactic scales could interact with the interstellar medium, possibly driving feedback capable of influencing galaxy evolution.
Abstract
We present radio spectra spanning 0.1–10 GHz for the sample of heavily obscured luminous quasars with extremely red mid-infrared-optical colors and compact radio emission. The spectra are ...constructed from targeted 10 GHz observations and archival radio survey data that together yield 6–11 flux-density measurements for each object. Our primary result is that most (62%) of the sample have peaked or curved radio spectra and many (37%) could be classified as Gigahertz-Peaked Spectrum (GPS) sources. This indicates compact emission regions likely arising from recently triggered radio jets. Assuming synchrotron self-absorption (SSA) generates the peaks, we infer compact source sizes (3–100 pc) with strong magnetic fields (6–100 mG) and young ages (30–10
4
yr). Conversely, free-free absorption (FFA) could also create peaks due to the high column densities associated with the deeply embedded nature of the sample. However, we find no correlations between the existence or frequency of the peaks and any parameters of the MIR emission. The high-frequency spectral indices are steep (
α
≈ −1) and correlate, weakly, with the ratio of MIR photon energy density to magnetic energy density, suggesting that the spectral steepening could arise from inverse Compton scattering off the intense MIR photon field. This study provides a foundation for combining multifrequency and mixed-resolution radio survey data for understanding the impact of young radio jets on the ISM and star-formation rates of their host galaxies.
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Abstract
Subarcsecond imaging of the X-ray emission in the type 2 active galactic nucleus (AGN) Mrk 78 with Chandra shows complex structure with spectral variations on scales from ∼200 pc to ∼2 kpc. ...Overall the X-ray emission is aligned E–W with the radio (3.6 cm) and narrow emission line region as mapped in O
iii
, with a marked E–W asymmetry. The eastern X-ray emission is mostly in a compact knot coincident with the location where the radio source is deflected, while the western X-ray emission forms a loop or shell ∼2 kpc from the nucleus with radius ∼0.7 kpc. There is suggestive evidence of shocks in both the eastern knot and the western arc. Both these positions coincide with large changes in the velocities of the O
iii
outflow. We discuss possible reasons why the X-ray shocks on the western side occur ∼1 kpc farther out than on the eastern side. We estimate that the thermal energy injected by the shocks into the interstellar medium corresponds to 0.05%–0.6% of the AGN bolometric luminosity.
We present a compilation of emission properties for a sample of 116 Seyfert galaxies based on both previously unpublished data and measurements available in the literature. These measurements include ...fluxes in the emission lines (O III) lambda(5007) and H-beta, as well as the infrared (25-60 microns), ultraviolet (1450 A), soft (0.2-4 keV), and hard (2-10 keV) X-ray continua. These are used to try to distinguish between isotropic and anisotropic emission properties of Seyfert galaxies. The distribution functions of (O III) lambda 5007 infrared, and hard X-ray continuum are similar for Seyfert 1's and Seyfert 2's, consistent with these properties being isotropic. The ultraviolet and soft X-ray continua of Seyfert 2's are underluminous relative to the type 1's suggesting photons at these energies escape from the central source anisotropically. There is a correlation between the ultraviolet continuum and emission-line fluxes in Seyfert 1's consistent with the idea that the central engine is responsible for powering the line emission. No such correlation is found for the Seyfert 2's. Instead, the scatter in the plot of ultraviolet continuum versus line emission suggests the true nuclear continuum luminosity is not seen at Earth in these objects. These properties are consistent with those expected in the dusty torus model.
A snapshot imaging survey with the VLBA at 5 GHz of 90 of the reddest, most obscured quasars with Ultra Luminous InfraRed Galaxy‐level infrared luminosities reveals a range of small jet structures ...and also unresolved sources. The three highest frequency peakers in the sample show little evidence for any substantial radio emission on scales larger than about 100 pc, based on our VLA data and on archival survey data. These may be very young single‐epoch radio quasar events. Sources with lower peak frequencies, in the gigahertz peaked source (GPSs), tend to have VLBA fluxes that under‐predict the larger scale emission, indicating multiple structures and possibly multiple epochs of jet activity. One GPS source shows evidence for strong absorption at low frequencies, consistent with this hypothesis. Multifrequency and multiresolution imaging of a subset of 12 of the sample with VLA, VLBA, and eMerlin are under analysis.
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