Context. Tracing nuclear inflows and outflows in active galactic nuclei (AGNs), determining the mass of gas involved in them, and their impact on the host galaxy and nuclear black hole requires 3D ...imaging studies of both the ionized and molecular gas. Aims. We map the distribution and kinematics of molecular and ionized gas in a sample of active galaxies to quantify the nuclear inflows and outflows. Here, we analyze the nuclear kinematics of NGC 1566 via ALMA observations of the CO J:2-1 emission at 24 pc spatial and ∼2.6 km s−1 spectral resolution, and Gemini-GMOS/IFU observations of ionized gas emission lines and stellar absorption lines at similar spatial resolution, and 123 km s−1 of intrinsic spectral resolution. Methods. The morphology and kinematics of stellar, molecular (CO), and ionized (N II) emission lines are compared to the expectations from rotation, outflows, and streaming inflows. Results. While both ionized and molecular gas show rotation signatures, there are significant non-circular motions in the innermost 200 pc and along spiral arms in the central kpc (CO). The nucleus shows a double-peaked CO profile (full width at zero intensity of 200 km s−1), and prominent (∼80 km s−1) blue- and redshifted lobes are found along the minor axis in the inner arcseconds. Perturbations by the large-scale bar can qualitatively explain all features in the observed velocity field. We thus favor the presence of a molecular outflow in the disk with true velocities of ∼180 km s−1 in the nucleus and decelerating to 0 by ∼72 pc. The implied molecular outflow rate is 5.6 M⊙ yr−1, with this gas accumulating in the nuclear 2″ arms. The ionized gas kinematics support an interpretation of a similar but more spherical outflow in the inner 100 pc, with no signs of deceleration. There is some evidence of streaming inflows of ∼50 km s−1 along specific spiral arms, and the estimated molecular mass inflow rate, ∼0.1 M⊙ yr−1, is significantly higher than the SMBH accretion rate (ṁ = 4.8 × 10−5 M⊙ yr−1).
We present integral field spectroscopic observations of NGC 5972 obtained with the Multi-Unit Spectroscopic Explorer at the Very Large Telescope. NGC 5972 is a nearby galaxy containing both an active ...galactic nucleus (AGN) and an extended emission-line region (EELR) reaching out to ∼17 kpc from the nucleus. We analyze the physical conditions of the EELR using spatially resolved spectra, focusing on the radial dependence of ionization state together with the light-travel time distance to probe the variability of the AGN on ≳104 yr timescales. The kinematic analysis suggests multiple components: (a) a faint component following the rotation of the large-scale disk, (b) a component associated with the EELR suggestive of extraplanar gas connected to tidal tails, and (c) a kinematically decoupled nuclear disk. Both the kinematics and the observed tidal tails suggest a major past interaction event. Emission-line diagnostics along the EELR arms typically evidence Seyfert-like emission, implying that the EELR was primarily ionized by the AGN. We generate a set of photoionization models and fit these to different regions along the EELR. This allows us to estimate the bolometric luminosity required at different radii to excite the gas to the observed state. Our results suggest that NGC 5972 is a fading quasar, showing a steady gradual decrease in intrinsic AGN luminosity, and hence the accretion rate onto the SMBH, by a factor ∼100 over the past 5 × 104 yr.
Context.
The
z
∼ 0.1 type-2 QSO J1430+1339, known as the “
Teacup
”, is a complex galaxy showing a loop of ionised gas ∼10 kpc in diameter, co-spatial radio bubbles, a compact (∼1 kpc) jet, and ...outflow activity. Its closeness offers the opportunity to study in detail the intricate interplay between the central supermassive black hole (SMBH) and the material in and around the galaxy, both the interstellar medium (ISM) and circumgalactic medium (CGM).
Aims.
We characterise the spatially resolved properties and effects of the galactic ionised gas outflow and compare them with those of the radio jet and with theoretical predictions to infer its acceleration mechanism.
Methods.
We used VLT/MUSE optical integral field spectroscopic observations to obtain flux, kinematic, and excitation maps of the extended (up to ∼100 kpc) ionised gas and to characterise the properties of stellar populations. We built radial profiles of the outflow properties as a function of distance from the active nucleus, from kiloparsec up to tens of kiloparsec scales, at ∼1 kpc resolution.
Results.
We detect a velocity dispersion enhancement (≳300 km s
−1
) elongated over several kiloparsecs perpendicular to the radio jet, the active galactic nucleus (AGN) ionisation lobes, and the fast outflow, similar to what is found in other galaxies hosting compact, low-power jets, indicating that the jet strongly perturbs the host ISM during its passage. We observe a decreasing trend with distance from the nucleus for the outflow properties (mass outflow rate, kinetic rate, momentum rate). The mass outflow rate drops from around 100
M
⊙
yr
−1
in the inner 1–2 kpc to ≲0.1
M
⊙
yr
−1
at 30 kpc. The mass outflow rate of the ionised outflow is significantly higher (∼1–8 times) than the molecular one, in contrast with what is often quoted in AGN. Based on energetic and morphological arguments, the driver of the multi-phase outflow is likely a combination of AGN radiation and the jet, or AGN radiation pressure on dust alone. The outflow mass-loading factor is ∼5–10 and the molecular gas depletion time due to the multi-phase outflow is ≲10
8
yr, indicating that the outflow can significantly affect the star formation and the gas reservoir in the galaxy. However, the fraction of the ionised outflow that is able to escape the dark matter halo potential is likely negligible. We detect blue-coloured continuum emission co-spatial with the ionised gas loop. Here, stellar populations are younger (≲100–150 Myr) than in the rest of the galaxy (∼0.5–1 Gyr). This constitutes possible evidence for star formation triggered at the edge of the bubble due to the compressing action of the jet and outflow (“positive feedback”), as predicted by theory. All in all, the Teacup constitutes a rich system in which AGN feedback from outflows and jets, in both its negative and positive flavours, co-exist.
Abstract
We present integral field spectroscopic observations of NGC 5972 obtained with the Multi-Unit Spectroscopic Explorer at the Very Large Telescope. NGC 5972 is a nearby galaxy containing both ...an active galactic nucleus (AGN) and an extended emission-line region (EELR) reaching out to ∼17 kpc from the nucleus. We analyze the physical conditions of the EELR using spatially resolved spectra, focusing on the radial dependence of ionization state together with the light-travel time distance to probe the variability of the AGN on ≳10
4
yr timescales. The kinematic analysis suggests multiple components: (a) a faint component following the rotation of the large-scale disk, (b) a component associated with the EELR suggestive of extraplanar gas connected to tidal tails, and (c) a kinematically decoupled nuclear disk. Both the kinematics and the observed tidal tails suggest a major past interaction event. Emission-line diagnostics along the EELR arms typically evidence Seyfert-like emission, implying that the EELR was primarily ionized by the AGN. We generate a set of photoionization models and fit these to different regions along the EELR. This allows us to estimate the bolometric luminosity required at different radii to excite the gas to the observed state. Our results suggest that NGC 5972 is a fading quasar, showing a steady gradual decrease in intrinsic AGN luminosity, and hence the accretion rate onto the SMBH, by a factor ∼100 over the past 5 × 10
4
yr.
We present integral field spectroscopic observations of NGC 5972 obtained
with the Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE) at VLT. NGC 5972 is a nearby
galaxy containing both an active galactic ...nucleus (AGN), and an extended
emission line region (EELR) reaching out to $\sim 17$ kpc from the nucleus. We
analyze the physical conditions of the EELR using spatially-resolved spectra,
focusing on the radial dependence of ionization state together with the light
travel time distance to probe the variability of the AGN on $\gtrsim 10^{4}$ yr
timescales. The kinematic analysis suggests multiple components: (a) a faint
component following the rotation of the large scale disk; (b) a component
associated with the EELR suggestive of extraplanar gas connected to tidal
tails; (c) a kinematically decoupled nuclear disk. Both the kinematics and the
observed tidal tails suggest a major past interaction event. Emission line
diagnostics along the EELR arms typically evidence Seyfert-like emission,
implying that the EELR was primarily ionized by the AGN. We generate a set of
photoionization models and fit these to different regions along the EELR. This
allows us to estimate the bolometric luminosity required at different radii to
excite the gas to the observed state. Our results suggests that NGC 5972 is a
fading quasar, showing a steady gradual decrease in intrinsic AGN luminosity,
and hence the accretion rate onto the SMBH, by a factor $\sim 100$ over the
past $5 \times 10^{4}$ yr.
The \(z\)~0.1 type-2 QSO J1430+1339 (the 'Teacup') is a complex galaxy showing a loop of ionised gas ~10 kpc in diameter, co-spatial radio bubbles, a compact (~1 kpc) jet, and outflow activity. We ...used VLT/MUSE optical integral field spectroscopic observations to characterise the properties and effects of the galactic ionised outflow from kpc up to tens of kpc scales and compare them with those of the radio jet. We detect a velocity dispersion enhancement (>300 km/s) elongated over several kpc perpendicular to the radio jet, the AGN ionisation lobes, and the fast outflow, similar to what is found in other galaxies hosting compact, low-power jets, indicating that the jet strongly perturbs the host ISM. The mass outflow rate decreases with distance from the nucleus, from around 100 \(M_\odot\)/yr in the inner 1-2 kpc to <0.1 \(M_\odot\)/yr at 30 kpc. The ionised mass outflow rate is ~1-8 times higher than the molecular one, in contrast with what is often quoted in AGN. The driver of the multi-phase outflow is likely a combination of AGN radiation and the jet. The outflow mass-loading factor (~5-10) and the molecular gas depletion time (<10\(^8\) yr) indicate that the outflow can significantly affect the star formation and the gas reservoir in the galaxy. However, the fraction of the ionised outflow that is able to escape the dark matter halo potential is likely negligible. We detect blue-coloured continuum emission co-spatial with the ionised gas loop. Here, stellar populations are younger (<100-150 Myr) than in the rest of the galaxy (~0.5-1 Gyr). This constitutes possible evidence for star formation triggered at the edge of the bubble due to the compressing action of the jet and outflow ('positive feedback'), as predicted by theory. All in all, the Teacup constitutes a rich system in which AGN feedback from outflows and jets, in both its negative and positive flavours, co-exist.
We present integral field spectroscopic observations of NGC 5972 obtained with the Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE) at VLT. NGC 5972 is a nearby galaxy containing both an active galactic ...nucleus (AGN), and an extended emission line region (EELR) reaching out to \(\sim 17\) kpc from the nucleus. We analyze the physical conditions of the EELR using spatially-resolved spectra, focusing on the radial dependence of ionization state together with the light travel time distance to probe the variability of the AGN on \(\gtrsim 10^{4}\) yr timescales. The kinematic analysis suggests multiple components: (a) a faint component following the rotation of the large scale disk; (b) a component associated with the EELR suggestive of extraplanar gas connected to tidal tails; (c) a kinematically decoupled nuclear disk. Both the kinematics and the observed tidal tails suggest a major past interaction event. Emission line diagnostics along the EELR arms typically evidence Seyfert-like emission, implying that the EELR was primarily ionized by the AGN. We generate a set of photoionization models and fit these to different regions along the EELR. This allows us to estimate the bolometric luminosity required at different radii to excite the gas to the observed state. Our results suggests that NGC 5972 is a fading quasar, showing a steady gradual decrease in intrinsic AGN luminosity, and hence the accretion rate onto the SMBH, by a factor \(\sim 100\) over the past \(5 \times 10^{4}\) yr.
We present the molecular gas morphology and kinematics of seven nearby Seyfert galaxies obtained from our 230~GHz ALMA observations. The CO J=2-1 kinematics within the inner \(\sim30\)" ...(\(\lesssim9\)~kpc) reveals rotation patterns that have been explored using the Bertola rotation model and a modified version of the Kinemetry package. The latter algorithm reveals various deviations from pure circular rotation in the inner kiloparsec of all seven galaxies, including kinematic twists, decoupled and counter-rotating cores. A comparison of the global molecular gas and stellar kinematics show overall agreement in the position angle of the major axis and the systemic velocity, but larger discrepancies in the disc inclination. The residual maps obtained with both the methods shows the presence of non-circular motions in most of the galaxies. Despite its importance, a detailed interpretation of the physics responsible for non-circular motions will be discussed in a forthcoming work.
We aim to map the distribution and kinematics of molecular and ionized gas in a sample of active galaxies, to quantify the nuclear inflows and outflows. Here, we analyze the nuclear kinematics of NGC ...1566 via ALMA observations of the CO J:2-1 emission at 24 pc spatial and \(\sim\)2.6 km s\(^{-1}\) spectral resolution, and Gemini-GMOS/IFU observations of ionized gas emission lines and stellar absorption lines at similar spatial resolution, and 123 km s\(^{-1}\) of intrinsic spectral resolution. The morphology and kinematics of stellar, molecular (CO) and ionized (N II) emission lines are compared to the expectations from rotation, outflows, and streaming inflows. While both ionized and molecular gas show rotation signatures, there are significant non-circular motions in the innermost 200 pc and along spiral arms in the central kpc (CO). The nucleus shows a double-peaked CO profile (Full Width at Zero Intensity of 200 km s\(^{-1}\)), and prominent (\(\sim\)80 km s\(^{-1}\)) blue and redshifted lobes are found along the minor axis in the inner arcseconds. Perturbations by the large-scale bar can qualitatively explain all features in the observed velocity field. We thus favour the presence of a molecular outflow in the disk with true velocities of \(\sim\)180 km s\(^{-1}\) in the nucleus and decelerating to 0 by \(\sim\)72 pc. The implied molecular outflow rate is \(5.6~M_{o}yr^{-1}\), with this gas accumulating in the nuclear 2 arcsec arms. The ionized gas kinematics support an interpretation of a similar, but more spherical, outflow in the inner 100 pc, with no signs of deceleration. There is some evidence of streaming inflows of \(\sim\)50 km s\(^{-1}\) along specific spiral arms, and the estimated molecular mass inflow rate, \(\sim0.1~M_{o}yr^{-1}\), is significantly larger than the SMBH accretion rate (\(\dot{m}=4.8\times10^{-5}~M_{o}yr^{-1}\)).
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