Black Holes In Galaxies Research Articles

Crimson Behemoth: A massive clumpy structure hosting a dusty AGN at z=4.91

Abstract The current paradigm for the co-evolution of galaxies and their supermassive black holes postulates that dust-obscured active galactic nuclei (AGNs) represent a transitional phase towards a more luminous and unobscured state. However, our understanding of dusty AGNs and their host galaxies at early cosmic times is inadequate due to observational limitations. Here, we present JWST observations of CID-931, an X-ray-detected AGN at a spectroscopic redshift of $z_{\rm spec}=4.91$. Multiband NIRCam imaging from the COSMOS-Web program reveals an unresolved red core, similar to JWST-discovered dusty AGNs. Strikingly, the red core is surrounded by at least eight massive star-forming clumps spread over ${1{^{\prime \prime}_{.}}6} \approx 10\,\,{\rm kpc}$, each of which has a stellar mass of $10^9$–$10^{10}\, M_{\odot }$ and a radius of $\sim$0.1–1 kpc. The whole system amounts to $10^{11}\, M_{\odot }$ in stellar mass, higher than typical star-forming galaxies at the same epoch. In this system, gas inflows and/or complex merger events may trigger clump formation and AGN activity, thus leading to the rapid formation of a massive galaxy hosting a supermassive black hole. Future follow-up observations will provide new insights into the evolution of the galaxy–black hole relationship during such transitional phases in the early universe.

The COS-Holes Survey: Connecting Galaxy Black Hole Mass with the State of the CGM

We present an analysis of Hubble Space Telescope COS/G160M observations of C IV in the inner circumgalactic medium (CGM) of a novel sample of eight z ∼ 0, L ≈ L ⋆ galaxies, paired with UV-bright QSOs at impact parameters (R proj) between 25 and 130 kpc. The galaxies in this stellar-mass-controlled sample (log10 M ⋆/M ⊙ ∼ 10.2–10.9 M ⊙) host supermassive black holes (SMBHs) with dynamically measured masses spanning log10 M BH/M ⊙ ∼ 6.8–8.4; this allows us to compare our results with models of galaxy formation where the integrated feedback history from the SMBH alters the CGM over long timescales. We find that the C IV column density measurements (N C IV; average log10 N C IV,CH = 13.94 ± 0.09 cm−2) are largely consistent with existing measurements from other surveys of N C IV in the CGM (average log10 N C IV,Lit = 13.90 ± 0.08 cm−2), but do not show obvious variation as a function of the SMBH mass. By contrast, specific star formation rate (sSFR) is highly correlated with the ionized content of the CGM. We find a large spread in sSFR for galaxies with log10 M BH/M ⊙ > 7.0, where the CGM C IV content shows a clear dependence on galaxy sSFR but not M BH. Our results do not indicate an obvious causal link between CGM C IV and the mass of the galaxy’s SMBH; however, through comparisons to the EAGLE, Romulus25, and IllustrisTNG simulations, we find that our sample is likely too small to constrain such causality.

Observational Evidence for Hot Wind Impact on Parsec Scales in Low-luminosity Active Galactic Nuclei

Supermassive black holes in galaxies spend the majority of their lifetime in the low-luminosity regime, powered by hot accretion flow. Strong winds launched from the hot accretion flow have the potential to play an important role in active galactic nuclei (AGN) feedback. Direct observational evidence for these hot winds with temperatures around 10 keV, has been obtained through the detection of highly ionized iron emission lines with Doppler shifts in two prototypical low-luminosity AGNs, namely M81* and NGC 7213. In this work, we further identify blueshifted H-like O/Ne emission lines in the soft X-ray spectra of these two sources. These lines are interpreted to be associated with additional outflowing components possessing velocity around several 103 km s−1 and lower temperature (∼0.2–0.4 keV). Blueshifted velocity and the X-ray intensity of these additional outflowing components are hard to explain by previously detected hot wind freely propagating to larger radii. Through detailed numerical simulations, we find the newly detected blueshifted emission lines would come from circumnuclear gas shock-heated by the hot wind instead. Hot wind can provide a larger ram pressure force on the clumpy circumnuclear gas than the gravitational force from the central black hole, effectively impeding the black hole accretion of gas. Our results provide strong evidence for the energy and momentum feedback by the hot AGN wind.

Analytical models of supermassive black holes in galaxies surrounded by dark matter halos

In this Letter, we present five analytical models in closed forms, each representing a supermassive black hole (SMBH) located at the center of a galaxy surrounded by dark matter (DM) halo. The density profile of the halo vanishes inside twice the Schwarzschild radius of the hole and satisfies the weak, strong, and dominant energy conditions. The spacetime are asymptotically flat, and the difference among the models lies in the slopes of the density profiles in the spike and regions far from the center of the galaxy. Three of them represent cusp models, whereas the other two represent core models. With the well-known (generalized) Newman-Janis algorithm, rotating SMBHs with DM halos can be easily constructed from these models.

Three-dimensional radiation hydrodynamics simulations of wandering intermediate-mass black holes considering the anisotropic radiation and dust sublimation

ABSTRACT By performing three-dimensional radiation hydrodynamics simulations, we study Bondi–Hoyle–Lyttleton accretion on to intermediate-mass black holes (BHs) wandering in the dusty gas. Here, we take into account the anisotropic radiation feedback and the sublimation of dust grains. Our simulations show that when the relative velocity between the BH and the gas is small ($\sim 20\rm\, km~s^{-1}$) and gas density is $\sim 10^4 \rm cm^{-3}$, the gas mainly accretes from near the equatorial plane of the accretion disc at a time-averaged rate of 0.6 per cent of the Bondi–Hoyle–Lyttleton rate. An ionized region like two spheres glued together at the equatorial plane is formed, and the dense shock shell appears near the ionization front. The BH is accelerated at $\sim 10^{-8}\, \rm cm~s^{-2}$ due to the gravity of the shell. For denser gas ($\sim 10^6 \rm cm^{-3}$), the time-averaged accretion rate is also 0.6 per cent of the Bondi–Hoyle–Lyttleton rate. However, the BH is decelerated at $\sim 10^{-7}\, \rm cm~s^{-2}$ due to gravity of the dense downstream gas although the dense shock shell appears upstream. Our simulations imply that intermediate-mass BHs in the early universe keep floating at $\gtrsim {\rm several}\, 10\, \rm km~s^{-1}$ without increasing mass in interstellar gas with density of $\sim 10^4\, \rm cm^{-3}$, and slow down and grow into supermassive BHs in galaxies with the density of $\sim 10^6\, \rm cm^{-3}$.

First Detection of an Overmassive Black Hole Galaxy UHZ1: Evidence for Heavy Black Hole Seed Formation from Direct Collapse

The recent Chandra-JWST discovery of a quasar in the z ≈ 10.1 galaxy UHZ1 reveals that accreting supermassive black holes were already in place 470 million years after the Big Bang. The Chandra X-ray source detected in UHZ1 is a Compton-thick quasar with a bolometric luminosity of L bol ∼ 5 × 1045 erg s−1, which corresponds to an estimated black hole (BH) mass of ∼4 × 107 M ⊙, assuming accretion at the Eddington rate. JWST NIRCAM and NIRSpec data yield a stellar mass estimate for UHZ1 comparable to its BH mass. These characteristics are in excellent agreement with prior theoretical predictions for a unique class of transient, high-redshift objects, overmassive black hole galaxies (OBGs) by Natarajan et al., that harbor a heavy initial black hole seed that likely formed from the direct collapse of the gas. Given the excellent agreement between the observed multiwavelength properties of UHZ1 and theoretical model template predictions, we suggest that UHZ1 is the first detected OBG candidate. Our assertion rests on multiple lines of concordant evidence between model predictions and the following observed properties of UHZ1: its X-ray detection and the estimated ratio of the X-ray flux to the IR flux, which is consistent with theoretical expectations for a heavy initial BH seed; its high measured redshift of z ≈ 10.1, as predicted for the transient OBG stage (9 < z < 12); the amplitude and shape of the detected JWST spectral energy distribution (SED) between 1 and 5 μm, which is in very good agreement with simulated template SEDs for OBGs; and the extended JWST morphology of UHZ1, which is suggestive of a recent merge and is also expected for the formation of transient OBGs. As the first OBG candidate, UHZ1 provides compelling evidence for the formation of heavy initial seeds from direct collapse in the early Universe.

Connecting core galaxy properties to the massive black hole binary population

ABSTRACT We investigate how the properties of massive black hole binaries influence the observed properties of core galaxies. We compare the observed trend in stellar mass deficit as a function of total stellar mass in the core galaxy with predicted trends in IllustrisTNG. We calculate mass deficits in simulated galaxies by applying subgrid, post-processing physics based on the results of literature N-body experiments. We find that the median value of the posterior distribution for the minimum binary mass ratio capable of creating a core is 0.7. For the gas mass fraction above which a core is erased, we find a median value of 0.6. Thus, low mass ratio binaries do not contribute to core formation and gas-rich mergers must lead to star formation within the nucleus, ultimately erasing the core. Such constraints have important implications for the overall massive black hole binary population, black hole–galaxy co-evolution, and the origin of the gravitational wave background.

UNCOVER: A NIRSpec Identification of a Broad-line AGN at z = 8.50

Deep observations with the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) have revealed an emerging population of red pointlike sources that could provide a link between the postulated supermassive black hole seeds and observed quasars. In this work, we present a JWST/NIRSpec spectrum from the JWST Cycle 1 UNCOVER Treasury survey of a massive accreting black hole at z = 8.50 displaying a clear broad-line component as inferred from the Hβ line with FWHM = 3439 ± 413 km s−1, typical of the broad-line region of an active galactic nucleus (AGN). The AGN nature of this object is further supported by high ionization, as inferred from emission lines, and a point-source morphology. We compute a black hole mass of and a bolometric luminosity of L bol ∼ 6.6 × 1045 erg s−1. These values imply that our object is accreting at ∼40% of the Eddington limit. Detailed modeling of the spectral energy distribution in the optical and near-infrared, together with constraints from ALMA, indicate an upper limit on the stellar mass of , which would lead to an unprecedented ratio of black hole to host mass of at least ∼30%. This is orders of magnitude higher compared to the local QSOs but consistent with recent AGN studies at high redshift with JWST. This finding suggests that a nonnegligible fraction of supermassive black holes either started out from massive seeds and/or grew at a super-Eddington rate at high redshift. Given the predicted number densities of high-z faint AGN, future NIRSpec observations of larger samples will allow us to further investigate galaxy–black hole coevolution in the early Universe.

Hidden Little Monsters: Spectroscopic Identification of Low-mass, Broad-line AGNs at z > 5 with CEERS

We report on the discovery of two low-luminosity, broad-line active galactic nuclei (AGNs) at z > 5 identified using JWST NIRSpec spectroscopy from the Cosmic Evolution Early Release Science (CEERS) survey. We detect broad Hα emission in the spectra of both sources, with FWHM of 2060 ± 290 km s−1 and 1800 ± 200 km s−1, resulting in virial black hole (BH) masses that are 1–2 dex below those of existing samples of luminous quasars at z > 5. The first source, CEERS 2782 at z = 5.242, is 2–3 dex fainter than known quasars at similar redshifts and was previously identified as a candidate low-luminosity AGN based on its morphology and rest-frame optical spectral energy distribution (SED). We measure a BH mass of M BH = (1.3 ± 0.4) × 107 M ⊙, confirming that this AGN is powered by the least massive BH known in the Universe at the end of cosmic reionization. The second source, CEERS 746 at z = 5.624, is inferred to be a heavily obscured, broad-line AGN caught in a transition phase between a dust-obscured starburst and an unobscured quasar. We estimate its BH mass to be in the range of M BH ≃ (0.9–4.7) × 107 M ⊙, depending on the level of dust obscuration assumed. We perform SED fitting to derive host stellar masses, M ⋆, allowing us to place constraints on the BH–galaxy mass relationship in the lowest mass range yet probed in the early Universe. The M BH/M ⋆ ratio for CEERS 2782, in particular, is consistent with or higher than the empirical relationship seen in massive galaxies at z = 0. We examine the narrow emission line ratios of both sources and find that their location on the BPT and OHNO diagrams is consistent with model predictions for moderately low metallicity AGNs with Z/Z ⊙ ≃ 0.2–0.4. The spectroscopic identification of low-luminosity, broad-line AGNs at z > 5 with M BH ≃ 107 M ⊙ demonstrates the capability of JWST to push BH masses closer to the range predicted for the BH seed population and provides a unique opportunity to study the early stages of BH–galaxy assembly.

Gravitational Larmor precession

Inspired by the reported existence of substantive magnetic fields in the vicinity of the central supermassive black holes in Sagittarius A* and Messier 87*, we consider test particle motion in the spacetime close to a generic spherical black hole in the presence of magnetic fields in its vicinity. Modelling such a spacetime in terms of an axisymmetric, non-rotating Ernst–Melvin–Schwarzschild black hole geometry with appropriate parameters, we compute the geodesic nodal-plane precession frequency for a test particle with mass, for such a spacetime, and obtain a non-vanishing result, surpassing earlier folklore that only axisymmetric spacetimes with rotation (non-vanishing Kerr parameter) can generate such a precession. We call this magnetic field-generated phenomenon Gravitational Larmor Precession. What we present here is a Proof of Concept incipient assay, rather than a detailed analysis of supermassive black holes with magnetic fields in their neighbourhood. However, for completeness, we briefly discuss observational prospects of this precession in terms of available magnetic field strengths close to central black holes in galaxies.

EPOCHS VII: discovery of high-redshift (6.5 &amp;lt; z &amp;lt; 12) AGN candidates in JWST ERO and PEARLS data

ABSTRACT We present an analysis of a sample of robust high-redshift galaxies selected from the ‘blank’ fields of the Prime Extragalactic Areas for Reionization Science (PEARLS) survey and Early Release Observations (ERO) data from JWST with the aim of selecting candidate high-redshift active galactic nuclei (AGN). Sources were identified from this parent sample using a threefold selection procedure, which includes spectral energy distribution (SED) fitting to identify sources that are best fitted by AGN SED templates, a further selection based on the relative performance of AGN and non-AGN models, and finally morphological fitting to identify compact sources of emission, resulting in a purity-oriented procedure. Using this procedure, we identify a sample of nine AGN candidates at 6.5 &amp;lt; z &amp;lt; 12, from which we constrain their physical properties as well as measure a lower bound on the AGN fraction in this redshift range of 5 ± 1 per cent. As this is an extreme lower limit due to our focus on purity and our SEDs being calibrated for unobscured Type 1 AGN, this demonstrates that AGN are perhaps quite common at this early epoch. The rest-frame UV colours of our candidate objects suggest that these systems are potentially candidate obese black hole galaxies (OBGs). We also investigate Chandra and VLA maps of these areas from which we calculate detection limits. Of note is a z = 11.9 candidate source exhibiting an abrupt morphological shift in the reddest band as compared to bluer bands, indicating a potential merger or an unusually strong outflow.

Evidence for non-merger co-evolution of galaxies and their supermassive black holes

ABSTRACT Recent observational and theoretical studies have suggested that supermassive black holes (SMBHs) grow mostly through non-merger (‘secular’) processes. Since galaxy mergers lead to dynamical bulge growth, the only way to observationally isolate non-merger growth is to study galaxies with low bulge-to-total mass ratio (e.g. $B/T\lt 10~{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$). However, bulge growth can also occur due to secular processes, such as disc instabilities, making disc-dominated selections a somewhat incomplete way to select merger-free systems. Here we use the Horizon-AGN simulation to select simulated galaxies which have not undergone a merger since z = 2, regardless of bulge mass, and investigate their location on typical black hole-galaxy scaling relations in comparison to galaxies with merger dominated histories. While the existence of these correlations has long been interpreted as co-evolution of galaxies and their SMBHs driven by galaxy mergers, we show here that they persist even in the absence of mergers. We find that the correlations between SMBH mass and both total mass and stellar velocity dispersion are independent of B/T ratio for both merger-free and merger-dominated galaxies. In addition, the bulge mass and SMBH mass correlation is still apparent for merger-free galaxies, the intercept for which is dependent on B/T. Galaxy mergers reduce the scatter around the scaling relations, with merger-free systems showing broader scatter. We show that for merger-free galaxies, the co-evolution is dominated by radio-mode feedback, and suggest that the long periods of time between galaxy mergers make an important contribution to the co-evolution between galaxies and SMBHs in all galaxies.

Dynamical friction of a massive black hole in a turbulent gaseous medium

The orbital decay of massive black holes in galaxies in the aftermath of mergers is at the heart of whether massive black holes successfully pair and merge, leading to emission of low-frequency gravitational waves. The role of dynamical friction sourced from the gas distribution has been uncertain because many analytical and numerical studies have either focussed on a homogeneous medium or have not reached resolutions below the scales relevant to the problem, namely the Bondi-Hoyle-Lyttleton radius. We performed numerical simulations of a massive black hole moving in a turbulent medium in order to study dynamical friction from turbulent gas. We find that the black hole slows down to the sound speed, rather than the turbulent speed, and that the orbital decay is well captured if the Bondi-Hoyle-Lyttleton radius is resolved with at least five resolution elements. We find that the larger the turbulent eddies, the larger the scatter in dynamical friction magnitude, because of the stochastic nature of the problem, and also because of the larger over- and under-densities encountered by the black hole along its trajectory. Compared to the classic solution in a homogeneous medium, the magnitude of the force depends more weakly on the Mach number, and dynamical friction is overall more efficient for high Mach numbers, but less efficient towards and at the transonic regime.

Nuclear Activity in the Low-metallicity Dwarf Galaxy SDSS J0944-0038 : A Glimpse into the Primordial Universe

Local low-metallicity dwarf galaxies are relics of the early universe and are thought to hold clues into the origins of supermassive black holes. While recent studies are uncovering a growing population of active galactic nuclei (AGNs) in dwarf galaxies, the vast majority reside in galaxies with solar or supersolar metallicities and stellar masses comparable to that of the LMC. Using Multi-Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE) and Very Large Telescope observations, we report the detection of [Fe x] λ6374 coronal line emission and a broad Hα line in the nucleus of SDSS J094401.87−003832.1, a nearby (z = 0.0049) metal-poor dwarf galaxy almost 500 times less massive than the LMC. Unlike the emission from the lower-ionization nebular lines, the [Fe x] λ6374 emission is compact and centered on the brightest nuclear source, with a spatial extent of ≈100 pc, similar to that seen in well-known AGNs. The [Fe x] luminosity is ≈1037 erg s−1, within the range seen in previously identified AGNs in the dwarf-galaxy population. The [Fe x] emission has persisted over the roughly 19 yr time period between the SDSS and MUSE observations, ruling out supernovae as the origin for the emission. The FWHM of the broad component of the Hα line is 446 ± 17 km s−1 and its luminosity is ≈1.5 × 1038 erg s−1, corresponding to a black hole mass of ≈ 3150 M ⊙, in line with its stellar mass if virial mass relations and black hole–galaxy scaling relations apply in this mass regime. These observations, together with previously reported multiwavelength observations, can most plausibly be explained by the presence of an accreting intermediate-mass black hole in a primordial galaxy analog.

Extreme-mass-ratio burst detection with TianQin

The capture of compact objects by massive black holes in galaxies or dwarf galaxies will generate short gravitational wave signals, called extreme-mass-ratio bursts (EMRBs), before evolving into extreme-mass-ratio inspirals. Their detection will provide an investigation of the black hole properties and shed light on astronomy and astrophysics. In this work, we investigate the detection number of the TianQin observatory on EMRBs. Our result shows that TianQin can detect tens of EMRBs events during its mission lifetime. For those detected events, we use the Fisher information matrix to quantify these uncertainties in the inference of their parameters. We consider the possible network of $\mathrm{TianQin}+\mathrm{LISA}$, and study how a network can improve parameter estimation. The result shows that, for most sources, the compact object mass, the massive black hole mass, and the massive black hole spin can be determined with a precision of the order ${10}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ and the sky localization can be determined with a precision of 10 square degree. We further explore the gravitational wave background generated by those unsolved EMRBs and conclude that it is about ${10}^{6}$ times weaker than TianQin's sensitivity, and thus it can be ignored.

RAD@home citizen science discovery of an active galactic nucleus spewing a large unipolar radio bubble on to its merging companion galaxy

ABSTRACT Active galactic nucleus (AGN) feedback during galaxy merger has been the most favoured model to explain black hole–galaxy co-evolution. However, how the AGN-driven jet/wind/radiation is coupled with the gas of the merging galaxies, which leads to positive feedback, momentarily enhanced star formation, and subsequently negative feedback, a decline in star formation, is poorly understood. Only a few cases are known where the jet and companion galaxy interaction leads to minor off-axis distortions in the jets and enhanced star formation in the gas-rich minor companions. Here, we briefly report one extraordinary case, RAD12, discovered by RAD@home citizen science collaboratory, where for the first time a radio jet–driven bubble (∼ 137 kpc) is showing a symmetric reflection after hitting the incoming galaxy which is not a gas-rich minor but a gas-poor early-type galaxy in a major merger. Surprisingly, neither positive feedback nor any radio lobe on the counter jet side, if any, is detected. It is puzzling if RAD12 is a genuine one-sided jet or a case of radio lobe trapped, compressed and re-accelerated by shocks during the merger. This is the first imaging study of RAD12 presenting follow-up with the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope, archival MeerKAT radio data and Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope optical data.

A deep, multi-epoch Chandra HETG study of the ionized outflow from NGC 4051

ABSTRACT Actively accreting supermassive black holes significantly impact the evolution of their host galaxies, truncating further star formation by expelling large fractions of gas with wide-angle outflows. The X-ray band is key to understanding how these black hole winds affect their environment, as the outflows have high temperatures (∼105–8 K). We have developed a Bayesian framework for characterizing active galactic nucleus outflows with an improved ability to explore parameter space and perform robust model selection. We applied this framework to a new 700 ks and an archival 315 ks Chandra High Energy Transmission Gratings observation of the Seyfert galaxy NGC 4051. We have detected six absorbers intrinsic to NGC 4051. These wind components span velocities from 400 to 30 000 km s−1. We have determined that the most statistically significant wind component is purely collisionally ionized, which is the first detection of such an absorber. This wind has T ≈ 107 K and v ≈ 880 km s−1 and remains remarkably stable between the two epochs. Other slow components also remain stable across time. Fast outflow components change their properties between 2008 and 2016, suggesting either physical changes or clouds moving in and out of the line of sight. For one of the fast components, we obtain one of the tightest wind density measurements to date, log n/(cm−3) = 13.0$^{+0.01}_{-0.02}$, and determine that it is located at ∼240 gravitational radii. The estimated total outflow power surpasses 5 per cent of the bolometric luminosity (albeit with large uncertainties) making it important in the context of galaxy–black hole interactions.

An Ultraluminous Supersoft Source in a Dwarf Galaxy of A85: An Intermediate-mass Black Hole Candidate

Abstract We study a large sample of dwarf galaxies using archival Chandra X-ray observations, with the aim of detecting accreting intermediate-mass black holes (IMBHs). IMBHs are expected to inhabit dwarf galaxies and to produce specific signatures in terms of luminosity and X-ray spectra. We report the discovery of an X-ray source associated with an A85 dwarf galaxy that fits the IMBH description. The stellar mass of the host galaxy is estimated to be 2 × 108 M ⊙, which makes it one of the least massive galaxies to potentially host an accreting black hole. The source is detected in the soft band, under 1 keV, and is undetected at higher energies. The X-ray luminosity is ≈1041 erg s−1, making it almost three orders of magnitude more luminous than the most luminous stellar-mass supersoft emitters. From the galaxy stellar mass versus black hole mass relation, we estimate the mass to be within the intermediate regime. Another method that resulted in an intermediate mass relies on the fact that supersoft emission is expected to be associated with high accretion rates, approaching the Eddington limit. We suggest that the observed offset of the X-ray source from the galactic center (≈1.8 kpc) is due to galaxy interactions, and we present evidence from the literature that supports the relation between black hole activity and galaxy interactions.

Black holes in galaxies: Environmental impact on gravitational-wave generation and propagation

We introduce a family of solutions of Einstein's gravity minimally coupled to an anisotropic fluid, describing asymptotically flat black holes with ``hair'' and a regular horizon. These spacetimes can describe the geometry of galaxies harboring supermassive black holes, and are extensions of Einstein clusters to include horizons. They are useful to constrain the environment surrounding astrophysical black holes, using electromagnetic or gravitational-wave observations. We compute the main properties of the geometry, including the corrections to the ringdown stage induced by the external matter and fluxes by orbiting particles. The leading order effect to these corrections is a gravitational-redshift, but gravitational-wave propagation is affected by the galactic potential in a nontrivial way, and may be characterized with future observatories.

Density Profile of the Ambient Circumnuclear Medium in Seyfert 1 Galaxies

Abstract The shape of the ambient circumnuclear medium (ACM) density profile can probe the history of accretion onto the central supermassive black holes in galaxies and the circumnuclear environment. However, due to the limitations of instrument resolution, the density profiles of the ACM for most galaxies remain largely unknown. In this work, we propose a novel method to measure the ACM density profile of active galactic nuclei (AGNs) by the equilibrium between the radiation pressure on the warm absorbers (WAs, a type of AGN outflow) and the drag pressure from the ACM. We study the correlation between the outflow velocity and ionization parameter of WAs in each of the five Seyfert 1 galaxies (NGC 3227, NGC 3783, NGC 4051, NGC 4593, and NGC 5548), inferring that the density profile of the ACM is between n ∝ r −1.7 and n ∝ r −2.15 (n is number density and r is distance) from 0.01 pc to parsec scales in these five AGNs. Our results indicate that the ACM density profile in Seyfert 1 galaxies is steeper than the prediction by the spherically symmetric Bondi accretion model and the simulated results of the hot accretion flow, but more in line with the prediction by the standard thin-disk model.