Central Active Galactic Nucleus Research Articles

ALMA Detections of [O iii] and [C ii] Emission Lines From A1689-zD1 at z = 7.13

A1689-zD1 is one of the most distant galaxies, discovered with the aid of gravitational lensing, providing us with an important opportunity to study galaxy formation in the very early universe. In this study, we report the detection of [C ii]158 μm and [O iii]88 μm emission lines of A1689-zD1 in the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) Bands 6 and 8. We measure the redshift of this galaxy as z sys = 7.133 ± 0.005 based on the [C ii] and [O iii] emission lines, consistent with that adopted by Bakx et al. The observed L [O III]/L [C II] ratio is 2.09 ± 0.09, higher than that of most of the local galaxies, but consistent with other z ∼ 7 galaxies. The moderate spatial resolution of ALMA data provided us with a precious opportunity to investigate spatial variation of L [O III]/L [C II]. In contrast to the average value of 2.09, we find a much higher L [O III]/L [C II] of ∼7 at the center of the galaxy. This spatial variation of L [O III]/L [C II] was seldom reported for other high-z galaxies. It is also interesting that the peak of the ratio does not overlap with optical peaks. Possible physical reasons include a central active galactic nucleus, shock heating from merging, and a starburst. Our moderate spatial resolution data also reveal that in addition to the observed two clumps shown in previous Hubble Space Telescope images, there is a redshifted segment to the west of the northern optical clump. This structure is consistent with previous claims that A1689-zD1 is a merging galaxy, but with the northern redshifted part being some ejected material, or that the northern redshifted material stems from a third more highly obscured region of the galaxy.

The Evolution of AGN Activity in Brightest Cluster Galaxies

Abstract We present the results of an analysis of Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) observations of the full 2500 deg2 South Pole Telescope (SPT)-Sunyaev–Zel’dovich cluster sample. We describe a process for identifying active galactic nuclei (AGN) in brightest cluster galaxies (BCGs) based on WISE mid-IR color and redshift. Applying this technique to the BCGs of the SPT-SZ sample, we calculate the AGN-hosting BCG fraction, which is defined as the fraction of BCGs hosting bright central AGNs over all possible BCGs. Assuming an evolving single-burst stellar population model, we find statistically significant evidence (>99.9%) for a mid-IR excess at high redshift compared to low redshift, suggesting that the fraction of AGN-hosting BCGs increases with redshift over the range of 0 < z < 1.3. The best-fit redshift trend of the AGN-hosting BCG fraction has the form (1 + z)4.1±1.0. These results are consistent with previous studies in galaxy clusters as well as as in field galaxies. One way to explain this result is that member galaxies at high redshift tend to have more cold gas. While BCGs in nearby galaxy clusters grow mostly by dry mergers with cluster members, leading to no increase in AGN activity, BCGs at high redshift could primarily merge with gas-rich satellites, providing fuel for feeding AGNs. If this observed increase in AGN activity is linked to gas-rich mergers rather than ICM cooling, we would expect to see an increase in scatter in the P cav versus L cool relation at z > 1. Last, this work confirms that the runaway cooling phase, as predicted by the classical cooling-flow model, in the Phoenix cluster is extremely rare and most BCGs have low (relative to Eddington) black hole accretion rates.

Late-time X-ray observations of the transient source Cygnus A-2

ABSTRACT We examine Chandra observations of the powerful Fanaroff–Riley class II (FR II) radio galaxy Cygnus A for an X-ray counterpart to the radio transient Cygnus A-2 that was first detected in 2011. Observations are performed using the High-Resolution Camera (HRC) instrument in order to spatially resolve Cygnus A-2 and the central active galactic nucleus (AGN) at a separation of 0.′′42. Simulated images are generated of the emission region, and radial profiles for the region of interest are extracted. A comparison between the simulations and observations reveals no X-ray detection of Cygnus A-2 to a 0.5–7.0 keV flux upper limit of $1.04 \times 10^{-12}\rm \, erg\, cm^{-2}\, s^{-1}$, or a rest-frame 2–10 keV luminosity of $8.6\times 10^{42}\rm \, erg\, s^{-1}$. We estimate the black hole mass of Cygnus A-2 based on our X-ray flux limit and find it to be consistent with a flaring black hole rather than a steadily accreting source. The HRC observations are additionally compared with archival Advanced CCD Imaging Spectrometer (ACIS) data from 2016 to 2017, and both the overall morphology and the flux limits of the AGN complex agree between the two data sets. This consistency is despite the pile-up effect in ACIS which was previously considered to bias the observed morphology of the AGN. The agreement between the data sets demonstrates the viability of utilizing the archival Chandra data of Cygnus A to analyse its AGN at an unprecedented level of precision.

Origin of the ring structures in Hercules A

The prominent radio source Hercules A features complex structures in its radio lobes. Although it is one of the most comprehensively studied sources in the radio sky, the origin of the ring structures in the Hercules A radio lobes remains an open question. We present the first sub-arcsecond angular resolution images at low frequencies (<300 MHz) of Hercules A, made with the International LOFAR Telescope. With the addition of data from the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array, we mapped the structure of the lobes from 144 MHz to 7 GHz. We explore the origin of the rings within the lobes of Hercules A, and test whether their properties are best described by a shock model, where shock waves are produced by the jet propagating in the radio lobe, or by an inner-lobe model, where the rings are formed by decelerated jetted plasma. From spectral index mapping our large frequency coverage reveals that the curvature of the different ring spectra increases with distance away from the central active galactic nucleus. We demonstrate that the spectral shape of the rings is consistent with synchrotron aging, which speaks in favor of an inner-lobe model where the rings are formed from the deposition of material from past periods of intermittent core activity.

Spectral-timing of AGN ionized outflows with Athena

ABSTRACT Spectral-timing techniques have proven valuable in studying the interplay between the X-ray corona and the accretion disc in variable active galactic nuclei (AGNs). Under certain conditions, photoionized outflows emerging from central AGN regions also play a role in the observable spectral-timing properties of the nuclear components. The variable ionizing flux causes the intervening gas to ionize or recombine, resulting in a time-dependent absorption spectrum. Understanding the spectral-timing properties of these outflows is critical not only for the determination of their role in the AGN environment but also for the correct interpretation of timing signatures of other AGN components. In this paper, we test the capabilities of the Athena X-IFU instrument in studying the spectral and spectral-timing properties of a black hole system displaying a variable outflow. We take the narrow-line Seyfert 1 IRAS 13224−3809 as a test case. Our findings show that while the non-linear response of the absorbing medium can result in complex behaviour of time lags, the resulting decrease in the coherence can be used to constrain gas density and distance to the central source. Ultimately, modelling the coherence spectra of AGN outflows may constitute a valuable tool in studying the physical properties of the outflowing gas.

GASP XXXVIII: The LOFAR-MeerKAT-VLA View on the Nonthermal Side of a Jellyfish Galaxy

Abstract Ram pressure stripping is a crucial evolutionary driver for cluster galaxies. It is thought to be able to accelerate the evolution of their star formation, trigger the activity of their central active galactic nucleus (AGN) and the interplay between galactic and environmental gas, and eventually dissipate their gas reservoirs. We explored the outcomes of ram pressure stripping by studying the nonthermal radio emission of the jellyfish galaxy JW100 in the cluster A2626 (z = 0.055), by combining LOw Frequency Array, MeerKAT, and Very Large Array observations from 0.144 to 5.5 GHz. We studied the integrated spectra of the stellar disk, the stripped tail, and the AGN; mapped the spectral index over the galaxy; and constrained the magnetic field intensity to between 11 and 18 μG in the disk and <10 μG in the tail. The stellar disk radio emission is dominated by a radiatively old plasma, likely related to an older phase of a high star formation rate. This suggests that the star formation was quickly quenched by a factor of 4 in a few 107 yr. The radio emission in the tail is consistent with the stripping scenario, where the radio plasma that originally accelerated in the disk is subsequently displaced in the tail. The morphology of the radio and X-ray emissions supports the scenario of the accretion of magnetized environmental plasma onto the galaxy. The AGN nonthermal spectrum indicates that relativistic electron acceleration may have occurred simultaneously with a central ionized gas outflow, thus suggesting a physical connection between the two processes.

Radio Morphology of Red Geysers

Abstract We present 150 MHz, 1.4 GHz, and 3 GHz radio imaging (LoTSS, FIRST, and VLASS) and spatially resolved ionized gas characteristics (SDSS IV-MaNGA) for 140 local (z < 0.1) early-type red geyser galaxies. These galaxies have a low star formation activity (with a star formation rate, SFR, ∼ 0.01 M ⊙ yr−1), but show unique extended patterns in spatially resolved emission-line maps that have been interpreted as large-scale ionized winds driven by active galactic nuclei (AGN). In this work, we confirm that red geysers host low-luminosity radio sources (L 1.4GHz ∼ 1022 WHz −1). Out of 42 radio-detected red geysers, 32 are spatially resolved in LoTSS and FIRST, with radio sizes varying between ∼5–25 kpc. Three sources have radio sizes exceeding 40 kpc. A majority display a compact radio morphology and are consistent with either low-power compact radio sources (FR0 galaxies) or radio-quiet quasars. They may be powered by small-scale AGN-driven jets that remain unresolved at the current 5″ resolution of radio data. The extended radio sources, not belonging to the “compact” morphological class, exhibit steeper spectra with a median spectral index of −0.67, indicating the dominance of lobed components. The red geysers hosting extended radio sources also have the lowest specific SFRs, suggesting they either have a greater impact on the surrounding interstellar medium or are found in more massive halos on average. The degree of alignment of the ionized wind cone and the extended radio features are either 0° or 90°, indicating possible interaction between the interstellar medium and the central radio AGN.

ALMA Imaging of a Galactic Molecular Outflow in NGC 4945

Abstract We present the ALMA detection of molecular outflowing gas in the central regions of NGC 4945, one of the nearest starbursts and also one of the nearest hosts of an active galactic nucleus (AGN). We detect four outflow plumes in CO J = 3 − 2 at ∼0.″3 resolution that appear to correspond to molecular gas located near the edges of the known ionized outflow cone and its (unobserved) counterpart behind the disk. The fastest and brightest of these plumes has emission reaching observed line-of-sight projected velocities of over 450 km s−1 beyond systemic, equivalent to an estimated physical outflow velocity v ≳ 600 km s−1 for the fastest emission. Most of these plumes have corresponding emission in HCN or HCO+ J = 4 − 3. We discuss a kinematic model for the outflow emission where the molecular gas has the geometry of the ionized gas cone and shares the rotation velocity of the galaxy when ejected. We use this model to explain the velocities we observe, constrain the physical speed of the ejected material, and account for the fraction of outflowing gas that is not detected due to confusion with the galaxy disk. We estimate a total molecular mass outflow rate M ̇ mol ∼ 20 M ⊙ yr−1 flowing through a surface within 100 pc of the disk midplane, likely driven by a combination of the central starburst and AGN.

The Deepest Chandra View of RBS 797: Evidence for Two Pairs of Equidistant X-ray Cavities

Abstract We present the first results of a deep Chandra observation of the galaxy cluster RBS 797 whose previous X-ray studies revealed two pronounced X-ray cavities in the east–west (E–W) direction. Follow-up VLA radio observations of the central active galactic nucleus (AGN) uncovered different jet and lobe orientations, with radio lobes filling the E–W cavities and perpendicular jets showing emission in the north–south (N–S) direction over the same scale (≈30 kpc). With the new ∼427 ks total exposure, we report the detection of two additional, symmetric X-ray cavities in the N–S direction at nearly the same radial distance as the E–W ones. The newly discovered N–S cavities are associated with the radio emission detected at 1.4 and 4.8 GHz in archival VLA data, making RBS 797 the first galaxy cluster found to have four equidistant, centrally symmetric, radio-filled cavities. We derive the dynamical and radiative ages of the four cavities from X-ray and radio data, respectively, finding that the two outbursts are approximately coeval, with an age difference of ⪅10 Myr between the E–W and N–S cavities. We discuss two scenarios for the origin of the two perpendicular, equidistant cavity systems: either the presence of a binary AGN that is excavating coeval pairs of cavities in perpendicular directions or a fast (<10 Myr) jet reorientation event that produced subsequent, misaligned outbursts.

Milliarcsecond Core Size Dependence of the Radio Variability of Blazars

AbstractStudying blazar radio variability on timescales ranging from months to years provides information on the sub-parsec-scale structures of the jets, and the physics of the central active galactic nuclei. In this study, we focus on the radio variability of 1158 blazars observed at 15 GHz through the Owens Valley Radio Observatory Blazar Monitoring Program, where these sources have been observed about twice a week for over a decade. We investigate the dependence of the variability amplitudes and timescales, derived using a simple model fit to the structure function, on the milliarcsecond radio core sizes measured by Very Long Baseline Interferometry. The most compact sources exhibit larger variability amplitudes and shorter variability timescales than the more extended sources; this could be explained by light travel-time effects.

Molecular gas along the old radio jets of the cluster-central type 2 quasar IRAS 09104+4109

ABSTRACT We present Northern Extended Millimeter Array (NOEMA) CO(2–1) maps of the z = 0.4418 cluster-central quasi-stellar object (QSO) IRAS 09104+4109, which trace ∼4.5 × 1010 M⊙ of molecular gas in and around the galaxy. As in many low-redshift cool-core clusters, the molecular gas is located in a series of clumps extending along the old radio jets and lobes. It has a relatively low velocity dispersion [336$^{+39}_{-35}$ km s−1 full width at half-maximum (FWHM)] and shows no velocity gradients indicative of outflow or infall. Roughly half the gas is located in a central clump on the north-east side of the galaxy, overlapping a bright ionized gas filament and a spur of excess X-ray emission, suggesting that this is a location of rapid cooling. The molecular gas is unusually extended, out to ∼55 kpc radius, comparable to the scale of the filamentary nebula in the Perseus cluster, despite the much higher redshift of this system. The extent falls within the thermal instability radius of the intracluster medium (ICM), with tcool/$t_{\rm ff} \lt 25$ and tcool/$t_{\rm eddy} \sim 1$ within ∼70 kpc. Continuum measurements at 159.9 GHz from NOEMA and 850 $\mu$m from the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope (JCMT) Submillimeter Common-User Bolometer Array 2 (SCUBA-2) show excess far-infrared emission, which we interpret as free–free emission arising from the ongoing starburst. These observations suggest that ICM cooling is not strongly affected by the buried QSO, and that cooling from the ICM can build gas reservoirs sufficient to fuel quasar-mode activity and drive the reorientation of the central active galactic nuclei (AGN).

Dynamics and Morphology of Cold Gas in Fast, Radiatively Cooling Outflows: Constraining AGN Energetics with Horseshoes

Abstract Warm ionized and cold neutral outflows with velocities exceeding 100 km s−1 are commonly observed in galaxies and clusters. However, theoretical studies indicate that ram pressure from a hot wind, driven either by the central active galactic nucleus (AGN) or a starburst, cannot accelerate existing cold gas to such high speeds without destroying it. In this work we explore a different scenario, where cold gas forms in a fast, radiatively cooling outflow with temperature T ≲ 107 K. Using 3D hydrodynamic simulations, we demonstrate that cold gas continuously fragments out of the cooling outflow, forming elongated filamentary structures extending tens of kiloparsecs. For a range of physically relevant temperature and velocity configurations, a ring of cold gas perpendicular to the direction of motion forms in the outflow. This naturally explains the formation of transverse cold gas filaments such as the blue loop and the horseshoe filament in the Perseus cluster. Based on our results, we estimate that the AGN outburst responsible for the formation of these two features drove bipolar outflows with velocity >2000 km s−1 and total kinetic energy >8 × 1057 erg about ∼10 Myr ago. We also examine the continuous cooling in the mixing layer between hot and cold gas, and find that radiative cooling only accounts for ∼10% of the total mass cooling rate, indicating that observations of soft X-ray and far-ultraviolet emission may significantly underestimate the growth of cold gas in the cooling flow of galaxy clusters.

Unveiling the Population of Wandering Black Holes via Electromagnetic Signatures

Abstract While most galaxies appear to host a central supermassive black hole (SMBH), they are expected to also contain a substantial population of off-center “wandering” SMBHs naturally produced by the hierarchical merger-driven process of galaxy assembly. This population has been recently characterized in an analysis of the Romulus cosmological simulations, which correct for the dynamical forces on SMBHs without artificially pinning them to halo centers. Here we predict an array of electromagnetic signatures for these wanderers. The predicted wandering population of SMBHs from Romulus broadly reproduces the observed spatial offsets of a recent sample of hyperluminous X-ray sources. We predict that the sources with the most extreme offsets are likely to arise from SMBHs within satellite galaxies. These simulations also predict a significant population of secondary active galactic nuclei (AGNs) with luminosities at least 10% that of the central AGN. The majority of galaxies at z = 4 that host a central AGN with bolometric luminosity L bol > 1042 erg s−1 are predicted to host a companion off-center AGN of comparable brightness. We demonstrate that stacked X-ray observations of similar mass galaxies may reveal a halo of collective emission attributable to these wanderers. Finally, because wanderers dominate the population of SMBHs with masses of ≲107 M ⊙ in Romulus, they may dominate tidal disruption event (TDE) rates at these masses if they retain a stellar component (e.g., a nuclear star cluster). This could warrant an order of magnitude correction to current theoretically estimated TDE rates at low SMBH masses.

How Merger-driven Gas Motions in Galaxy Clusters Can Turn AGN Bubbles into Radio Relics

Abstract Radio relics in galaxy clusters are extended synchrotron sources produced by cosmic-ray electrons in the microgauss magnetic field. Many relics are found in the cluster periphery and have a cluster-centric, narrow arc-like shape, which suggests that the electrons are accelerated or reaccelerated by merger shock fronts propagating outward in the intracluster plasma. In the X-ray, some relics do exhibit such shocks at the location of the relic, but many do not. We explore the possibility that radio relics trace not the shock fronts but the shape of the underlying distribution of seed relativistic electrons, lit up by a recent shock passage. We use magnetohydrodynamic simulations of cluster mergers and include bubbles of relativistic electrons injected by jets from the central active galactic nucleus or from an off-center radio galaxy. We show that the merger-driven gas motions (a) can advect the bubble cosmic rays to very large radii and (b) spread the relativistic seed electrons preferentially in the tangential direction—along the gravitational equipotential surfaces—producing extended, filamentary, or sheet-like regions of intracluster plasma enriched with aged cosmic rays, which resemble radio relics. Once a shock front passes across such a region, the sharp radio emission edges would trace the sharp boundaries of these enriched regions rather than the front. We also show that these elongated cosmic-ray features are naturally associated with magnetic fields stretched tangentially along their long axis, which could help explain the high polarization of relics.

The Nuclear Region of NGC 1365: Star Formation, Negative Feedback, and Outflow Structure

Abstract High-resolution observations of ionized and molecular gas in the nuclear regions of galaxies are indispensable for delineating the interplay of star formation, gaseous inflows, stellar radiation, and feedback processes. Combining our new Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array band 3 mapping and archival Very Large Telescope/MUSE data, we present a spatially resolved analysis of molecular and ionized gas in the central 5.4 kpc region of NGC 1365. We find the star formation rate/efficiency (SFR/SFE) in the inner circumnuclear ring is about 0.4/1.1 dex higher than in the outer regions. At a linear resolution of 180 pc, we obtain a superlinear Kennicutt–Schmidt law, demonstrating a steeper slope (1.96 ± 0.14) than previous results presumably based on lower-resolution observations. Compared to the northeastern counterpart, the southwestern dust lane shows lower SFE, but denser molecular gas and larger virial parameters. This is consistent with an interpretation of negative feedback from an active galactic nucleus (AGN) and/or starburst, in the sense that the radiation/winds can heat and interact with the molecular gas even in relatively dense regions. After subtracting the circular motion component of the molecular gas and the stellar rotation, we detect two prominent noncircular motion components of molecular and ionized hydrogen gas, reaching a line-of-sight velocity of up to 100 km s−1. We conclude that the winds or shocked gas from the central AGN may expel the low-density molecular gas and diffuse ionized gas on the surface of the rotating disk.

Constraining the AGN duty cycle in the cool-core cluster MS 0735.6+7421 with LOFAR data

Context.MS 0735.6+7421 is a galaxy cluster that hosts a central radio galaxy with a very steep spectrum. The spectrum is produced by one of the most powerful known jetted active galactic nuclei (AGN). The radio plasma, ejected at nearly light speed from the central AGN, has displaced the intra-cluster medium, leaving two pairs of cavities observable in the X-ray. The cavities are associated with two different outbursts and have distributed energy to the surrounding medium. While the age of the cavities has previously been estimated from the X-rays, no confirmation from radio data is available. Furthermore, the radio spectrum has only been derived from integrated flux density measurements so far, and the spatial distribution that would help us to understand the nature of this source is still lacking.Aims.We perform for the first time a detailed, high-resolution spectral study of the source at radio frequencies and investigate its duty cycle. We compare this with previous X-ray estimates.Methods.We used new observations at 144 MHz produced with the LOw Frequency ARray (LOFAR) together with archival data at higher frequencies (235, 325, 610, 1400, and 8500 MHz), to investigate the spectral properties of the source. We also used radiative models to constrain the age of the source.Results.At the LOFAR frequency, the source presents two large outer radio lobes that are wider than at higher frequencies, and a smaller intermediate lobe that is located south-west of the core. A new inspection of X-ray data allowed us to identify an intermediate cavity that is associated with this lobe. It indicates a further phase of jet activity. The radio lobes have a steep spectrum even at LOFAR frequencies, reachingα144610= 2.9 in the outer lobes andα144610= 2.1 in the intermediate lobe. Fitting the lobe spectra using a single injection model of particle ageing, we derived a total age of the source between 170 and 106 Myr. This age agrees with the buoyancy and sound-crossing timescales derived from X-ray data. The resolution of the spectral age map we performed allows us to reconstruct the duty cycle of the source. In three phases of jet activity, the AGN was active for most of the time with only brief quiescent phases that ensured the repeated heating of the central gas. Finally, we estimated the minimum energy inside the outer lobes. We find that a source of additional pressure support must be present to sustain the bubbles against the pressure of the external medium.

Predicting the Spectrum of UGC 2885, Rubin’s Galaxy with Machine Learning

Abstract Wu & Peek predict SDSS-quality spectra based on Pan-STARRS broadband grizy images using machine learning (ML). In this article, we test their prediction for a unique object, UGC 2885 (“Rubin’s galaxy”), the largest and most massive, isolated disk galaxy in the local universe (D < 100 Mpc). After obtaining the ML predicted spectrum, we compare it to all existing spectroscopic information that is comparable to an SDSS spectrum of the central region: two archival spectra, one extracted from the VIRUS-P observations of this galaxy, and a new, targeted MMT/Binospec observation. Agreement is qualitatively good, though the ML prediction prefers line ratios slightly more toward those of an active galactic nucleus (AGN), compared to archival and VIRUS-P observed values. The MMT/Binospec nuclear spectrum unequivocally shows strong emission lines except Hβ, the ratios of which are consistent with AGN activity. The ML approach to galaxy spectra may be a viable way to identify AGN supplementing NIR colors. How such a massive disk galaxy (M* = 1011 M ⊙), which uncharacteristically shows no sign of interaction or mergers, manages to fuel its central AGN remains to be investigated.

Feedback from Active Galactic Nuclei in Galaxy Groups

The co-evolution between supermassive black holes and their environment is most directly traced by the hot atmospheres of dark matter halos. The cooling of the hot atmosphere supplies the central regions with fresh gas, igniting active galactic nuclei (AGN) with long duty cycles. Outflows from the central engine tightly couple with the surrounding gaseous medium and provide the dominant heating source preventing runaway cooling by carving cavities and driving shocks across the medium. The AGN feedback loop is a key feature of all modern galaxy evolution models. Here, we review our knowledge of the AGN feedback process in the specific context of galaxy groups. Galaxy groups are uniquely suited to constrain the mechanisms governing the cooling–heating balance. Unlike in more massive halos, the energy that is supplied by the central AGN to the hot intragroup medium can exceed the gravitational binding energy of halo gas particles. We report on the state-of-the-art in observations of the feedback phenomenon and in theoretical models of the heating-cooling balance in galaxy groups. We also describe how our knowledge of the AGN feedback process impacts galaxy evolution models and large-scale baryon distributions. Finally, we discuss how new instrumentation will answer key open questions on the topic.

The EDGE–CALIFA survey: central molecular gas depletion in AGN host galaxies – a smoking gun for quenching?

ABSTRACT Feedback from an active galactic nucleus (AGN) is often implicated as a mechanism that leads to the quenching of galactic star formation. However, AGN-driven quenching is challenging to reconcile with observations that AGN hosts tend to harbour equal (or even excess) amounts of gas compared with inactive galaxies of similar stellar mass. In this paper, we investigate whether AGN feedback happens on sub-galactic (kpc) scales, an effect that might be difficult to detect with global gas measurements. Using kpc-scale measurements of molecular gas ($\Sigma _{\rm H_2}$) and stellar mass (Σ⋆) surface densities, taken from the Extragalactic Data base for Galaxy Evolution–Calar Alto Legacy Integral Field Area survey, we show that the gas fractions of central AGN regions are typically a factor of ∼ 2 lower than those in star-forming regions. Based on four galaxies with the best spaxel statistics, the difference between AGN and star-forming gas fractions is seen even within a given galaxy, indicating that AGN feedback is able to deplete the molecular gas reservoir in the central few kpc.

The central parsec of NGC 3783: a rotating broad emission line region, asymmetric hot dust structure, and compact coronal line region

Using VLTI/GRAVITY and SINFONI data, we investigate the subparsec gas and dust structure around the nearby type 1 active galactic nucleus (AGN) hosted by NGC 3783. The K-band coverage of GRAVITY uniquely allows simultaneous analysis of the size and kinematics of the broad line region (BLR), the size and structure of the near-infrared(near-IR)-continuum-emitting hot dust, and the size of the coronal line region (CLR). We find the BLR, probed through broad Brγ emission, to be well described by a rotating, thick disc with a radial distribution of clouds peaking in the inner region. In our BLR model, the physical mean radius of 16 light-days is nearly twice the ten-day time-lag that would be measured, which closely matches the ten-day time-lag that has been measured by reverberation mapping. We measure a hot dust full-width at half-maximum (FWHM) size of 0.74 mas (0.14 pc) and further reconstruct an image of the hot dust, which reveals a faint (5% of the total flux) offset cloud that we interpret as an accreting or outflowing cloud heated by the central AGN. Finally, we directly measure the FWHM size of the nuclear CLR as traced by the [Ca VIII] and narrow Brγ line. We find a FWHM size of 2.2 mas (0.4 pc), fully in line with the expectation of the CLR located between the BLR and narrow line region. Combining all of these measurements together with larger scale near-IR integral field unit and mid-IR interferometry data, we are able to comprehensively map the structure and dynamics of gas and dust from 0.01 to 100 pc.