Active Galactic Nucleus Radiation Research Articles

Exploring the AGN-merger connection in Arp 245 I: Nuclear star formation and gas outflow in NGC 2992

ABSTRACT Galaxy mergers are central to our understanding of galaxy formation, especially within the context of hierarchical models. Besides having a large impact on the star formation history, mergers are also able to influence gas motions at the centre of galaxies and trigger an active galactic nucleus (AGN). In this paper, we present a case study of the Seyfert galaxy NGC 2992, which together with NGC 2993 forms the early-stage merger system Arp 245. Using Gemini Multi-Object Spectrograph integral field unit data from the inner 1.1 kpc of the galaxy, we were able to spatially resolve the stellar populations, the ionization mechanism, and kinematics of ionized gas. From full spectral synthesis, we found that the stellar population is primarily composed by old metal-rich stars (t ≥ 1.4 Gyr, Z ≥ 2.0 Z⊙), with a contribution of at most 30 per cent of the light from a young and metal-poor population (t ≤ 100 Myr, Z ≤ 1.0 Z⊙). We detect H α and H β emission from the broad-line region with a full width at half-maximum of ∼2000 $\rm km\, s^{-1}$. The narrow-line region kinematics presents two main components: one from gas orbiting the galaxy disc and a blueshifted (velocity ≈ −200 $\rm km\, s^{-1}$) outflow, possibly correlated with the radio emission, with mass outflow rate of ∼2 M⊙ yr−1 and a kinematic power of ∼2 × 1040 erg s−1 ($\dot{E}_{\mathrm{ out}}$/Lbol ≈ 0.2 per cent). We also show even though the main ionization mechanism is the AGN radiation, ionization by young stars and shocks may also contribute to the emission line ratios presented in the innermost region of the galaxy.

Active galactic nucleus feedback in an elliptical galaxy with the most updated AGN physics: Parameter explorations

ABSTRACT In a previous work, we have proposed a sub-grid model of active galactic nucleus (AGN) feedback by taking into account the state-of-the-art AGN physics, and used that model to study the effect of AGN feedback on the evolution of an isolated elliptical galaxy by performing 2D high-resolution (i.e. the Bondi radius is well resolved) simulations. In that work, typical values of model parameters were adopted. In this work, we extend that study by exploring the effects of uncertainties of parameter values. Such a study is also useful for us to understand the respective roles of various components of the model. These parameters include the mass flux and velocity of AGN wind and radiative efficiency in both the hot and cold feedback modes, and the initial black hole (BH) mass. We find that the velocity of AGN wind in the hot mode is the most important quantity to control the typical accretion rate and luminosity of AGN, and the mass growth of the BH. The effect of the wind on star formation is less sensitive. Within the limited parameter range explored in this work, a stronger AGN wind suppresses star formation within ∼100 pc but enhances star formation beyond this radius, while the star formation integrated over the evolution time and the whole galaxy roughly remain unchanged. AGN radiation suppresses the BH accretion in a mild way, but dust is not considered here. Finally, a smaller initial BH mass results in a more violent evolution of the BH accretion rate. The corresponding AGN spends more time in the high-luminosity state and the percentage of BH mass growth is higher. Our results indicate the robustness of AGN feedback in keeping the galaxy quenched.

On the origin of X-ray oxygen emission lines in obscured AGN

ABSTRACT We present the Catalogue of High Resolution Spectra of Obscured Sources (CHRESOS) from the XMM–Newton Science Archive. It comprises the emission-line luminosities of H- and He-like transitions from C to Si, and the Fe 3C and Fe 3G L-shell ones. Here, we concentrate on the soft X-ray O vii (f) and O viii Lyα emission lines to shed light on to the physical processes with which their formation can be related to active galactic nucleus (AGN) versus star-forming regions. We compare their luminosity with that of two other important oxygen key lines [O iii] λ5007 Å, in the optical, and [O iv] 25.89 μm, in the infrared (IR). We also test O vii (f) and O viii Lyα luminosities against that of continuum bands in the IR and hard X-rays, which point to different ionization processes. We probe into those processes by analysing photoionization and collisional ionization model predictions upon our lines. We show that both scenarios can explain the formation and observed intensities of O vii (f) and O viii Lyα. By analysing the relationships between O vii (f) and O viii Lyα, and all other observables: [O iii] λ5007 Å, [O iv] 25.89 μm emission lines, and mid-infrared (MIR) 12 μm, far-infrared (FIR) 60 and 100 μm, 2–10 and 14–195 keV continuum bands, we conclude that the AGN radiation field is mainly responsible of the soft X-ray oxygen excitation.

The Role of Infrared Radiation Pressure in Shaping Dusty Winds in AGNs

Abstract The detection of dusty winds dominating the infrared emission of active galactic nuclei (AGNs) on parsec scales has revealed the limitations of traditional radiative transfer models based on a toroidal distribution of dusty gas. A new, more complex, dynamical structure is emerging and the physical origin of such dusty winds has to be critically assessed. We present a semi-analytical model to test the hypothesis of radiatively accelerated dusty winds launched by the AGN and by the heated dust itself. The model consists of an AGN and an infrared radiating dusty disk, the latter being the primary mass reservoir for the outflow. We calculate the trajectories of dusty gas clumps in this environment, accounting for both gravity and the AGN radiation as well as the re-radiation by the hot, dusty gas clouds themselves. We find that the morphology consists of a disk of material that orbits with sub-Keplerian velocities and a hyperboloid polar wind launched at the inner edge of the dusty disk. This is consistent with high-angular resolution infrared and sub-mm observations of some local Seyfert AGN. The strength of the wind and its orientation depend on the Eddington ratio and the column density of the dusty clumps, which is in agreement with proposed radiation regulated obscuration models developed for the X-ray obscuring material around AGNs.

Powerful ionized gas outflows in the interacting radio galaxy 4C+29.30

ABSTRACT We investigate the ionized gas excitation and kinematics in the inner $4.3\, \times \, 6.2$ kpc2 of the merger radio galaxy 4C+29.30. Using optical integral field spectroscopy with the Gemini North Telescope, we present flux distributions, line-ratio maps, peak velocities and velocity dispersion maps as well as channel maps with a spatial resolution of $\approx\! 955\,$ pc. We observe high blueshifts of up to $\sim\! -650\,$$\rm km\, s^{-1}$ in a region ∼1 arcsec south of the nucleus (the southern knot – SK), which also presents high velocity dispersions ($\sim\! 250\,$$\rm km\, s^{-1}$), which we attribute to an outflow. A possible redshifted counterpart is observed north from the nucleus (the northern knot – NK). We propose that these regions correspond to a bipolar outflow possibly due to the interaction of the radio jet with the ambient gas. We estimate a total ionized gas mass outflow rate of $\dot{M}_{\mathrm{ out}} = 25.4 ^{+11.5 }_{ -7.5}\,$ M⊙ yr−1with a kinetic power of $\dot{E} = 8.1 ^{+10.7 }_{ -4.0} \times 10^{42}\,$ erg s−1, which represents $5.8 ^{+7.6 }_{ -2.9} {{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ of the active galactic nucleus (AGN) bolometric luminosity. These values are higher than usually observed in nearby active galaxies with the same bolometric luminosities and could imply a significant impact of the outflows in the evolution of the host galaxy. The excitation is higher in the NK – that correlates with extended X-ray emission, indicating the presence of hotter gas – than in the SK, supporting a scenario in which an obscuring dust lane is blocking part of the AGN radiation to reach the southern region of the galaxy.

Dust Destruction by Charging: A Possible Origin of Gray Extinction Curves of Active Galactic Nuclei

Abstract Observed extinction curves of active galactic nuclei (AGNs) are significantly different from those observed in the Milky Way. The observations require preferential removal of small grains at the AGN environment; however, the physics for this remains unclear. In this paper, we propose that dust destruction by charging, or Coulomb explosion, may be responsible for AGN extinction curves. Harsh AGN radiation makes a dust grain highly charged through photoelectric emission, and grain fission via Coulomb explosion occurs when the electrostatic tensile stress of a charge grain exceeds its tensile strength. We show that Coulomb explosion can preferentially remove both small silicate and graphite grains and successfully reproduce both flat extinction curve and the absence of 2175 Å bump.

Modeling the Infrared Reverberation Response of the Circumnuclear Dusty Torus in AGNs: An Investigation of Torus Response Functions

Abstract The size and structure of the dusty circumnuclear torus in active galactic nuclei (AGNs) can be investigated by analyzing the temporal response of the torus’s infrared (IR) dust emission to variations in the AGN ultraviolet/optical luminosity. This method, reverberation mapping, is applicable over a wide redshift range, but the IR response is sensitive to several poorly constrained variables relating to the dust distribution and its illumination, complicating the interpretation of measured reverberation lags. We have used an enhanced version of our torus reverberation mapping code (TORMAC) to conduct a comprehensive exploration of the torus response functions at selected wavelengths, for the standard interstellar medium grain composition. The shapes of the response functions vary widely over the parameter range covered by our models, with the largest variations occurring at shorter wavelengths (≤4.5 μm). The reverberation lag, quantified as the response-weighted delay (RWD), is most affected by the radial depth of the torus, the steepness of the radial cloud distribution, the degree of anisotropy of the AGN radiation field, and the volume filling factor. Nevertheless, we find that the RWD provides a reasonably robust estimate, to within a factor of ∼3, of the luminosity-weighted torus radius, confirming the basic assumption underlying reverberation mapping. However, overall, the models predict radii at 2.2 μm that are typically a factor of ∼2 larger than those derived from K-band reverberation mapping. This is likely an indication that the innermost region of the torus is populated by clouds dominated by large graphite grains.

Impact of X-rays on CO emission from high-z galaxies

ABSTRACT We study the impact of active galactic nuclei (AGNs) on the CO spectral line energy distribution (SLED) of high-z galaxies. In particular, we want to assess if the CO SLED can be used as a probe of AGN activity. To this purpose, we develop a semi-analytical model that takes into account the radiative transfer and the clumpy structure of giant molecular clouds where the CO lines are excited, their distribution in the galaxy disc, and the torus obscuration of the AGN radiation. We study the joint effect on the CO SLED excitation of (i) the X-ray luminosity from the AGNs (LX), (ii) the size of the molecular disc, (iii) the inclination angle (Ω) of the torus with respect to the molecular disc, and (iv) the Giant Molecular Cloud (GMC) mean density. We also discuss the possibility of an enhanced cosmic ray ionization rate (CRIR). We find that the X-ray-dominated region (XDR) generated by the AGNs in every case enhances the CO SLED for J > 5, with increasing excitation of high-J CO lines for increasing X-ray luminosity. Because high-z galaxies are compact, the XDR typically encloses the whole disc, thus its effect can be more important with respect to lower redshift objects. The impact of the XDR can be disentangled from an enhanced CRIR either if $L_\mathrm{ X}\,\gt\, 10^{44} \rm \, erg\, s^{-1}$, or if Ω ≥ 60°. We finally provide predictions on the CO(7–6)/[C ii] and CO(17–16)/[C ii] ratios as a function of LX, which can be relevant for ALMA follow-up of galaxies and quasars previously detected in [C ii].

The Close AGN Reference Survey (CARS)

Context. Galaxy-wide outflows driven by star formation and/or an active galactic nucleus (AGN) are thought to play a crucial rule in the evolution of galaxies and the metal enrichment of the inter-galactic medium. Direct measurements of these processes are still scarce and new observations are needed to reveal the nature of outflows in the majority of the galaxy population.Aims. We combine extensive, spatially-resolved, multi-wavelength observations, taken as part of the Close AGN Reference Survey (CARS), for the edge-on disc galaxy HE 1353−1917 in order to characterise the impact of the AGN on its host galaxy via outflows and radiation.Methods. Multi-color broad-band photometry was combined with spatially-resolved optical, near-infrared (NIR) and sub-mm and radio observations taken with the Multi-Unit Spectroscopy Explorer (MUSE), the Near-infrared Integral Field Spectrometer (NIFS), the Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA), and theKarl G. JanskyVery Large Array (VLA) to map the physical properties and kinematics of the multi-phase interstellar medium.Results. We detect a biconical extended narrow-line region ionised by the luminous AGN orientated nearly parallel to the galaxy disc, extending out to at least 25 kpc. The extra-planar gas originates from galactic fountains initiated by star formation processes in the disc, rather than an AGN outflow, as shown by the kinematics and the metallicity of the gas. Nevertheless, a fast, multi-phase, AGN-driven outflow with speeds up to 1000 km s−1is detected close to the nucleus at 1 kpc distance. A radio jet, in connection with the AGN radiation field, is likely responsible for driving the outflow as confirmed by the energetics and the spatial alignment of the jet and multi-phase outflow. Evidence for negative AGN feedback suppressing the star formation rate (SFR) is mild and restricted to the central kpc. But while any SFR suppression must have happened recently, the outflow has the potential to greatly impact the future evolution of the galaxy disc due to its geometrical orientation.Conclusions.. Our observations reveal that low-power radio jets can play a major role in driving fast, multi-phase, galaxy-scale outflows even in radio-quiet AGN. Since the outflow energetics for HE 1353−1917 are consistent with literature, scaling relation of AGN-driven outflows the contribution of radio jets as the driving mechanisms still needs to be systematically explored.

A Deeply Buried Narrow-line Seyfert 1 Nucleus Uncovered in Scattered Light

Abstract We present spectropolarimetric and spectrophotometric observations of the peculiar active galactic nucleus (AGN) SDSS J120300.19+162443.7 (hereafter J1203+1624) at z = 0.1656. Its optical total flux spectra clearly show broad emission lines (BELs) in Hα and Hβ. After removal of narrow emission lines (NELs), the full width at half maximum (FWHM) of the Lorentzian BEL is ≈ 1270 , fulfilling the conventional definition of a narrow-line Seyfert 1 (NLS1) galaxy. However, its NELs are unprecedentedly strong when compared to type 1 AGNs. This, together with its large MIR excess ( mag), implies that the observer and the NEL region might see a different ionization continuum. Our optical spectropolarimetry confirms its type 2 nature by detecting a polarized blue continuum and Balmer BELs ( ), with a high polarization degree of >20% in the blue wing. The mass and Eddington rate of the central black hole are estimated based on both transmitted and scattered AGN radiation, which is and . Severe extinction of the AGN emission also enables a clear view of the compact host galaxy. The discovery of J1203+1624 suggests that NLS1 follows the AGN unification scheme, and studying its analogs could blaze a new trail for exploring the connection between black hole growth and star formation in the host galaxy. The interesting features of J1203+1624, like the peculiar NELs and inflowing scattering clouds within the sublimation radius, are worth detailed follow-ups in the future.

Circumnuclear Star Formation and AGN Activity: Clues from Surface Brightness Radial Profile of PAHs and [ S IV

Abstract We studied the circumnuclear mid-IR emission in a sample of 19 local active galactic nuclei (AGNs) with high spatial resolution spectra using T-ReCS (Gemini) and CanariCam (GTC), together with Spitzer/IRS observations. We measured the flux and the equivalent width for the 11.3 μm PAH feature and the [S iv] line emission as a function of galactocentric distance. This allowed us to study the star formation (SF) at subkiloparsec scales from the nucleus for a large sample of nearby AGNs. The [S iv] line emission could be tracing the AGN radiation field within a few thousand times the sublimation radius (R sub), but it often peaks at distances greater than 1000 R sub. One possibility is that the SF is contributing to the [S iv] total flux. We found an 11.3 μm PAH emission deficit within the inner few tens of parsecs from the AGN. This deficit might be due to the destruction of the molecules responsible for this feature or the lack of SF at these distances. We found a sensible agreement in the expected shift of the relation of the AGN bolometric luminosity and the SF rate. This indicates that numerical models attributing the link between AGN activity and host galaxy growth to mergers are in agreement with our data, for most inner galaxy parts.

The energetics of AGN radiation pressure-driven outflows

The increasing observational evidence of galactic outflows is considered as a sign of active galactic nucleus (AGN) feedback in action. However, the physical mechanism responsible for driving the observed outflows remains unclear, and whether it is due to momentum, energy, or radiation is still a matter of debate. The observed outflow energetics, in particular the large measured values of the momentum ratio ($\dot{p}/(L/c) \sim 10$) and energy ratio ($\dot{E}_k/L \sim 0.05$), seems to favour the energy-driving mechanism; and most observational works have focused their comparison with wind energy-driven models. Here we show that AGN radiation pressure on dust can adequately reproduce the observed outflow energetics (mass outflow rate, momentum flux, and kinetic power), as well as the scalings with luminosity, provided that the effects of radiation trapping are properly taken into account. In particular, we predict a sub-linear scaling for the mass outflow rate ($\dot{M} \propto L^{1/2}$) and a super-linear scaling for the kinetic power ($\dot{E}_k \propto L^{3/2}$), in agreement with the observational scaling relations reported in the most recent compilation of AGN outflow data. We conclude that AGN radiative feedback can account for the global outflow energetics, at least equally well as the wind energy-driving mechanism, and therefore both physical models should be considered in the interpretation of future AGN outflow observations.

Flickering AGN can explain the strong circumgalactic O viobserved by COS-Halos

AbstractProximity zone fossils (PZFs) are ionization signatures around recently active galactic nuclei (AGNs) where metal species in the circumgalactic medium remain overionized after the AGNs have shut off due to their long recombination time scales. We explore cosmological zoom hydrodynamic simulations, using the EAGLE (Evolution and Assembly of GaLaxies and their Environments) model paired with a non-equilibrium ionization and cooling module including time-variable AGN radiation to model PZFs around star-forming disc galaxies in the z ∼ 0.2 Universe. Previous simulations typically underestimated the ${O{\,}\small {\rm VI}}$ content of galactic haloes, but we show that plausible PZF models increase ${O{\,}\small {\rm VI}}$ column densities by 2 − 3 × to achieve the levels observed around COS-Halos star-forming galaxies out to 150 kpc. Models with AGN bolometric luminosities ≳ 1043.6erg s− 1, duty cycle fractions ≲ 10 per cent, and AGN lifetimes ≲ 106 yr are the most promising, because their supermassive black holes grow at the cosmologically expected rate and they mostly appear as inactive AGN, consistent with COS-Halos. The central requirement is that the typical star-forming galaxy hosted an active AGN within a time-scale comparable to the recombination time of a high metal ion, which for circumgalactic ${O{\,}\small {\rm VI}}$ is ≈107 yr. ${{H{\,}\small {\rm I}}}$, by contrast, returns to equilibrium much more rapidly due to its low neutral fraction and does not show a significant PZF effect. ${O{\,}\small {\rm VI}}$ absorption features originating from PZFs appear narrow, indicating photoionization, and are often well aligned with lower metal ion species. PZFs are highly likely to affect the physical interpretation of circumgalactic high ionization metal lines if, as expected, normal galaxies host flickering AGN.

Gemini NIFS survey of feeding and feedback processes in nearby active galaxies – II. The sample and surface mass density profiles

We present and characterize a sample of 20 nearby Seyfert galaxies selected for having BAT 14--195keV luminosities $L_X \ge 10^{41.5}$ erg s$^{-1}$, redshift $z\le$0.015, being accessible for observations with the Gemini Near-Infrared Field Spectrograph (NIFS) and showing extended [OIII]$\lambda$5007 emission. Our goal is to study Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) feeding and feedback processes from near-infrared integral-field spectra, that include both ionized (HII) and hot molecular (H$_2$) emission. This sample is complemented by other 9 Seyfert galaxies previously observed with NIFS. We show that the host galaxy properties (absolute magnitudes $M_B$, $M_H$, central stellar velocity dispersion and axial ratio) show a similar distribution to those of the 69 BAT AGN. For the 20 galaxies already observed, we present surface mass density ($\Sigma$) profiles for HII and H$_2$ in their inner $\sim$500 pc, showing that HII emission presents a steeper radial gradient than H$_2$. This can be attributed to the different excitation mechanisms: ionization by AGN radiation for HII and heating by X-rays for H$_2$. The mean surface mass densities are in the range ($0.2\le \Sigma_{HII} \le 35.9$)M$_\odot$pc$^{-2}$, and ($0.2\le \Sigma_{H2} \le 13.9$)$\times10^{-3}$M$_\odot$pc$^{-2}$, while the ratios between the HII and H$_2$ masses range between $\sim$200 to 8000. The sample presented here will be used in future papers to map AGN gas excitation and kinematics, providing a census of the mass inflow and outflow rates and power as well as their relation with the AGN luminosity.

Driving gas shells with radiation pressure on dust in radiation-hydrodynamic simulations

We present radiation-hydrodynamic simulations of radiatively-driven gas shells launched by bright active galactic nuclei (AGN) in isolated dark matter haloes. Our goals are (1) to investigate the ability of AGN radiation pressure on dust to launch galactic outflows and (2) to constrain the efficiency of infrared (IR) multi-scattering in boosting outflow acceleration. Our simulations are performed with the radiation-hydrodynamic code RAMSES-RT and include both single- and multi-scattered radiation pressure from an AGN, radiative cooling and self-gravity. Since outflowing shells always eventually become transparent to the incident radiation field, outflows that sweep up all intervening gas are likely to remain gravitationally bound to their halo even at high AGN luminosities. The expansion of outflowing shells is well described by simple analytic models as long as the shells are mildly optically thick to IR radiation. In this case, an enhancement in the acceleration of shells through IR multi-scattering occurs as predicted, i.e. a force dP/dt = tau_IR L/c is exerted on the gas. For high optical depths tau_IR > 50, however, momentum transfer between outflowing optically thick gas and IR radiation is rapidly suppressed, even if the radiation is efficiently confined. At high tau_IR, the characteristic flow time becomes shorter than the required trapping time of IR radiation such that the momentum flux dP/dt << tau_IR L/c. We argue that while unlikely to unbind massive galactic gaseous haloes, AGN radiation pressure on dust could play an important role in regulating star formation and black hole accretion in the nuclei of massive compact galaxies at high redshift.

Do AGN outflows quench or enhance star formation?

Active galactic nucleus (AGN) outflows can remove large quantities of gas from their host galaxy spheroids, potentially shutting off star formation. On the other hand, they can compress this gas, potentially enhancing or triggering star formation, at least for short periods. We present a set of idealized simulations of the AGN outflows affecting turbulent gas spheres, and investigate the effect of the outflow and the AGN radiation field upon gas fragmentation. We show that the AGN outflows of sufficient luminosity shut off fragmentation while the nucleus is active, but gas compression results in a burst of fragmentation after the AGN switches off. Self-shielding of gas against the AGN radiation field allows some fragmentation to occur during outbursts, but too much shielding results in a lower overall fragmentation rate. For our idealized simulation setup, there is a critical AGN luminosity, which results in the highest fragmentation rate, with outflows being too efficient at removing gas when L > Lcrit and not efficient enough to compress the gas to high densities otherwise. These results, although preliminary, suggest that the interaction between AGN and star formation in their host galaxies is particularly complex and requires careful study to interpret observations correctly.

Unveiling slim accretion disc in AGN through X-ray and Infrared observations

In this work, which is a continuation of Castell\'o-Mor et al. (2016), we present new X-ray and infrared (IR) data for a sample of active galactic nuclei (AGN) covering a wide range in Eddington ratio over a small luminosity range. In particular, we rigorously explore the dependence of the optical-to-X-ray spectral index $\alpha_{OX}$ and the IR-to-optical spectral index on the dimensionless accretion rate, $\dot{\mathcal{M}}=\dot{m}/\eta$ where $\dot{m}=L_{AGN}/L_{Edd}$ and $\eta$ is the mass-to-radiation conversion efficiency, in low and high accretion rate sources. We find that the SED of the faster accreting sources are surprisingly similar to those from the comparison sample of sources with lower accretion rate. In particular: i) the optical-to-UV AGN SED of slow and fast accreting AGN can be fitted with thin AD models. ii) The value of $\alpha_{OX}$ is very similar in slow and fast accreting systems up to a dimensionless accretion rate $\dot{\mathcal{M}}_{c}\sim$10. We only find a correlation between $\alpha_{OX}$ and $\dot{\mathcal{M}}$ for sources with $\dot{\mathcal{M}} > \dot{\mathcal{M}}_{c}$. In such cases, the faster accreting sources appear to have systematically larger $\alpha_{OX}$ values. iii) We also find that the torus in the faster accreting systems seems to be less efficient in reprocessing the primary AGN radiation having lower IR-to-optical spectral slopes. These findings, failing to recover the predicted differences between the SEDs of slim and thin ADs within the observed spectral window, suggest that additional physical processes or very special geometry act to reduce the extreme UV radiation in fast accreting AGN. This may be related to photon trapping, strong winds, and perhaps other yet unknown physical processes.

EVIDENCE THAT MOST TYPE-1 AGNs ARE REDDENED BY DUST IN THE HOST ISM

ABSTRACT The typical optical–UV continuum slopes observed in many type-1 active galactic nuclei (AGNs) are redder than expected from thin accretion disk (AD) models. A possible resolution to this conundrum is that many AGNs are reddened by dust along the line of sight. To explore this possibility, we stack 5000 SDSS AGNs with luminosity and redshift in bins of optical continuum slope and width of the broad Hβ emission line. We measure the equivalent width (EW) of the NaID absorption feature in each stacked spectrum. We find a linear relation between and EW(NaID), such that EW(NaID) increases as becomes redder. In the bin with the smallest Hβ width, objects with the bluest slopes, which are similar to AD predictions, are found to have , supporting the line of sight dust hypothesis. This conclusion is also supported by the dependence of the Hα/Hβ line ratio on . The implied relationship between continuum slope and dust reddening is given by , and the implied reddening of a typical type-1 AGN with is . Photoionization calculations show that the line of sight dusty gas responsible for reddening is too ionized to produce the observed sodium features. Therefore, we argue that the sodium absorption arises in regions of the host ISM that are shielded from the AGN radiation along lines of sight to the stars, and the correlation with arises since ISM columns along shielded and non-shielded sightlines are correlated. This scenario is supported by the similarity of the relation between and the Na i column implied by our results with the relation in the Milky Way found by previous studies.

Embedded star formation in the extended narrow line region of Centaurus A: Extreme mixing observed by MUSE

We present a detailed study of the complex ionization structure in a small (~250 pc) extended narrow line region (ENLR) cloud near Centaurus A using the Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer. This cloud is located in the so-called outer filament of ionized gas (about 15 kpc from the nucleus) where jet-induced star formation has been suggested to occur by different studies. We find that, despite the small size, a mixture of ionization mechanisms is operating, resulting in considerable complexity in the spatial ionization structure. The area includes two H II regions where star formation is occurring and another location where star formation must have ceased very recently. Interestingly, the extreme Balmer decrement of one of the star forming regions (H_alpha/H_beta~6) indicates that it is still heavily embedded in its natal cocoon of gas and dust. At all three locations a continuum counterpart is found with spectra matching those of O/B stars local to Centaurus A. The H II regions are embedded in a larger gas complex which is photoionized by the radiation of the central active galactic nucleus (AGN), but the O/B stars affect the spatial ionization pattern in the ENLR cloud very locally. In particular, in the surroundings of the youngest star forming region, we can isolate a tight mixing sequence in the diagnostic diagram going from gas with ionization due to a pure stellar continuum to gas only photoionized by the AGN. These results emphasize the complexity and the mixture of processes occurring in star forming regions under the influence of an AGN radiation. This is relevant for our understanding of AGN-induced star formation suggested to occur in a number of objects, including this region of Centaurus A. They also illustrate that these young stars influence the gas over only a limited region.

Sub-parsec-scale dynamics of a dusty gas disc exposed to anisotropic AGN radiation with frequency-dependent radiative transfer

We explore the gas dynamics near the dust sublimation radius of active galactic nucleus (AGN). For the purpose, we perform axisymmetric radiation hydrodynamic simulations of a dusty gas disk of radius $\approx 1\,\mathrm{pc}$ around a supermassive black hole of mass $10^{7}\,\mathrm{M_{\odot}}$ taking into account (1) anisotropic radiation of accretion disk, (2) X-ray heating by corona, (3) radiative transfer of infrared (IR) photons reemitted by dust, (4) frequency dependency of direct and IR radiations, and (5) separate temperatures for gas and dust. As a result, we find that for Eddington ratio $\approx 0.77$, a nearly neutral, dense ($\approx 10^{6\operatorname{-}8}\;\mathrm{cm^{-3}}$), geometrically-thin ($h/r<0.06$) disk forms with a high velocity ($\approx 200 \sim 3000\;\mathrm{km/s}$) dusty outflow launched from the disk surface. The disk temperature is determined by the balance between X-ray heating and various cooling, and the disk is almost supported by thermal pressure. Contrary to \citet{krolik07:_agn}, the radiation pressure by IR photons is not effective to thicken the disk, but rather compresses it. Thus, it seems difficult for a radiation-supported, geometrically-thick, obscuring torus to form near the dust sublimation radius as far as the Eddington ratio is high ($\sim 1$). The mass outflow rate is $0.05$-$0.1\;\mathrm{M_{\odot}}/\mathrm{yr}$ and the column density of the outflow is $N_{\mathrm{H}}\lesssim 10^{21}\;\mathrm{cm^{-2}}$. To explain observed type-II AGN fraction, it is required that outflow gas is extended to larger radii ($r\gtrsim 10\;\mathrm{pc}$) or that a denser dusty wind is launched from smaller radii ($r\sim 10^{4}\;R_{g}$).