arXiv subjects

Anelise Audibert

Publications and source records attributed to Anelise Audibert.

25 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2024

Dust beyond the torus: Revealing the mid-infrared heart of local Seyfert ESO 428-G14 with JWST/MIRI

Polar dust has been discovered in a number of local Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN), with radiation-driven torus models predicting a wind to be its main driver. However, little is known about its characteristics, spatial extent, or connection to the larger scale outflows. We present the first JWST/MIRI study aimed at imaging polar dust by zooming onto the centre of ESO 428-G14, part of the Galaxy Activity, Torus, and Outflow Survey (GATOS) survey of local AGN. We detect extended mid-infrared (MIR) emission within 200 pc from the nucleus. This polar structure is co-linear with a radio jet and lies perpendicular to a molecular gas lane that feeds and obscures the nucleus. Its morphology bears a striking resemblance to that of gas ionised by the AGN in the narrow-line region. We demonstrate that part of this spatial correspondence is due to contamination within the JWST filter bands from strong emission lines. Correcting for the contamination, we find the morphology of the dust continuum to be more compact, though still clearly extended out to ~ 100 pc. We estimate the emitting dust has a temperature of ~ 120 K. Using simple models, we find that the heating of small dust grains by the radiation from the central AGN and/or radiative jet-induced shocks is responsible for the extended MIR emission. Radiation-driven dusty winds from the torus is unlikely to be important. This has important implications for scales to which AGN winds can carry dust and dense gas out into their host galaxies.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2024

Observational constraints on the stellar recycled gas in active galactic nuclei feeding

Near-infrared long-slit spectroscopy has been used to study the stellar population (SP) of the low luminosity active galactic nuclei (AGN) and matched analogues (LLAMA) sample. To perform the SP fits we have employed the X-shooter simple stellar population models together with the \st\ code. Our main conclusions are: The star formation history of the AGNs is very complex, presenting many episodes of star formation during their lifetimes. In general, AGN hosts have higher fractions of intermediate-age SP (light-weighted mean ages, $ _L\lesssim$ 4.5 Gyr) when compared with their analogues ($ _L\lesssim$ 8.0 Gyr). AGN are more affected by reddening and require significant fractions of featureless continuum and hot dust components. The ratio between the AGN radiated energy and the gravitational potential energy of the molecular gas ($E_{Rad}$/$E_{PG}$) for the AGN is compared with the \maL\ and a possible anti-correlation is observed. This suggests that the AGN is affecting the star formation in these galaxies, in the sense that more energetic AGN (log$(E_{Rad}$/$E_{PG}) \gtrsim 3$) tend to host nuclear younger SP ($ _L \lesssim$4Gyr). We found that the recent ($t<$2~Gyr) returned (recycled) stellar mass is higher in AGN than in the controls. We also provide evidence that the mass loss of stars would be enough to feed the AGN, thus providing observational constraints for models that predict that AGN feeding is partially due to the recycled gas from dying stars.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2024

ALMA reveals a compact and massive molecular outflow driven by the young AGN in a nearby ULIRG

The ultra luminous infrared galaxy (ULIRG) F13451+1232 is an excellent example of a galaxy merger in the early stages of active galactic nucleus (AGN) activity, a phase in which AGN-driven outflows are expected to be particularly important. However, previous observations have determined that the mass outflow rates of the warm ionised and neutral gas phases in F13451+1232 are relatively modest, and there has been no robust detection of molecular outflows. Using high spatial resolution ALMA CO(1-0) observations, we detect a kiloparsec-scale circumnuclear disk, as well as extended ($r\sim440$ pc), intermediate-velocity (300<|$v$|<400 km s$^{-1}$) cold molecular gas emission that cannot be explained by rotational disk motions. If interpreted as AGN-driven outflows, the mass outflow rates associated with this intermediate-velocity gas are relatively modest ($\dot{M}_\mathrm{out}=22$-$27$ M$_\odot$ yr$^{-1}$); however, we also detect a compact ($r_\mathrm{out}$<120 pc), high velocity (400<$v$<680 km s$^{-1}$) cold molecular outflow near the primary nucleus of F13451+1232, which carries an order of magnitude more mass ($\dot{M}_\mathrm{out}\sim230$ M$_\odot$ yr$^{-1}$) than (and several times the kinetic power of) the previously-detected warmer phases. Moreover, the similar spatial scales of this compact outflow and the radio structure indicate that it is likely accelerated by the small-scale ($r\sim130$ pc) AGN jet in the primary nucleus of F13451+1232. Considering the compactness of the nuclear outflow and intermediate-velocity non-rotating gas that we detect, we argue that high spatial-resolution observations are necessary to properly quantify the properties of AGN-driven outflows and their impacts on host galaxies.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2023

A plausible link between dynamically unsettled molecular gas and the radio jet in NGC 6328

We report the detection of outflowing molecular gas at the center of the nearby radio galaxy NGC6328 (z=0.014), which has a gigahertz-peaked spectrum radio core and a compact (2 pc) young double radio lobe tracing jet. Utilizing Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) CO(2-1) and CO(3-2) observations, as well as a novel code developed to fit the 3D gas distribution and kinematics, to study the molecular gas kinematics, we find that the bulk of the gas is situated within a highly warped disk structure, most likely the result of a past merger event. Our analysis further uncovers, within the inner regions of the gas distribution (R<300 pc) and at a position angle aligning with that of the radio jet (150 degrees), the existence of two anti-diametric molecular gas structures kinematically detached from the main disk. These structures most likely trace a jet-induced cold gas outflow with a total lower limit mass of $2\times 10^6\,\mathrm{M_\odot}$ mass, corresponding to an outflow rate of $2\,\mathrm{M_\odot\,yr^{-1}}$ and a kinetic power of $2.7\times 10^{40}\,\mathrm{erg\,s^{-1}}$. The energy required to maintain such a molecular outflow is aligned with the mechanical power of the jet.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2021

CO kinematics unveil outflows plausibly driven by a young jet in the Gigahertz Peaked Radio Core of NGC6328

We report the detection of outflowing molecular gas in the center of the nearby (z=0.014) massive radio galaxy NGC6328. The radio core of the galaxy, PKS B1718-649, is identified as a Gigahertz Peaked Spectrum source with a compact (2 pc) double radio lobe morphology. We used ALMA CO(2-1) and CO(3-2) observations at 100 pc resolution to study the gas kinematics up to ~5 kpc from the galaxy center. While the bulk of the molecular gas is settled in a highly warped disk, in the inner 300 pc of the disk and along with the orientation of the radio jet, we identified high-excitation and high-velocity gas that cannot be attributed to any regular kinematic component based on our detailed 3D modeling of the ALMA data. The high-velocity dispersion in the gas also suggests that it is not part of an inflowing, shredding structure. These results suggest the presence of a molecular outflow of 3 to 8 solar masses per year. The outflow possibly originated from the interaction of the jet with the dense interstellar medium, even though the radio emission is detected closer to the center than the outflow. In this sense, this source resembles NGC1377, 4C31.04 and ESO420-G13, in which the outflows are linked to faint or past jet activity.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2020

Feeding and feedback in nuclei of galaxies

Our aim is to explore the close environment of Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) and its connection to the host galaxy through the morphology and dynamics of the cold gas inside the central kpc in nearby AGN. We report Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) observations of AGN feeding and feedback caught in action in NGC613 and NGC1808 at high resolution (few pc), part of the NUclei of GAlaxies (NUGA) project. We detected trailing spirals inside the central 100pc, efficiently driving the molecular gas into the SMBH, and molecular outflows driven by the AGN. We present preliminary results of the impact of massive winds induced by radio jets on galaxy evolution, based on observations of radio galaxies from the ALMA Radio-source Catalogue.

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arXiv2016

Probing the Active Galactic Nuclei Unified Model Torus Properties in Seyfert Galaxies

We studied the physical parameters of a sample comprising of all Spitzer/IRS public spectra of Seyfert galaxies in the mid-infrared (5.2-38$μ$m range) under the active galactic nuclei (AGN) unified model. We compare the observed spectra with $\sim10^6$ CLUMPY model spectral energy distributions, which consider a torus composed of dusty clouds. We find a slight difference in the distribution of line-of-sight inclination angle, $i$, requiring larger angles for Seyfert 2 (Sy2) and a broader distribution for Seyfert 1 (Sy1). We found small differences in the torus angular width, $σ$, indicating that Sy1 may host a slightly narrower torus than Sy2. The torus thickness, together with the bolometric luminosities derived, suggest a very compact torus up to $\sim$6 pc from the central AGN. The number of clouds along the equatorial plane, $N$, as well the index of the radial profile, $q$, are nearly the same for both types. These results imply that the torus cloud distribution is nearly the same for type 1 and type 2 objects. The torus mass is almost the same for both types of activity, with values in the range of $M_{tor}\sim$10$^{4}-$10$^{7}\rm M_{\odot}$. The main difference appears to be related to the clouds' intrinsic properties: type 2 sources present higher optical depths $τ_V$. The results presented here reinforce the suggestion that the classification of a galaxy may depend also on the intrinsic properties of the torus clouds rather than simply on their inclination. This is in contradiction with the simple geometric idea of the unification model.

astro-ph.GA↗