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M. Pérez-Torres

Publications and source records attributed to M. Pérez-Torres.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Very Long Baseline Interferometry with the SKA Observatory

Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) is a fundamental technique that combines signals from telescopes separated by thousands of kilometres to obtain some of the highest-resolution images in astronomy. The Square Kilometre Array Observatory (SKAO) will provide sensitive elements to current VLBI arrays, enabling deep VLBI observations (including the first low-frequency VLBI capability in the Southern Hemisphere). This summary chapter outlines the science that the SKAO, when participating in a VLBI array, will achieve (such as AGN physics, explosive transient localisation, Galactic structure, and gravitational waves), and the current understanding of how VLBI with the SKAO will operate. Given that VLBI requires partnerships with other instruments, the chapter concludes with outstanding issues and considerations for the community needed to maximise the scientific return on investment in SKA-VLBI.

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Comparing the size evolution of GRB 221009A with afterglow models

We present very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) observations of GRB221009A obtained with the global-VLBI network at 5 GHz between 231 and 750 days after the burst. The quality of our observations allowed us to measure the sub-milliarcsecond full-width at half maximum of the source surface brightness distribution with a one-sigma equivalent error of 13% and 30% at 231 and 391 days post-burst, respectively. By fitting the temporal evolution of these new size measurements alongside those previously published in the literature at 5 and 8 GHz with a single power law $\propto t^a$, we find a slope of $a = 0.52^{+0.14}_{-0.12}$. Using the public code VegasAfterglow, we model the 5 GHz size evolution considering the afterglow emission of the forward shock produced by a jet decelerating in either a homogeneous interstellar medium (ISM) or into a surrounding medium with a wind-like density profile. The model constrains the collimation-corrected Sedov ratio, that is, the ratio of the jet kinetic energy $E_\mathrm{jet}$ to the density of the surrounding medium ($n$ in the ISM scenario, or $A_\star$ in the wind scenario), in the range $\log[(E_\mathrm{jet}/n)\,\mathrm{erg}^{-1}\,\mathrm{cm}^{-3}] = 54.2^{+0.4}_{-0.5}$ for the ISM scenario and $\log[(E_\mathrm{jet}/A_\star)\,\mathrm{erg}^{-1}] = 51.7^{+0.4}_{-0.2}$ for the wind scenario. Among the works in the literature that fit the light curves and spectra of GRB221009A based on the standard afterglow model, and which can be reproduced with VegasAfterglow, none has best-fitting parameters that are compatible with these constraints within $2σ$. Moreover, we show that their predicted size evolution is not compatible with the observed one. Our results highlight the importance of size measurements of GRB afterglows as an independent probe of their dynamics, structure, and emission mechanisms.

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Tidal Disruption Events with the SKA

Tidal disruption events (TDEs) and related nuclear transients probe jet launching, disk formation and circularization, particle acceleration, and the circumnuclear medium (CNM). However, the small fraction of events launching relativistic jets, the weak or delayed radio emission of many thermal TDEs, and the black-hole demographics of galactic nuclei remain poorly understood. SKA, with microJy sensitivity, wide bandwidth, long baselines, rapid response, and commensal surveys across 50-350 MHz (SKA-Low) and 0.35-15.4 GHz (SKA-Mid), will transform this field. Its sensitivity, frequency coverage, and very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) capability will extend radio calorimetry from a few well-studied nearby events to volume-limited samples of non-relativistic outflows. The SKA will bring off-axis and mildly relativistic jets into routine reach, trace CNM density profiles through the evolution of the low-frequency synchrotron turnover, and localize faint off-nuclear transients with sub-arcsecond precision. These data will constrain jet incidence, energetics, geometry, and magnetization, map the CNM through shock interactions, test links to changing-look active galactic nuclei (AGN) and high-energy neutrinos, and identify off-nuclear events associated with recoiling supermassive or intermediate-mass black holes. We discuss the benefits of commensal surveys, rapid triggering, and SKA-VLBI, and provide predictions based on the projected performance of AA* and AA4. SKA will shift TDE radio studies from detailed case-by-case studies to population-scale inference, advancing studies of jet physics and black-hole demographics.

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Constraining young massive cluster properties with radio-continuum observations: The Arches cluster

The Arches cluster, located in the Galactic Centre (GC) is one of the best astrophysical laboratories to study the properties of massive stars and young massive clusters (YMCs). However, several fundamental parameters of the Arches cluster remain uncertain. Our goal is to constrain key cluster parameters (cluster age, mass, and initial mass function, IMF) by comparing the observed stellar radio flux density distribution of the Arches cluster to those derived from a set of synthetic clusters. We use the deep X-band (10 GHz) Very Large Array data from our previous radio continuum study of the Arches cluster. We model each simulated cluster with three parameters: age, mass, and IMF slope. We use three different stellar evolutionary models: GENEC, PARSEC, and MIST at two different metallicities, solar ($Z=0.014$) and super-solar ($Z=0.020$). We run Markov-chain Monte-Carlo simulations for each model/metallicity combination in order to explore parameter space. All models and metallicities return preferred ages in the $2\lesssim t_{\rm age}/{\rm Myr}\lesssim 3$ range. We obtain an IMF slope of $α_{\rm IMF}=-1.85^{+0.28}_{-0.20}$, averaged over all models, where uncertainties are dominated by the degeneracy between cluster mass and IMF slope. If we use the IMF slope from previous infrared studies as prior, the cluster mass distributions peak at $\sim2.7\times10^4\, M_\odot$ and we can establish a lower limit at $\gtrsim2\times10^4 M_\odot$ for the Arches cluster mass. Radio continuum observations of their most massive stars can be used to constrain YMC parameters. In the case of the Arches cluster, age can be determined regardless of prior spectroscopic information, which can be useful to characterise newly discovered YMCs in the GC. Our results support the idea that a top-heavy IMF may be preferred in the GC or in YMCs in general.

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Radio emission from star-planet interactions

Stars interact with their exoplanets though gravity, radiation, plasma and magnetic fields. Stellar plasma and magnetic fields impose electrodynamic effects on exoplanet atmospheres and interiors that include heating, aurorae and atmospheric mass loss. The planets in turn can excite Alfvénic disturbances that are dissipated on the star leading to chromospheric heating and flares. This interaction, broadly called magnetic star-planet interaction (M-SPI), can also generate radio signatures both from the star and the exoplanet. The radio emission encodes information on the dynamics/energetics of the interaction, the magnetic field strength and topology of the emitter and the orbital/rotational geometry of the system -- information that is difficult or in some cases implausible to obtain by other means. Yet we do not have a conclusive detection of M-SPI in the radio band primarily due to sensitivity limitations and scarce observing time spent monitoring promising targets. Here we describe the scientific motivation to study M-SPI in exoplanetary systems, to get progress in understanding its predicted signal strength and phenomenology. We argue that the SKA telescopes can make a transformative contribution to exoplanet science by detecting M-SPI in the radio band but this will require substantial observing time -- similar to that afforded to successful optical-band searches for M-SPI signatures.

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Star-Planet Interactions: Observational Techniques and Methods

This chapter summarizes the techniques and methods used to study star-planet interaction (SPI) from the observational point of view. SPI can produce a wide range of observational signatures, from localized stellar activity enhancements to changes in planetary atmospheric escape and transmission spectra. This chapter reviews the main observational techniques used to detect and characterize SPI, emphasizing the methodological challenges involved in separating planet-induced signals from intrinsic stellar variability. We discuss radial-velocity diagnostics, including cross-correlation, template matching, line-by-line methods, and activity indicators, highlighting their sensitivity to line-profile distortions and chromatic variability. We then review precision photometry as a tool to search for orbit-locked variability, flare modulation, and active-region occultations during planetary transits. Chromospheric diagnostics, including Ca II, Halpha, He I, and Na II lines, are presented as tracers of magnetic variability at different atmospheric heights and as potential probes of intermittent SPI signatures. We also discuss transmission spectroscopy as a complementary approach, since planetary atmospheric tracers such as H I Lyalpha, Balmer lines, C II, and He I can encode information about the stellar high-energy environment, stellar wind, and magnetic coupling. In addition, radio observations provide a promising avenue to probe magnetic SPI directly through coherent emission mechanisms. Finally, we examine time-series analysis techniques commonly employed in SPI searches, including generalized Lomb-Scargle periodograms, rolling periodograms, harmonic analyses, and bootstrap-based significance estimation. (abridged)

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Evolved massive stars and their impact on their environment

The comprehension of the final stages of massive star evolution and their path toward the eventual supernova explosion necessarily involves the study of stellar winds and the circumstellar environment (CSE) surrounding them in the transitional phases, during which stellar winds and eruptive mass loss profoundly shape the surrounding environment. The study of the pre-supernova progenitors, from Red Supergiants, passing through the Luminous Blue Variable stage to Wolf-Rayet stars, is of key importance because, focusing on their nebulae, they directly prove the mass-loss activity of the star that, through wind and eruptive events, shapes the environment in which the supernova will explode. Such environment, interacting with the ejecta, will heavily affect supernovae spectrophotometric signatures. The Square Kilometre Array, with its extraordinary capabilities to combine high spatial resolution, sensitivity and wide frequency coverage will adress the most critical observational issues that currently prevent detailed characterization of CSE and, thus limit our ability to constrain its connections to supernova and remnants proprierties.

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Constraining an exoplanets magnetic field using star-planet interactions

Theory predicts that a planet with a sufficiently strong magnetic field orbiting close to its host star could induce star-planet magnetic interactions. This is potentially observable as an optical or radio signal synchronised with the orbital period. We analyze 18 years of high-resolution optical spectroscopy of GJ 436, a low mass star orbited by a Neptune-sized exoplanet in a polar eccentric orbit. Stellar activity indicators show enhancements at a period corresponding to the exoplanet orbit, modulated by stellar rotation, and the star's 8-year magnetic cycle. We interpret this as a signal of star-planet magnetic interaction. Using a geometric model, we reproduce these periods if GJ 436 b has a magnetic field strength of 6 to 110 Gauss.

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Orbital motion and dynamical mass of the complex periodic variable binary system 2MASS J05082729-2101444

We used very long baseline interferometry to constrain the orbit of the binary system 2MASS J05082729-2101444. We observed the system with the VLBA in three epochs at a frequency of 4.85 GHz, which provides an angular resolution of about 3 mas. We combined the three radio astrometric observations, 119 RVs (60 VIS and 59 NIR) obtained with the CARMENES high-resolution spectrograph over a period of 8.1 years, and a relative astrometric measurement of an archival H-band Keck NIRC adaptive optics image to fit the orbital motion of the binary system. The VLBA observations resolved the binary system and show emission from both stellar components, with similar flux-density levels (0.34-0.67 mJy), and showing slight temporal flux variations. The emission appears quiescent, with no significant circular polarization, and with no flare events. We obtained an orbital motion fit of the binary system, which shows an eccentric orbit (e = 0.71), an orbital period of 2.19 yr, and a semimajor axis of 26.964 mas (1.3 au). The VLBA observations made it possible to resolve the binary system and identify both stars as radio-loud sources. The combined fit shows that 2M0508-21 is an M-dwarf binary with a total dynamical mass of $0.459\pm0.007$ M$_{\odot}$, assuming Gaia's parallax. This mass is slightly higher than those estimated from the luminosity and theoretical evolutionary models. The upper limit of the circular polarization at 4.85 GHz ($\lesssim$10\%), the persistence of the quiescent emission, and the relatively low brightness temperatures are consistent with a gyro-synchrotron or synchrotron origin of the radio emission. Further VLBA observations are needed to obtain the individual masses of the stars, as well as to verify Gaia's parallax of the system. A complete characterization of the system will help improve evolutionary models for young objects at the substellar boundary.

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A multi-frequency, multi-epoch radio continuum study of the Quintuplet cluster with the Very Large Array

The Quintuplet cluster, located in the Galactic centre, is one of the few young massive clusters in the Milky Way. It allows us to study dozens of massive, post main sequence stars individually, providing unique insights into the properties of the most massive stars. Our goal is to study the radio continuum emission of the most massive stars in the cluster. We carried out a total of nine observations (three in the C- and six in the X-band) of the Quintuplet cluster with the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array in A-configuration. We cross-matched the detected sources with infrared stellar catalogues to ensure cluster membership, calculated their spectral indices, quantified variability, and inferred clumping-scaled mass-loss rates We present the most complete catalogue of radio stars in the Quintuplet cluster to date, with a total of 41 detections, and the deepest images of the cluster in the 4 to 12 GHz range (reaching an rms noise level of $2.3\, μ\mathrm{Jy/beam}$ in the X-band). The six year baseline of our observations allowed us to perform a robust variability assessment, finding that around $60\%$ of the Quintuplet radio-stars are variable on timescales of months to years. We derived the spectral indices of 28 out of the 41 sources. Based on their spectral indices and variability, we classify 11 of them as colliding-wind binaries, seven as strictly thermal sources, and ten as ambiguous. Including the ambiguous sources, we estimate a multiplicity fraction of ($75\pm22\%$). We also computed upper limits for the mass-loss rates of the thermal radio-stars, finding them in agreement with typical values for WNh and WC stars. Finally, we compare these results to the ones obtained from our analogous study of the Arches cluster.

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Jetted subgalactic-size radio sources in merging galaxies -- A jet redirection scenario

Context: The long-standing question concerning jetted subgalactic-size (JSS) radio sources is whether they will evolve into large radio galaxies, die before escaping the host galaxy, or remain indefinitely confined to their compact size. Aims: Our main goal is to propose a scenario that explains the relative number of JSS radio sources and their general properties. Methods: We studied the parsec-scale radio morphology of a complete sample of 21 objects using Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) observations at various frequencies and analyzed the morphological characteristics of their optical hosts. Results: Many of these radio sources exhibit radio morphologies consistent with transverse motions of their bright edges and are found in dynamically disturbed galaxies. VLBA images suggest the possible presence of large-angle, short-period precessing jets, and an orbital motion of the radio-loud active galactic nucleus (AGN) in a dual or binary system. The majority of JSS radio sources appear to be in systems in different stages of their merging evolution. Conclusions: We propose a scenario where rapid jet redirection, through precession or orbital motion, prevents the jet from penetrating the interstellar medium (ISM) sufficiently to escape the host galaxy. Most JSS radio sources remain compact due to their occurrence in merging galaxies.

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Searching for star-planet interactions in GJ 486 at radio wavelengths with the uGMRT

We search for radio emission from star-planet interactions in the M-dwarf system GJ~486, which hosts an Earth-like planet. We observed the GJ~486 system with the upgraded Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (uGMRT) from 550 to 750 MHz in nine different epochs, between October 2021 and February 2022, covering almost all orbital phases of GJ~486 b from different orbital cycles. We obtained radio images and dynamic spectra of the total and circularly polarized intensity for each individual epoch We do not detect any quiescent radio emission in any epoch above 3$σ$. Similarly, we do not detect any bursty emission in our dynamic spectra. While we cannot completely rule out that the absence of a radio detection is due to time variability of the radio emission, or to the maximum electron-cyclotron maser emission being below our observing range, this seems unlikely. We discuss two possible scenarios: an intrinsic dim radio signal, or alternatively, that the anisotropic beamed emission pointed away from the observer. If the non-detection of radio emission from star-planet interaction in GJ~486 is due to an intrinsically dim signal, this implies that, independently of whether the planet is magnetized or not, the mass-loss rate is small (\dot{M}_\star $\lesssim$ 0.3 \dot{M}_\sun) and that, concomitantly, the efficiency of the conversion of Poynting flux into radio emission must be low ($β\lesssim 10^{-3}$). Free-free absorption effects are negligible, given the high value of the coronal temperature. Finally, if the anisotropic beaming pointed away from us, this would imply that GJ~486 has very low values of its magnetic obliquity and inclination.

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Radio Signatures of Star-Planet Interactions, Exoplanets, and Space Weather

Radio detections of stellar systems provide a window onto stellar magnetic activity and the space weather conditions of extrasolar planets, information that is difficult to attain at other wavelengths. There have been recent advances observing auroral emissions from radio-bright low-mass stars and exoplanets largely due to the maturation of low-frequency radio instruments and the plethora of wide-field radio surveys. To guide us in placing these recent results in context, we introduce the foremost local analogues for the field: Solar bursts and the aurorae found on Jupiter. We detail how radio bursts associated with stellar flares are foundational to the study of stellar coronae, and time-resolved radio dynamic spectra offers one of the best prospects of detecting and characterising coronal mass ejections from other stars. We highlight the prospects of directly detecting coherent radio emission from exoplanetary magnetospheres, and early tentative results. We bridge this discussion to the field of brown dwarf radio emission, in which their larger and stronger magnetospheres are amenable to detailed study with current instruments. Bright, coherent radio emission is also predicted from magnetic interactions between stars and close-in planets. We discuss the underlying physics of these interactions and implications of recent provisional detections for exoplanet characterisation. We conclude with an overview of outstanding questions in theory of stellar, star-planet interaction, and exoplanet radio emission, and the prospects of future facilities in answering them.

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The expansion of the GRB 221009A afterglow

We observed $γ$-ray burst (GRB) 221009A using very long baseline interferomety (VLBI) with the European VLBI Network (EVN) and the Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA), over a period spanning from 40 to 262 days after the initial GRB. The high angular resolution (mas) of our observations allowed us, for the second time ever, after GRB 030329, to measure the projected size, $s$, of the relativistic shock caused by the expansion of the GRB ejecta into the surrounding medium. Our observations support the expansion of the shock with a $>4σ$-equivalent significance, and confirm its relativistic nature by revealing an apparently superluminal expansion rate. Fitting a power law expansion model, $s\propto t^a$, to the observed size evolution, we find a slope $a=0.69^{+0.13}_{-0.14}$. Fitting the data at each frequency separately, we find different expansion rates, pointing to a frequency-dependent behaviour. We show that the observed size evolution can be reconciled with a reverse shock plus forward shock, provided that the two shocks dominate the emission at different frequencies and, possibly, at different times.

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TOI-4438 b: a transiting mini-Neptune amenable to atmospheric characterization

We report the confirmation and mass determination of a mini-Neptune transiting the M3.5 V star TOI-4438 (G 182-34) every 7.44 days. A transit signal was detected with NASA's TESS space mission in the sectors 40, 52, and 53. In order to validate the planet TOI-4438 b and to determine the system properties, we combined TESS data with high-precision radial velocity measurements from the CARMENES spectrograph, spanning almost one year, and ground-based transit photometry. We found that TOI-4438 b has a radius of Rb = 2.52 +/- 0.13 R_Earth (5% precision), which together with a mass of Mb=5.4 +/- 1.1 M_Earth (20% precision), results in a bulk density of rho = 1.85+0.51-0.44 g cm-3 (28% precision), aligning the discovery with a volatile-rich planet. Our interior structure retrieval with a pure water envelope yields a minimum water mass fraction of 46% (1-sigma). TOI-4438 b is a volatile-rich mini-Neptune with likely H/He mixed with molecules, such as water, CO_2, and CH_4. The primary star has a J-band magnitude of 9.7, and the planet has a high transmission spectroscopy metric (TSM) of 136 +/- 13. Taking into account the relatively warm equilibrium temperature of T_eq = 435 +/- 15 K, and the low activity level of its host star, TOI-4438 b is one of the most promising mini-Neptunes around an M dwarf for transmission spectroscopy studies.

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Wolf 327b: A new member of the pack of ultra-short-period super-Earths around M dwarfs

Planets with orbital periods shorter than 1 day are rare and have formation histories that are not completely understood. Small ($R_\mathrm{p} < 2\; R_\oplus$) ultra-short-period (USP) planets are highly irradiated, probably have rocky compositions with high bulk densities, and are often found in multi-planet systems. Additionally, USP planets found around small stars are excellent candidates for characterization using present-day instrumentation. Of the current full sample of approximately 5500 confirmed exoplanets, only 130 are USP planets and around 40 have mass and radius measurements. Wolf 327 (TOI-5747) is an M dwarf ($R_\star = 0.406 \pm 0.015 \; R_\odot$, $M_\star = 0.405 \pm 0.019 \; M_\odot$, $T_{\mathrm{eff}}=3542 \pm 70$ K, and $V = 13$ mag) located at a distance $d = 28.5$ pc. NASA's planet hunter satellite, TESS, detected transits in this star with a period of 0.573 d (13.7 h) and with a transit depth of 818 ppm. Ground-based follow-up photometry, high resolution imaging, and radial velocity (RV) measurements taken with the CARMENES spectrograph confirm the presence of this new USP planet. Wolf 327b is a super-Earth with a radius of $R_\mathrm{p} = 1.24 \pm 0.06 \; R_\oplus$ and a mass of $M_\mathrm{p} = 2.53 \pm 0.46 \; M_\oplus$, yielding a bulk density of $7.24 \pm 1.66 $\,g cm$^{-3}$ and thus suggesting a rocky composition. Owing to its close proximity to its host star ($a = 0.01$ au), Wolf 327b has an equilibrium temperature of $996 \pm 22$ K. This planet has a mass and radius similar to K2-229b, a planet with an inferred Mercury-like internal composition. Planet interior models suggest that Wolf 327b has a large iron core, a small rocky mantle, and a negligible (if any) H/He atmosphere.

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TOI-1801 b: A temperate mini-Neptune around a young M0.5 dwarf

We report the discovery, mass, and radius determination of TOI-1801 b, a temperate mini-Neptune around a young M dwarf. TOI-1801 b was observed in TESS sectors 22 and 49, and the alert that this was a TESS planet candidate with a period of 21.3 days went out in April 2020. However, ground-based follow-up observations, including seeing-limited photometry in and outside transit together with precise radial velocity (RV) measurements with CARMENES and HIRES revealed that the true period of the planet is 10.6 days. These observations also allowed us to retrieve a mass of 5.74 $\pm$ 1.46 $M_\oplus$, which together with a radius of 2.08 $\pm$ 0.12 $R_\oplus$, means that TOI-1801 b is most probably composed of water and rock, with an upper limit of 2\% by mass of H$_{2}$ in its atmosphere. The stellar rotation period of 16 days is readily detectable in our RV time series and in the ground-based photometry. We derived a likely age of 600--800 Myr for the parent star TOI-1801, which means that TOI-1801 b is the least massive young mini-Neptune with precise mass and radius determinations. Our results suggest that if TOI-1801 b had a larger atmosphere in the past, it must have been removed by some evolutionary mechanism on timescales shorter than 1 Gyr.

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The Close AGN Reference Survey (CARS): An interplay between radio jets and AGN radiation in the radio-quiet AGN HE 0040-1105

We present a case study of HE 0040-1105, an unobscured radio-quiet AGN at a high accretion rate (Eddington ratio = 0.19+/-0.04). This particular AGN hosts an ionized gas outflow with the largest spatial offset from its nucleus compared to all other AGNs in the Close AGN Reference Survey (CARS). By combining multi-wavelength observations from VLT/MUSE, HST/WFC3, VLA, and EVN we probe the ionization conditions, gas kinematics, and radio emission from host galaxy scales to the central few pc. We detect four kinematically distinct components, one of which is a spatially unresolved AGN-driven outflow located within the central 500 pc, where it locally dominates the ISM conditions. Its velocity is too low to escape the host galaxy's gravitational potential, and maybe re-accreted onto the central black hole via chaotic cold accretion. We detect compact radio emission in HE 0040-1105,within the region covered by the outflow, varying on ~20 yr timescale. We show that neither AGN coronal emission nor star formation processes wholly explain the radio morphology/spectrum. The spatial alignment between the outflowing ionized gas and the radio continuum emission on 100 pc, scales is consistent with a weak jet morphology rather than diffuse radio emission produced by AGN winds. > 90% of the outflowing ionized gas emission originates from the central 100 pc, within which the ionizing luminosity of the outflow is comparable to the mechanical power of the radio jet. Although radio jets might primarily drive the outflow in HE 0040-1105,, radiation pressure from the AGN may contribute in this process.

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