Cosmic evolution of stellar quenching by AGN feedback: clues from the Horizon-AGN simulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beckmann, R. S.; Devriendt, J.; Slyz, A.; Peirani, S.; Richardson, M. L. A.; Dubois, Y.; Pichon, C.; Chisari, N. E.; Kaviraj, S.; Laigle, C.; Volonteri, M.

2017-11-01

The observed massive end of the galaxy stellar mass function is steeper than its predicted dark matter halo counterpart in the standard Λ cold dark matter paradigm. In this paper, we investigate the impact of active galactic nuclei (AGN) feedback on star formation in massive galaxies. We isolate the impact of AGN by comparing two simulations from the HORIZON suite, which are identical except that one also includes supermassive black holes (SMBHs) and related feedback models. This allows us to cross-identify individual galaxies between simulations and quantify the effect of AGN feedback on their properties, including stellar mass and gas outflows. We find that massive galaxies (M* ≥ 1011 M⊙) are quenched by AGN feedback to the extent that their stellar masses decrease by up to 80 per cent at z = 0. SMBHs affect their host halo through a combination of outflows that reduce their baryonic mass, particularly for galaxies in the mass range 109 M⊙ ≤ M* ≤ 1011 M⊙, and a disruption of central gas inflows, which limits in situ star formation. As a result, net gas inflows on to massive galaxies, M* ≥ 1011 M⊙, drop by up to 70 per cent. We measure a redshift evolution in the stellar mass ratio of twin galaxies with and without AGN feedback, with galaxies of a given stellar mass showing stronger signs of quenching earlier on. This evolution is driven by a progressive flattening of the MSMBH-M* relation with redshift, particularly for galaxies with M* ≤ 1010 M⊙. MSMBH/M* ratios decrease over time, as falling average gas densities in galaxies curb SMBH growth.

AGN jet feedback on a moving mesh: cocoon inflation, gas flows and turbulence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bourne, Martin A.; Sijacki, Debora

2017-12-01

In many observed galaxy clusters, jets launched by the accretion process on to supermassive black holes, inflate large-scale cavities filled with energetic, relativistic plasma. This process is thought to be responsible for regulating cooling losses, thus moderating the inflow of gas on to the central galaxy, quenching further star formation and maintaining the galaxy in a red and dead state. In this paper, we implement a new jet feedback scheme into the moving mesh-code AREPO, contrast different jet injection techniques and demonstrate the validity of our implementation by comparing against simple analytical models. We find that jets can significantly affect the intracluster medium (ICM), offset the overcooling through a number of heating mechanisms, as well as drive turbulence, albeit within the jet lobes only. Jet-driven turbulence is, however, a largely ineffective heating source and is unlikely to dominate the ICM heating budget even if the jet lobes efficiently fill the cooling region, as it contains at most only a few per cent of the total injected energy. We instead show that the ICM gas motions, generated by orbiting substructures, while inefficient at heating the ICM, drive large-scale turbulence and when combined with jet feedback, result in line-of-sight velocities and velocity dispersions consistent with the Hitomi observations of the Perseus cluster.

Feedback by AGN Jets and Wide-angle Winds on a Galactic Scale

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dugan, Zachary; Silk, Joseph; Gaibler, Volker

To investigate the differences in mechanical feedback from radio-loud and radio-quiet active galactic nuclei on the host galaxy, we perform 3D AMR hydrodynamic simulations of wide-angle, radio-quiet winds with different inclinations on a single, massive, gas-rich disk galaxy at a redshift of 2–3. We compare our results to hydrodynamic simulations of the same galaxy but with a jet. The jet has an inclination of 0° (perpendicular to the galactic plane), and the winds have inclinations of 0°, 45°, and 90°. We analyze the impact on the host’s gas, star formation, and circumgalactic medium. We find that jet feedback is energy-drivenmore » and wind feedback is momentum-driven. In all the simulations, the jet or wind creates a cavity mostly devoid of dense gas in the nuclear region where star formation is then quenched, but we find strong positive feedback in all the simulations at radii greater than 3 kpc. All four simulations have similar SFRs and stellar velocities with large radial and vertical components. However, the wind at an inclination of 90° creates the highest density regions through ram pressure and generates the highest rates of star formation due to its ongoing strong interaction with the dense gas of the galactic plane. With increased wind inclination, we find greater asymmetry in gas distribution and resulting star formation. Our model generates an expanding ring of triggered star formation with typical velocities of the order of 1/3 of the circular velocity, superimposed on the older stellar population. This should result in a potentially detectable blue asymmetry in stellar absorption features at kiloparsec scales.« less

NGC 3393: multi-component AGN feedback as seen by CHEERS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maksym, W. Peter; Fabbiano, Giuseppina; Elvis, Martin; Karovska, Margarita; Raymond, John C.; Storchi-Bergmann, Thaisa; Paggi, Alessandro; Wang, Junfeng; Risaliti, Guido

2017-01-01

Due to its low density, moderate ionization, and weak kinematics, the narrow line region (NLR) of active galactic nuclei (AGN) provides poweful diagnostics for investigating AGN feedback. The CHandra Extended Emission line Region Survey (CHEERS) is the ultimate investigation into resolved feedback in the NLR. We present results from our CHEERS investigations of NGC 3393. By imaging extended X-ray line emission of NGC 3393 with Chandra and optical line emission with Hubble's narrow-band filters, we are able to map out the simultaneous impact of photoionization, jets and an AGN disk-wind. When resolved on scales of ~10s of parsecs, the NLR of NGC 3393 shows a complex multi-component medium. Diagnostic line mapping indicates a Low-ionization Emmision Line Region (LINER) cocoon surrounding the outflow-evacuated cavities (in optical) and surrounding the supports the presence of collisional plasma (in X-rays). These physically distinct constituent regions can only be resolved by the high-resolution imaging that Chandra and HST enable.

The remarkable AGN jets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Komissarov, Serguei

The jets from active galactic nuclei exhibit stability which seems to be far superior compared to that of terrestrial and laboratory jets. They manage to propagate over distances up to a billion of initial jet radii. Yet this may not be an indication of some exotic physics but mainly a reflection of the specific environment these jets propagate through. The key property of this environment is a rapid decline of density and pressure along the jet, which promotes its rapid expansion. Such an expansion can suppress global instabilities, which require communication across the jet, and hence ensure its survival over huge distances. At kpc scales, some AGN jets do show signs of strong instabilities and even turn into plumes. This could be a result of the flattening of the external pressure distribution in their host galaxies or inside the radio lobes. In this regard, we discuss the possible connection between the stability issue and the Fanaroff-Riley classification of extragalactic radio sources. The observations of AGN jets on sub-kpc scale do not seem to support their supposed lack of causal connectivity. When interpreted using simple kinematic models, they reveal a rather perplexing picture with more questions than answers on the jets dynamics.

AGN feedback through UFO and galaxy-wide winds in the early Universe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Feruglio, C.; Piconcelli, E.; Bischetti, M.; Zappacosta, L.; Fiore, F.

2017-10-01

AGN feedback through massive molecular winds is today routinely observed in local AGN host galaxies, but not as such in the early universe. I will present the first evidence for a massive, AGN-driven molecular wind in the z 4 QSO APM08279, which also hosts the most well studied and persistent nuclear semi-raltivistic wind (UFO). This observation directly probes the expansion mechanism of a nuclear wind into the ISM on galaxy wide scales, that so far was constrained by a couple of other objects only (Feruglio et al. 2015, Tombesi et al. 2015). This result also opens the path toward the exploration of molecular AGN-driven winds at early epochs, close after the end of the Epoch of Reionisation (EoR).

Inverse Compton X-ray signature of AGN feedback

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bourne, Martin A.; Nayakshin, Sergei

2013-12-01

Bright AGN frequently show ultrafast outflows (UFOs) with outflow velocities vout ˜ 0.1c. These outflows may be the source of AGN feedback on their host galaxies sought by galaxy formation modellers. The exact effect of the outflows on the ambient galaxy gas strongly depends on whether the shocked UFOs cool rapidly or not. This in turn depends on whether the shocked electrons share the same temperature as ions (one-temperature regime, 1T) or decouple (2T), as has been recently suggested. Here we calculate the inverse Compton spectrum emitted by such shocks, finding a broad feature potentially detectable either in mid-to-high energy X-rays (1T case) or only in the soft X-rays (2T). We argue that current observations of AGN do not seem to show evidence for the 1T component. The limits on the 2T emission are far weaker, and in fact it is possible that the observed soft X-ray excess of AGN is partially or fully due to the 2T shock emission. This suggests that UFOs are in the energy-driven regime outside the central few pc, and must pump considerable amounts of not only momentum but also energy into the ambient gas. We encourage X-ray observers to look for the inverse Compton components calculated here in order to constrain AGN feedback models further.

The energetics of AGN radiation pressure-driven outflows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ishibashi, W.; Fabian, A. C.; Maiolino, R.

2018-05-01

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) ˜ 10) and energy ratio (\\dot{E}_k/L ˜ 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 sublinear scaling for the mass outflow rate (\\dot{M} ∝ L^{1/2}) and a superlinear scaling for the kinetic power (\\dot{E}_k ∝ 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.

The AGN-driven shock in NGC 4472

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gendron-Marsolais, Marie-Lou; Kraft, Ralph P.; Bogdan, Akos; Forman, William R.; Hlavacek-Larrondo, Julie; Jones, Christine; Nulsen, Paul; Randall, Scott W.; Roediger, Elke

2016-04-01

Chandra observations of most cool core clusters of galaxies have revealed large cavities where the inflation of the jet-driven radio bubbles displace the cluster gas. In a few cases, outburst shocks, likely driven by cavity inflation, are detected in the ambient gas. AGN-driven shocks may be key to balancing the radiative losses as shocks will increase the entropy of, and thereby heat, the diffuse gas. We will present initial results on deep Chandra observations of the nearby (D=17 Mpc) early-type massive elliptical galaxy NGC 4472, the most optically luminous galaxy in the local Universe, lying on the outskirts of the Virgo cluster. The X-ray observations show clear cavities in the X-ray emission at the position of the radio lobes, and rings of enhanced X-ray emission just beyond the lobes. We will present results from our analysis to determine whether the lobes are inflating supersonically or are rising buoyantly. We will compare the energy and power of this AGN outburst with previous powerful radio outbursts in clusters and groups to determine whether this outburst lies on the same scaling relations or whether it represents a new category of outburst.

AGN radiative feedback in dusty quasar populations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ishibashi, W.; Banerji, M.; Fabian, A. C.

2017-08-01

New populations of hyper-luminous, dust-obscured quasars have been recently discovered around the peak epoch of galaxy formation (z ˜ 2-3), in addition to similar sources found at lower redshifts. Such dusty quasars are often interpreted as sources 'in transition', from dust-enshrouded starbursts to unobscured luminous quasars, along the evolutionary sequence. Here we consider the role of the active galactic nucleus (AGN) radiative feedback, driven by radiation pressure on dust, in high-luminosity, dust-obscured sources. We analyse how the radiation pressure-driven dusty shell models, with different shell mass configurations, may be applied to the different populations of dusty quasars reported in recent observations. We find that expanding shells, sweeping up matter from the surrounding environment, may account for prolonged obscuration in dusty quasars, e.g. for a central luminosity of L ˜ 1047 erg s-1, a typical obscured phase (with extinction in the range AV ˜ 1-10 mag) may last a few ˜106 yr. On the other hand, fixed-mass shells, coupled with high dust-to-gas ratios, may explain the extreme outflows recently discovered in red quasars at high redshifts. We discuss how the interaction between AGN radiative feedback and the ambient medium at different temporal stages in the evolutionary sequence may contribute to shape the observational appearance of dusty quasar populations.

The SINFONI survey of powerful radio galaxies at z 2: Jet-driven AGN feedback during the Quasar Era

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nesvadba, N. P. H.; De Breuck, C.; Lehnert, M. D.; Best, P. N.; Collet, C.

2017-03-01

We present VLT/SINFONI imaging spectroscopy of the rest-frame optical emission lines of warm ionized gas in 33 powerful radio galaxies at redshifts z ≳ 2, which are excellent sites to study the interplay of rapidly accreting active galactic nuclei and the interstellar medium of the host galaxy in the very late formation stages of massive galaxies. Our targets span two orders of magnitude in radio size (2-400 kpc) and kinetic jet energy (a few 1046- almost 1048 erg s-1). All sources have complex gas kinematics with broad line widths up to 1300 km s-1. About half have bipolar velocity fields with offsets up to 1500 km s-1 and are consistent with global back-to-back outflows. The others have complex velocity distributions, often with multiple abrupt velocity jumps far from the nucleus of the galaxy, and are not associated with a major merger in any obvious way. We present several empirical constraints that show why gas kinematics and radio jets seem to be physically related in all galaxies of the sample. The kinetic energy in the gas from large scale bulk and local outflow or turbulent motion corresponds to a few 10-3 to 10-2 of the kinetic energy output of the radio jet. In galaxies with radio jet power ≳ 1047 erg s-1, the kinetic energy in global back-to-back outflows dominates the total energy budget of the gas, suggesting that bulk motion of outflowing gas encompasses the global interstellar medium. This might be facilitated by the strong gas turbulence, as suggested by recent analytical work. We compare our findings with recent hydrodynamic simulations, and discuss the potential consequences for the subsequent evolution of massive galaxies at high redshift. Compared with recent models of metal enrichment in high-z AGN hosts, we find that the gas-phase metallicities in our galaxies are lower than in most low-z AGN, but nonetheless solar or even super-solar, suggesting that the ISM we see in these galaxies is very similar to the gas from which massive low

UNRAVELLING THE COMPLEX STRUCTURE OF AGN-DRIVEN OUTFLOWS. II. PHOTOIONIZATION AND ENERGETICS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Karouzos, Marios; Woo, Jong-Hak; Bae, Hyun-Jin, E-mail: woo@astro.snu.ac.kr

2016-12-20

Outflows have been shown to be prevalent in galaxies hosting luminous active galactic nuclei (AGNs); they present a physically plausible way to couple the AGN energy output with the interstellar medium of their hosts. Despite their prevalence, accurate characterization of these outflows has been challenging. In the second of a series of papers, we use Gemini Multi-Object Spectrograph integral field unit (IFU) data of six local ( z  < 0.1) and moderate-luminosity Type 2 AGNs to study the ionization properties and energetics of AGN-driven outflows. We find strong evidence connecting the extreme kinematics of the ionized gas to the AGN photoionization.more » The kinematic component related to the AGN-driven outflow is clearly separated from other kinematic components, such as virial motions or rotation, on the velocity and velocity dispersion diagram. Our spatially resolved kinematic analysis reveals that 30 to 90% of the total mass and kinetic energy of the outflow is contained within the central kpc of the galaxy. The spatially integrated mass and kinetic energy of the gas entrained in the outflow correlate well with the AGN bolometric luminosity and results in energy conversion efficiencies between 0.01% and 1%. Intriguingly, we detect ubiquitous signs of ongoing circumnuclear star formation. Their small size, the centrally contained mass and energy, and the universally detected circumnuclear star formation cast doubts on the potency of these AGN-driven outflows as agents of galaxy-scale negative feedback.« less

AGN jets as pion factories

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mannheim, Karl

There has been a dramatic revolution in gamma-ray astronomy throughout the last few years. Beginning with the discovery made by the spark chamber EGRET on board the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory that AGN with jets are the most powerful quasi-steady gamma-ray sources in the Universe, air-Cerenkov telescopes have soon after succeeded in detecting gamma-rays up to TeV energies. In the last year, it has become clear that these AGN emit photons even up to 10 TeV and more. This is a strong indication for proton acceleration going on in them, since protons owing to their large mass suffer weaker energy losses than electrons and can thus reach higher energies. Nucleons escaping from the AGN jets contribute to the local flux of cosmic rays at highest energies. If AGN produce the diffuse gamma-ray background, they would also be able to produce all the cosmic rays above the ankle in the local spectrum. The majority of AGN resides at large distances, indicated by their cosmological redshifts, and can therefore not be seen through the fog of electron-positron pairs which they produce interacting with diffuse infrared radiation from the era of galaxy formation. To observe the cosmic accelerators at large redshifts, neutrino observations are required. It is important to understand the astrophysical neutrino sources in order to be able to recognize signatures of new physics, e.g. due to decaying or annihilating particles from the early phases of the Universe.

Testing Precipitation-Driven Feedback Models in Nearby Ellipticals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Donahue, Megan

2016-09-01

We propose to analyze the inner cooling-time and entropy profiles of 12 elliptical galaxies with strong radio AGN. X-ray studies of galaxy-cluster cores and massive ellipticals indicate that feedback from an AGN replaces energy radiated by these objects. The AGN at 10 pc seems tuned to the thermodynamic state of gas on 10 kpc scales, but how that occurs is a resilient mystery. The precipitation model posits if the AGN does not provide enough heat, then thermal instabilities rain cold clouds on it, increasing accretion from Bondi to 100 times that rate when t_cool drops below 10 t_ff. We will test precipitation-driven feedback models by measuring t_cool and gravitational potential within the central kpc and to see how radio power is related to t_c/t_ff at small radii in these galaxies.

Revisiting the `forbidden' region: AGN radiative feedback with radiation trapping

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ishibashi, W.; Fabian, A. C.; Ricci, C.; Celotti, A.

2018-06-01

Active galactic nucleus (AGN) feedback, driven by radiation pressure on dust, is an important mechanism for efficiently coupling the accreting black hole to the surrounding environment. Recent observations confirm that X-ray selected AGN samples respect the effective Eddington limit for dusty gas in the plane defined by the observed column density versus the Eddington ratio, the so-called NH - λ plane. A `forbidden' region occurs in this plane, where obscuring clouds cannot be long-lived, due to the action of radiation pressure on dust. Here we compute the effective Eddington limit by explicitly taking into account the trapping of reprocessed radiation (which has been neglected in previous works), and investigate its impact on the NH - λ plane. We show that the inclusion of radiation trapping leads to an enhanced forbidden region, such that even Compton-thick material can potentially be disrupted by sub-Eddington luminosities. We compare our model results to the most complete sample of local AGNs with measured X-ray properties, and find good agreement. Considering the anisotropic emission from the accretion disc, we also expect the development of dusty outflows along the polar axis, which may naturally account for the polar dust emission recently detected in several AGNs from mid-infrared observations. Radiative feedback thus appears to be the key mechanism regulating the obscuration properties of AGNs, and we discuss its physical implications in the context of co-evolution scenarios.

The jets of AGN as giant coaxial cables

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gabuzda, Denise C.; Nagle, Matt; Roche, Naomi

2018-04-01

Context. The currents carried by the jets of active galactic nuclei (AGNs) can be probed using maps of the Faraday rotation measure (RM), since a jet current will be accompanied by a toroidal magnetic field, which will give rise to a systematic change in the RM across the jet. Aims: The aim of this study is to identify new AGNs displaying statistically significant transverse RM gradients across their parsec-scale jets, in order to determine how often helical magnetic fields occur in AGN jets, and to look for overall patterns in the implied directions for the toroidal field components and jet currents. Methods: We have carried out new analyses of Faraday RM maps derived from previously published 8.1, 8.4, 12.1 and 15.3 GHz data obtained in 2006 on the NRAO Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA). In a number of key ways, our procedures were identical to those of the original authors, but the new imaging and analysis differs from the original methods in several ways: the technique used to match the resolutions at the different frequencies, limits on the widths spanned by the RM gradients analyzed, treatment of core-region RM gradients, approach to estimation of the significances of the gradients analyzed, and inclusion of a supplementary analysis using circular beams with areas equal to those of the corresponding elliptical naturally weighted beams. Results: This new analysis has substantially increased the number of AGNs known to display transverse RM gradients that may reflect the presence of a toroidal magnetic-field component. The collected data on parsec and kiloparsec scales indicate that the current typically flows inward along the jet axis and outward in a more extended region surrounding the jet, typical to the current structure of a co-axial cable, accompanied by a self-consistent system of nested helical magnetic fields, whose toroidal components give rise to the observed transverse Faraday rotation gradients. Conclusions: The new results presented here make it

Delayed or No Feedback? Gas Outflows in Type 2 AGNs. III

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Woo, Jong-Hak; Son, Donghoon; Bae, Hyun-Jin, E-mail: woo@astro.snu.ac.kr, E-mail: hjbae@galaxy.yonsei.ac.kr

2017-04-20

We present gas kinematics based on the [O iii] λ 5007 line and their connection to galaxy gravitational potential, active galactic nucleus (AGN) energetics, and star formation, using a large sample of ∼110,000 AGNs and star-forming (SF) galaxies at z < 0.3. Gas and stellar velocity dispersions are comparable to each other in SF galaxies, indicating that the ionized gas kinematics can be accounted by the gravitational potential of host galaxies. In contrast, AGNs clearly show non-gravitational kinematics, which is comparable to or stronger than the virial motion caused by the gravitational potential. The [O iii] velocity–velocity dispersion (VVD) diagrammore » dramatically expands toward high values as a function of AGN luminosity, implying that the outflows are AGN-driven, while SF galaxies do not show such a trend. We find that the fraction of AGNs with a signature of outflow kinematics, steeply increases with AGN luminosity and Eddington ratio. In particular, the majority of luminous AGNs presents strong non-gravitational kinematics in the [O iii] profile. AGNs with strong outflow signatures show on average similar specific star formation rates (sSFRs) to those of star-forming galaxies. In contrast, AGNs with weak or no outflows have an order of magnitude lower sSFRs, suggesting that AGNs with current strong outflows do now show any negative AGN feedback and that it may take dynamical time to impact on star formation over galactic scales.« less

Reality and myths of AGN feedback

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Husemann, Bernd; Harrison, Chris M.

2018-03-01

Feedback from active galactic nuclei (AGNs) remains controversial despite its wide acceptance as necessary to regulate massive galaxy growth. Consequently, we held a workshop in October 2017, at Leiden's Lorentz Center, to distinguish between the reality and myths of feedback.

Quenching histories of galaxies and the role of AGN feedback

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smethurst, Rebecca Jane; Lintott, Chris; Simmons, Brooke; Galaxy Zoo Team

2016-01-01

Two open issues in modern astrophysics are: (i) how do galaxies fully quench their star formation and (ii) how is this affected - or not - by AGN feedback? I present the results of a new Bayesian-MCMC analysis of the star formation histories of over 126,000 galaxies across the colour magnitude diagram showing that diverse quenching mechanisms are instrumental in the formation of the present day red sequence. Using classifications from Galaxy Zoo we show that the rate at which quenching can occur is morphologically dependent in each of the blue cloud, green valley and red sequence. We discuss the nature of these possible quenching mechanisms, considering the influence of secular evolution, galaxy interactions and mergers, both with and without black hole activity. We focus particularly on the relationship between these quenched star formation histories and the presence of an AGN by using this new Bayesian method to show a population of type 2 AGN host galaxies have recently (within 2 Gyr) undergone a rapid (τ < 1 Gyr) drop in their star formation rate. With this result we therefore present the first statistically supported observational evidence that AGN feedback is an important mechanism for the cessation of star formation in this population of galaxies. The diversity of this new method also highlights that such rapid quenching histories cannot account fully for all the quenching across the current AGN host population. We demonstrate that slower (τ > 2 Gyr) quenching rates dominate for high stellar mass (log10[M*/M⊙] > 10.75) hosts of AGN with both early- and late-type morphology. We discuss how these results show that both merger-driven and non-merger processes are contributing to the co-evolution of galaxies and supermassive black holes across the entirety of the colour magnitude diagram.

A comparative study of AGN feedback algorithms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wurster, J.; Thacker, R. J.

2013-05-01

Modelling active galactic nuclei (AGN) feedback in numerical simulations is both technically and theoretically challenging, with numerous approaches having been published in the literature. We present a study of five distinct approaches to modelling AGN feedback within gravitohydrodynamic simulations of major mergers of Milky Way-sized galaxies. To constrain differences to only be between AGN feedback models, all simulations start from the same initial conditions and use the same star formation algorithm. Most AGN feedback algorithms have five key aspects: the black hole accretion rate, energy feedback rate and method, particle accretion algorithm, black hole advection algorithm and black hole merger algorithm. All models follow different accretion histories, and in some cases, accretion rates differ by up to three orders of magnitude at any given time. We consider models with either thermal or kinetic feedback, with the associated energy deposited locally around the black hole. Each feedback algorithm modifies the region around the black hole to different extents, yielding gas densities and temperatures within r ˜ 200 pc that differ by up to six orders of magnitude at any given time. The particle accretion algorithms usually maintain good agreement between the total mass accreted by dot{M} dt and the total mass of gas particles removed from the simulation, although not all algorithms guarantee this to be true. The black hole advection algorithms dampen inappropriate dragging of the black holes by two-body interactions. Advecting the black hole a limited distance based upon local mass distributions has many desirably properties, such as avoiding large artificial jumps and allowing the possibility of the black hole remaining in a gas void. Lastly, two black holes instantly merge when given criteria are met, and we find a range of merger times for different criteria. This is important since the AGN feedback rate changes across the merger in a way that is dependent

Studying AGN Jets At Extreme Angular Resolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bruni, Gabriele

2016-10-01

RadioAstron is a 10m antenna orbiting on the Russian Speckt-R spacecraft, launched in 2011. Performing radio interferometry with a global array of ground telescopes, it is providing record angular resolution. The Key Science Project on AGN polarization is exploiting it to study in great detail the configuration of magnetic fields in AGN jets, and understand their formation and collimation. To date, the project has already achieved the highest angular resolution image ever obtained in Astronomy, and detected brightness temperatures exceeding the ones predicted by theory of AGN.

Particle content, radio-galaxy morphology, and jet power: all radio-loud AGN are not equal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Croston, J. H.; Ineson, J.; Hardcastle, M. J.

2018-05-01

Ongoing and future radio surveys aim to trace the evolution of black hole growth and feedback from active galactic nuclei (AGNs) throughout cosmic time; however, there remain major uncertainties in translating radio luminosity functions into a reliable assessment of the energy input as a function of galaxy and/or dark matter halo mass. A crucial and long-standing problem is the composition of the radio-lobe plasma that traces AGN jet activity. In this paper, we carry out a systematic comparison of the plasma conditions in Fanaroff & Riley class I and II radio galaxies to demonstrate conclusively that their internal composition is systematically different. This difference is best explained by the presence of an energetically dominant proton population in the FRI, but not the FRII radio galaxies. We show that, as expected from this systematic difference in particle content, radio morphology also affects the jet-power/radio-luminosity relationship, with FRII radio galaxies having a significantly lower ratio of jet power to radio luminosity than the FRI cluster radio sources used to derive jet-power scaling relations via X-ray cavity measurements. Finally, we also demonstrate conclusively that lobe composition is unconnected to accretion mode (optical excitation class): the internal conditions of low- and high-excitation FRII radio lobes are indistinguishable. We conclude that inferences of population-wide AGN impact require careful assessment of the contribution of different jet subclasses, particularly given the increased diversity of jet evolutionary states expected to be present in deep, low-frequency radio surveys such as the LOFAR Two-Metre Sky Survey.

ALMA observations of feeding and feedback in nearby Seyfert galaxies: an AGN-driven outflow in NGC 1433

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Combes, F.; García-Burillo, S.; Casasola, V.; Hunt, L.; Krips, M.; Baker, A. J.; Boone, F.; Eckart, A.; Marquez, I.; Neri, R.; Schinnerer, E.; Tacconi, L. J.

2013-10-01

a molecular mass of 3.6 × 106 M⊙ and a flow rate ~7 M⊙/yr. The flow could be in part driven by the central star formation, but is mainly boosted by the AGN through its radio jets. Based on observations carried out with ALMA in Cycle 0.

Kinetic or thermal AGN feedback in simulations of isolated and merging disc galaxies calibrated by the M-σ relation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barai, Paramita; Viel, Matteo; Murante, Giuseppe; Gaspari, Massimo; Borgani, Stefano

2014-01-01

We investigate two modes of coupling the feedback energy from a central active galactic nucleus (AGN) to the neighbouring gas in galaxy simulations: kinetic - velocity boost and thermal - heating. We formulate kinetic feedback models for energy-driven wind (EDW) and momentum-driven wind (MDW), using two free parameters: feedback efficiency ɛf and AGN wind velocity vw. A novel numerical algorithm is implemented in the smoothed particle hydrodynamics code GADGET-3, to prevent the expansion of a hole in the gas distribution around the black hole (BH). We perform simulations of isolated evolution and merger of disc galaxies, of Milky Way mass as well as lower and higher masses. We find that in the isolated galaxy BH kinetic feedback generates intermittent bipolar jet-like gas outflows. We infer that current prescriptions for BH subgrid physics in galaxy simulations can grow the BH to observed values even in an isolated disc galaxy. The BH growth is enhanced in a galaxy merger, which consequently requires different model parameters to fit the observations than an isolated case. Comparing the [MBH-σ⋆] relation obtained in our simulations with observational data, we conclude that it is possible to find parameter sets for a fit in all the models (e.g. vw = 10 000 km s-1 and ɛf = 0.25 for BH kinetic EDW), except for the case with MDW feedback in a galaxy merger, in which the BH is always too massive. The BH thermal feedback implementation of Springel et al. within the multiphase star formation model is found to have negligible impact on gas properties, and the effect claimed in all previous studies is attributed to gas depletion around the BH by the creation of an artificial hole. The BH mass accretion rate in our simulations exhibit heavy fluctuations. The star formation rate is quenched with feedback by removal of gas. The circumgalactic medium gas at galactocentric distances (20-100) h-1 kpc is found to give the best metallicity observational diagnostic to

Simulations of AGN jets: magnetic kink instability versus conical shocks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barniol Duran, Rodolfo; Tchekhovskoy, Alexander; Giannios, Dimitrios

2017-08-01

Relativistic jets in active galactic nuclei (AGN) convert as much as half of their energy into radiation. To explore the poorly understood processes that are responsible for this conversion, we carry out fully 3D magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulations of relativistic magnetized jets. Unlike the standard approach of injecting the jets at large radii, our simulated jets self-consistently form at the source and propagate and accelerate outwards for several orders of magnitude in distance before they interact with the ambient medium. We find that this interaction can trigger strong energy dissipation of two kinds inside the jets, depending on the properties of the ambient medium. Those jets that form in a new outburst and drill a fresh hole through the ambient medium fall victim to a 3D magnetic kink instability and dissipate their energy primarily through magnetic reconnection in the current sheets formed by the instability. On the other hand, those jets that form during repeated cycles of AGN activity and escape through a pre-existing hole in the ambient medium maintain their stability and dissipate their energy primarily at MHD recollimation shocks. In both cases, the dissipation region can be associated with a change in the density profile of the ambient gas. The Bondi radius in AGN jets serves as such a location.

Revolutionizing Our Understanding of AGN Feedback and its Importance to Galaxy Evolution in the Era of the Next Generation Very Large Array

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nyland, Kristina; Harwood, Jeremy; Jagannathan, Preshanth; Mukherjee, Dipanjan; Lacy, Mark; Morabito, Leah; Maksym, W. Peter; Kimball, Amy; Alatalo, Katherine; Bicknell, Geoff; Patil, Pallavi; Emonts, Bjorn

2018-01-01

Energetic feedback by Active Galactic Nuclei (AGNs) likely plays an important evolutionary role in the regulation of star formation (SF) on galactic scales. However, the effects of this feedback under different host galaxy conditions and environments remain unknown due to the scarcity of observational examples of this process in action given the limitations of current telescopes. The Next Generation Very Large Array (ngVLA) will serve as a transformational new tool in our understanding of how radio jets affect their surroundings. Current plans for the ngVLA consist of an array of 214 18m antennas with baselines out to 500 km operating over a frequency range of 1-115 GHz. By combining deep, broadband continuum data with measurements of the atomic and/or molecular gas content and kinematics, the ngVLA will quantify the energetic impact of radio jets hosted by gas-rich galaxies as the jets interact with the star-forming gas reservoirs of their hosts. Here, we evaluate the progress in our understanding of AGN feedback and its connection to galaxy evolution that may be accomplished with the unique capabilities of the ngVLA. Our analysis includes simulations of ngVLA observations of redshifted analogs of nearby AGNs with diverse properties, along with examples of opportunities for multiwavelength synergies with current and future next-generation instruments that are currently under development.

Ultrafast Outflows: Galaxy-scale Active Galactic Nucleus Feedback

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wagner, A. Y.; Umemura, M.; Bicknell, G. V.

2013-01-01

We show, using global three-dimensional grid-based hydrodynamical simulations, that ultrafast outflows (UFOs) from active galactic nuclei (AGNs) result in considerable feedback of energy and momentum into the interstellar medium (ISM) of the host galaxy. The AGN wind interacts strongly with the inhomogeneous, two-phase ISM consisting of dense clouds embedded in a tenuous, hot, hydrostatic medium. The outflow floods through the intercloud channels, sweeps up the hot ISM, and ablates and disperses the dense clouds. The momentum of the UFO is primarily transferred to the dense clouds via the ram pressure in the channel flow, and the wind-blown bubble evolves in the energy-driven regime. Any dependence on UFO opening angle disappears after the first interaction with obstructing clouds. On kpc scales, therefore, feedback by UFOs operates similarly to feedback by relativistic AGN jets. Negative feedback is significantly stronger if clouds are distributed spherically rather than in a disk. In the latter case, the turbulent backflow of the wind drives mass inflow toward the central black hole. Considering the common occurrence of UFOs in AGNs, they are likely to be important in the cosmological feedback cycles of galaxy formation.

ULTRAFAST OUTFLOWS: GALAXY-SCALE ACTIVE GALACTIC NUCLEUS FEEDBACK

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wagner, A. Y.; Umemura, M.; Bicknell, G. V., E-mail: ayw@ccs.tsukuba.ac.jp

We show, using global three-dimensional grid-based hydrodynamical simulations, that ultrafast outflows (UFOs) from active galactic nuclei (AGNs) result in considerable feedback of energy and momentum into the interstellar medium (ISM) of the host galaxy. The AGN wind interacts strongly with the inhomogeneous, two-phase ISM consisting of dense clouds embedded in a tenuous, hot, hydrostatic medium. The outflow floods through the intercloud channels, sweeps up the hot ISM, and ablates and disperses the dense clouds. The momentum of the UFO is primarily transferred to the dense clouds via the ram pressure in the channel flow, and the wind-blown bubble evolves inmore » the energy-driven regime. Any dependence on UFO opening angle disappears after the first interaction with obstructing clouds. On kpc scales, therefore, feedback by UFOs operates similarly to feedback by relativistic AGN jets. Negative feedback is significantly stronger if clouds are distributed spherically rather than in a disk. In the latter case, the turbulent backflow of the wind drives mass inflow toward the central black hole. Considering the common occurrence of UFOs in AGNs, they are likely to be important in the cosmological feedback cycles of galaxy formation.« less

Density profile of dark matter haloes and galaxies in the HORIZON-AGN simulation: the impact of AGN feedback

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peirani, Sébastien; Dubois, Yohan; Volonteri, Marta; Devriendt, Julien; Bundy, Kevin; Silk, Joe; Pichon, Christophe; Kaviraj, Sugata; Gavazzi, Raphaël; Habouzit, Mélanie

2017-12-01

Using a suite of three large cosmological hydrodynamical simulations, HORIZON-AGN, HORIZON–NOAGN (no AGN feedback) and HORIZON-DM (no baryons), we investigate how a typical sub-grid model for AGN feedback affects the evolution of the inner density profiles of massive dark matter haloes and galaxies. Based on direct object-to-object comparisons, we find that the integrated inner mass and density slope differences between objects formed in these three simulations (hereafter, HAGN, HnoAGN and HDM) significantly evolve with time. More specifically, at high redshift (z ∼ 5), the mean central density profiles of HAGN and HnoAGN dark matter haloes tend to be much steeper than their HDM counterparts owing to the rapidly growing baryonic component and ensuing adiabatic contraction. By z ∼ 1.5, these mean halo density profiles in HAGN have flattened, pummelled by powerful AGN activity ('quasar mode'): the integrated inner mass difference gaps with HnoAGN haloes have widened, and those with HDM haloes have narrowed. Fast forward 9.5 billion years, down to z = 0, and the trend reverses: HAGN halo mean density profiles drift back to a more cusped shape as AGN feedback efficiency dwindles ('radio mode'), and the gaps in integrated central mass difference with HnoAGN and HDM close and broaden, respectively. On the galaxy side, the story differs noticeably. Averaged stellar profile central densities and inner slopes are monotonically reduced by AGN activity as a function of cosmic time, resulting in better agreement with local observations.

A High Definition View of AGN Feedback: Chandra Imaging of Nearby Seyfert Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Junfeng; Fabbiano, G.; Risaliti, G.; Elvis, M.; Karovska, M.; Zezas, A.; Mundell, C. G.

2010-03-01

To improve the physics of AGN feedback, it is crucial to evaluate the true role of outflows on galaxy evolution observationally. I will present new results from Chandra spectral imaging of nearby Seyfert galaxies, which offer unique opportunities to examine feedback in action in much greater detail than at high redshift. Exploiting Chandra's highest possible resolution, we are able to study structures in NGC 4151 on spatial scales of 0.5 arcsec (30 pc), showing an extended X-ray morphology overall consistent with the optical NLR. We find that most of the NLR clouds in NGC 4151 have [OIII] to soft X-ray ratio consistent with the values observed in NLRs of some Seyfert 2 galaxies, which indicates a uniform ionization parameter even at large radii. We examine various X-ray emission mechanisms of the radio jet and consider thermal emission from interaction between radio outflow and the NLR clouds the most probable origin for the X-ray emission associated with the jet.

A simple way to improve AGN feedback prescription in SPH simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zubovas, Kastytis; Bourne, Martin A.; Nayakshin, Sergei

2016-03-01

Active galactic nuclei (AGN) feedback is an important ingredient in galaxy evolution, however its treatment in numerical simulations is necessarily approximate, requiring subgrid prescriptions due to the dynamical range involved in the calculations. We present a suite of smoothed particle hydrodynamics simulations designed to showcase the importance of the choice of a particular subgrid prescription for AGN feedback. We concentrate on two approaches to treating wide-angle AGN outflows: thermal feedback, where thermal and kinetic energy is injected into the gas surrounding the supermassive black hole (SMBH) particle, and virtual particle feedback, where energy is carried by tracer particles radially away from the AGN. We show that the latter model produces a far more complex structure around the SMBH, which we argue is a more physically correct outcome. We suggest a simple improvement to the thermal feedback model - injecting the energy into a cone, rather than spherically symmetrically - and show that this markedly improves the agreement between the two prescriptions, without requiring any noticeable increase in the computational cost of the simulation.

Ultra-Fast Outflows in Radio-Loud AGN: New Constraints on Jet-Disk Connection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sambruna, Rita

There is strong observational and theoretical evidence that outflows/jets are coupled to accretion disks in black hole accreting systems, from Galactic to extragalactic sizes. While in radio-quiet AGN there is ample evidence for the presence of Ultra-Fast Outflows (UFOs) from the presence of blue-shifted absorption features in their 4-10~keV spectra, sub-relativistic winds are expected on theoretical basis in radio-loud AGN but have not been observed until now. Our recent Suzaku observations of 5 bright Broad- Line Radio Galaxies (BLRGs, the radio-loud counterparts of Seyferts) has started to change this picture. We found strong evidence for UFOs in 3 out of 5 BLRGs, with ionization parameters, column densities, and velocities of the absorber similar to Seyferts. Moreover, the outflows in BLRGs are likely to be energetically very significant: from the Suzaku data of the three sources, outflow masses similar to the accretion masses and kinetic energies of the wind similar to the X-ray luminosity and radio power of the jet are inferred. Clearly, UFOs in radio-loud AGN represent a new key ingredient to understand their central engines and in particular, the jet-disk linkage. Our discovery of UFOs in a handful of BLRGs raises the questions of how common disk winds are in radio-loud AGN, what the absorber physical and dynamical characteristics are, and what is the outflow role in broader picture of galaxy-black hole connection for radio sources, i.e., for large-scale feedback models. To address these and other issues, we propose to use archival XMM-Newton and Suzaku spectra to search for Ultra-Fast Outflows in a large number of radio sources. Over a period of two years, we will conduct a systematic, uniform analysis of the archival X-ray data, building on our extensive experience with a similar previous project for Seyferts, and using robust analysis and statistical methodologies. As an important side product, we will also obtain accurate, self- consistent measurements

Suppression of AGN-Driven Turbulence by Magnetic Fields in a Magnetohydrodynamic Model of the Intracluster Medium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bambic, Christopher J.; Morsony, Brian; Reynolds, Christopher S.

2018-01-01

We investigate the role of AGN feedback in turbulent heating of galaxy clusters. Specifically, we analyze the production of turbulence by g-modes generated by the supersonic expansion and buoyant rise of AGN-driven bubbles. Previous work which neglects magnetic fields has shown that this process is inefficient, with less than 1% of the injected energy ending up in turbulence. This inefficiency is primarily due to the fact that the bubbles are shredded apart by hydrodynamic instabilities before they can excite sufficiently strong g-modes. Using a plane-parallel model of the ICM and 3D ideal MHD simulations, we examine the role of a large-scale magnetic field which is able to drape around these rising bubbles, preserving them from hydrodynamic instabilities. We find that, while magnetic draping appears better able to preserve AGN-driven bubbles, the driving of g-modes and the resulting production of turbulence is still inefficient. The magnetic tension force prevents g-modes from transitioning into the nonlinear regime, suppressing turbulence in our model ICM below levels measured in hydrodynamic simulations. Our work highlights the ways in which ideal MHD is an insufficient description for the cluster feedback process, and we discuss future work such as the inclusion of anisotropic viscosity as a means of simulating high β plasma kinetic effects. These results suggest the hypothesis that other mechanisms of heating the ICM plasma such as sound waves or cosmic rays may be responsible for observed feedback in galaxy clusters.

Suppression of AGN-driven Turbulence by Magnetic Fields in a Magnetohydrodynamic Model of the Intracluster Medium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bambic, Christopher J.; Morsony, Brian J.; Reynolds, Christopher S.

2018-04-01

We investigate the role of active galactic nucleus (AGN) feedback in turbulent heating of galaxy clusters. Specifically, we analyze the production of turbulence by g-modes generated by the supersonic expansion and buoyant rise of AGN-driven bubbles. Previous work that neglects magnetic fields has shown that this process is inefficient, with less than 1% of the injected energy ending up in turbulence. This inefficiency primarily arises because the bubbles are shredded apart by hydrodynamic instabilities before they can excite sufficiently strong g-modes. Using a plane-parallel model of the intracluster medium (ICM) and 3D ideal magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) simulations, we examine the role of a large-scale magnetic field that is able to drape around these rising bubbles, preserving them from hydrodynamic instabilities. We find that while magnetic draping appears better able to preserve AGN-driven bubbles, the driving of g-modes and the resulting production of turbulence is still inefficient. The magnetic tension force prevents g-modes from transitioning into the nonlinear regime, suppressing turbulence in our model ICM. Our work highlights the ways in which ideal MHD is an insufficient description for the cluster feedback process, and we discuss future work such as the inclusion of anisotropic viscosity as a means of simulating high β plasma kinetic effects. These results suggest the hypothesis that other mechanisms of heating the ICM plasma such as sound waves or cosmic rays may be responsible for the observed feedback in galaxy clusters.

Watching AGN feedback at its birth: HST observations of nascent outflow host IC860

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alatalo, Katherine

2016-10-01

IC860 is a nearby IR-luminous early-type spiral with a unique set of properties: it is a shocked, poststarburst galaxy that hosts an AGN-driven neutral wind and a compact core of molecular gas. IC860 can serve as a rosetta stone for the early stages of triggering AGN feedback. We propose to use WFC3 on HST to obtain NUV, optical and near-IR imaging of IC860. We will create a spatially-resolved history of star formation quenching through SED-fitting of 7 requested broadband filters, and compare the spatially resolved star formation histories to in different positions within the underlying stellar features (such as spiral structure) that might define a narrative of how star formation is quenching in IC860. These observations will also resolve the super-star cluster sites to trace the most recent star formation. Finally, these observations will trace the mass of the outflow by building an absorption map of the dust. IC860 presents a unique opportunity to study a galaxy at an early stage of transitioning from blue spiral to red early-type galaxy, that also hosts an AGN-driven neutral wind and a compact, turbulent molecular gas core.

Average Heating Rate of Hot Atmospheres in Distant Galaxy Clusters by Radio AGN: Evidence for Continuous AGN Heating

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ma, Cheng-Jiun; McNamara, B.; Nulsen, P.; Schaffer, R.

2011-09-01

X-ray observations of nearby clusters and galaxies have shown that energetic feedback from AGN is heating hot atmospheres and is probably the principal agent that is offsetting cooling flows. Here we examine AGN heating in distant X-ray clusters by cross correlating clusters selected from the 400 Square Degree X-ray Cluster survey with radio sources in the NRAO VLA Sky Survey. The jet power for each radio source was determined using scaling relations between radio power and cavity power determined for nearby clusters, groups, and galaxies with atmospheres containing X-ray cavities. Roughly 30% of the clusters show radio emission above a flux threshold of 3 mJy within the central 250 kpc that is presumably associated with the brightest cluster galaxy. We find no significant correlation between radio power, hence jet power, and the X-ray luminosities of clusters in redshift range 0.1 -- 0.6. The detection frequency of radio AGN is inconsistent with the presence of strong cooling flows in 400SD, but cannot rule out the presence of weak cooling flows. The average jet power of central radio AGN is approximately 2 10^{44} erg/s. The jet power corresponds to an average heating of approximately 0.2 keV/particle for gas within R_500. Assuming the current AGN heating rate remained constant out to redshifts of about 2, these figures would rise by a factor of two. Our results show that the integrated energy injected from radio AGN outbursts in clusters is statistically significant compared to the excess entropy in hot atmospheres that is required for the breaking of self-similarity in cluster scaling relations. It is not clear that central AGN in 400SD clusters are maintained by a self-regulated feedback loop at the base of a cooling flow. However, they may play a significant role in preventing the development of strong cooling flows at early epochs.

The complexity of the coronal line region in AGNs: Gas-jet interactions and outflows revealed by NIR spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rodríguez-Ardila, Alberto; Prieto, Almudena; Mazzalay, Ximena

2016-08-01

Apart from the classical broad line region (BLR) at small core distances, and the extended classical narrow-line region (NLR), a subset of active galactic nuclei (AGN) show, in their spectra, lines from very highly ionised atoms, known as Coronal lines (CLs). The precise nature and origin of these CLs remain uncertain. Advances on this matter include the determination of the size and morphology of the CLR by means of optical HST and ground-based AO imaging/spectroscopy in a few AGNs. The results indicate CLRs with sizes varying from compact (~30 pc) to extended (~200 pc) emission and aligned preferentially with the direction of the lower ionisation cones seen in these sources. In this talk, we present results of a pioneering work aimed at studying the CLR in the near-infrared region on a selected sample of nearby AGNs. The excellent angular resolution of the data allowed us to resolve and map the extension of the coronal line gas and compare it to that emitting low- and mid-ionization lines. In most cases, the very good match between the radio emission and the CLR suggest that at least part of the high-ionization gas is jet-driven. Results from photoionization models where the central engine is the only source of energy input strongly fail at reproducing the observed line ratios, mainly at distances larger than 60 pc from the centre. We discuss here other processes that should be at work to enhance this energetic emission and suggest that the presence of coronal lines in AGNs is an unambiguous signature of feedback processes in these sources.

The AGN Impact on the Circumgalactic Medium of Cen A

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lehner, Nicolas

2017-08-01

There seems to be broad agreement that feedback from AGN plays a critical role in transforming massive star forming galaxies to quiescent ones and keeping them quenched thereafter. Through the emission of copious amounts of radiation emitted in the active QSO/AGN phase and the deposition of thermal and mechanical energy on scales of hundreds of kpc during the radio phase, AGN feedback shifts the temperatures and ionization states of the gas in the circumgalactic medium (CGM) of these galaxies to higher energies, suppressing cooling that might otherwise provide fuel for new star formation. We propose to observe absorption lines from the CGM of the nearby, very well-studied giant radio-lobe galaxy Cen A to search directly for the signal of AGN feedback impacting the CGM of a galaxy. We will target 4 background QSOs projected 270-340 kpc from the galaxy at a range of azimuthal angles relative to the 300 kpc-long jets and 1 control sight line well away from the jets. These spectra will provide probes of the ionization balance and kinematic structure of the cool/warm CGM. This will be the first attempt to dissect the cool/warm gas in a CGM undergoing interactions with an active AGN.

Intrinsic Brightness Temperatures of AGN Jets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Homan, D. C.; Kovalev, Y. Y.; Lister, M. L.; Ros, E.; Kellermann, K. I.; Cohen, M. H.; Vermeulen, R. C.; Zensus, J. A.; Kadler, M.

2006-05-01

We present a new method for studying the intrinsic brightness temperatures of the parsec-scale jet cores of active galactic nuclei (AGNs). Our method uses observed superluminal motions and observed brightness temperatures for a large sample of AGNs to constrain the characteristic intrinsic brightness temperature of the sample as a whole. To study changes in intrinsic brightness temperature, we assume that the Doppler factors of individual jets are constant in time, as justified by their relatively small changes in observed flux density. We find that in their median-low brightness temperature state, the sources in our sample have a narrow range of intrinsic brightness temperatures centered on a characteristic temperature, Tint~=3×1010 K, which is close to the value expected for equipartition, when the energy in the radiating particles equals the energy stored in the magnetic fields. However, in their maximum brightness state, we find that sources in our sample have a characteristic intrinsic brightness temperature greater than 2×1011 K, which is well in excess of the equipartition temperature. In this state, we estimate that the energy in radiating particles exceeds the energy in the magnetic field by a factor of ~105. We suggest that the excess of particle energy when sources are in their maximum brightness state is due to injection or acceleration of particles at the base of the jet. Our results suggest that the common method of estimating jet Doppler factors by using a single measurement of observed brightness temperature, the assumption of equipartition, or both may lead to large scatter or systematic errors in the derived values.

Binary Black Holes, Accretion Disks and Relativistic Jets: Photocenters of Nearby AGN and Quasars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wehrle, Ann E.; Jones, Dayton L.; Meier, David L.; Piner, B. Glenn; Unwin, Stephen C.

2004-01-01

One of the most challenging questions in astronomy today is to understand the origin, structure, and evolution of the central engines in the nuclei of quasars and active galaxies (AGNs). The favoured theory involves the activation of relativistic jets from the fueling of a supermassive black hole through an accretion disk. In some AGN an outer optically thick, dusty torus is seen orbiting the black hole system. This torus is probably related to an inner accretion disk - black hole system that forms the actual powerhouse of the AGN. In radio-loud AGN two oppositely-directed radio jets are ejected perpendicular to the torus/disk system. Although there is a wealth of observational data on AGN, some very basic questions have not been definitively answered. The Space Interferometry Mission (SIM) will address the following three key questions about AGN. 1) Does the most compact optical emission from an AGN come from an accretion disk or from a relativistic jet? 2) Does the separation of the radio core and optical photocenter of the quasars used for the reference frame tie, change on the timescales of their photometric variability, or is the separation stable at the level of a few microarcseconds? 3) Do the cores of galaxies harbor binary supermassive black holes remaining from galaxy mergers? It is not known whether such mergers are common, and whether binaries would persist for a significant time.

Poynting Robertson Battery and the Chiral Magnetic Fields of AGN Jets

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kazanas, Demosthenes

2010-01-01

We propose that the magnetic fields in the accretion disks of active galactic nuclei (AGNs) are generated by azimuthal electric currents due to the difference between the plasma electron and ion velocities that arises when the electrons are retarded by interactions with the AGN photons (the Poynting Robertson battery). This process provides a unique relation between the polarity of the poloidal B field to the angular velocity Omega of the accretion disk (B is parallel to Omega), a relation absent in the more popular dynamo B-field generation. This then leads to a unique direction for the toroidal B field induced by disk rotation. Observations of the toroidal fields of 29 AGN jets revealed by parsec-scale Faraday rotation measurements show a clear asymmetry that is consistent with this model, with the probability that this asymmetry comes about by chance being approx.0.06 %. This lends support to the hypothesis that the universe is seeded by B fields that are generated in AGNs via this mechanism and subsequently injected into intergalactic space by the jet outflows.

Numerical Study of AGN Jet Propagation with Two Dimensional Relativistic Hydrodynamic Code

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mizuta, Akira; Yamada, Shoichi; Takabe, Hideaki

2001-12-01

We investigate the morphology of Active Galactic Nuclei(AGN) jets. AGN jets propagate over kpc ~ Mpc and their beam velocities are close to the speed of light. The reason why many jets propagate over so long a distance and sustain a very collimated structure is not well understood. It is argued taht some dimensionless parameters, the density and the pressure ratio of the jet beam and the ambient gas, the Mach number of the beam, and relative speed of the beam compared to the speed of light, are very useful to understand the morphology of jets namely, bow shocks, cocoons, nodes etc. The role of each parameters has been studied by numerical simulations. But more research is necessary to understand it systematically. We have developed 2D relativistic hydrodynamic code to analyze relativistic jets. We pay attention to the propagation velocity which is derived from 1D momentum balance in the frame of the working surface. We show some of our models and discuss the dependence of the morphology of jets on the parameter.

The Jet-driven Outflow in the Radio Galaxy SDSS J1517+3353: Implications for Double-peaked Narrow-line Active Galactic Nucleus

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rosario, D. J.; Shields, G. A.; Taylor, G. B.; Salviander, S.; Smith, K. L.

2010-06-01

We report on the study of an intriguing active galaxy that was selected as a potential multiple supermassive black hole merger in the early-type host SDSS J151709.20+335324.7 (z = 0.135) from a complete search for double-peaked [O III] lines from the SDSS spectroscopic quasi-stellar object (QSO) database. Ground-based SDSS imaging reveals two blue structures on either side of the photometric center of the host galaxy, separated from each other by about 5.7 kpc. From a combination of SDSS fiber and Keck/HIRES long-slit spectroscopy, it is demonstrated that, in addition to these two features, a third distinct structure surrounds the nucleus of the host galaxy. All three structures exhibit highly ionized line emission with line ratios characteristic of Seyfert II active galactic nuclei. The analysis of spatially resolved emission-line profiles from the HIRES spectrum reveal three distinct kinematic subcomponents, one at rest and the other two moving at -350 km s-1 and 500 km s-1 with respect to the systemic velocity of the host galaxy. A comparison of imaging and spectral data confirm a strong association between the kinematic components and the spatial knots, which implies a highly disturbed and complex active region in this object. A comparative analysis of the broadband positions, colors, kinematics, and spectral properties of the knots in this system lead to two plausible explanations: (1) a multiple active galactic nucleus (AGN) produced due to a massive dry merger, or (2) a very powerful radio jet-driven outflow. Subsequent VLA radio imaging reveals a clear jet aligned with the emission-line gas, confirming the latter explanation. We use the broadband radio measurements to examine the impact of the jet on the interstellar medium of the host galaxy, and find that the energy in the radio lobes can heat a significant fraction of the gas to the virial temperature. Finally, we discuss tests that may help future surveys distinguish between jet-driven kinematics and

Three-dimensional relativistic jet simulations and the morphological classification of radio-loud AGN

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schuh, Terance; Li, Yutong; Elghossain, Geena; Wiita, Paul J.

2018-06-01

We have computed a suite of simulations of propagating three-dimensional relativistic jets, involving substantial ranges of initial jet Lorentz factors and ratios of jet density to external medium density. These allow us to categorize the respective AGN into Fanaroff-Riley class I (jet dominated) and FR class II (lobe-dominated) based upon the stability and morphology of the simulations. We used the Athena code to produce a substantial collection of large 3D variations of jets, many of which propagate stably and quickly for over 100 jet radii, but others of which eventually go unstable and fill up slowing advancing lobes. Most of these simulations have jet-to-ambient medium densities between 0.005 and 0.5 and velocities between 0.90c and 0.995c. Comparing the times when some jets go unstable to these initial parameters allow us to find a threshold where radio-loud AGNs transition from class II to class I. With these high resolution fully 3D relativistic simulations we can represent the jets more accurately and thus improve upon and refine earlier results that were based on 2D simulations.

Pinpointing the base of the AGN jets through general relativistic X-ray reverberation studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Emmanoulopoulos, D.

2015-03-01

Many theoretical models of Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) predict that the X-ray corona, lying above the black hole, constitutes the base of the X-ray jet. Thus, by studying the exact geometry of the close black hole environment, we can pinpoint the launching site of the jet. Detection of negative X-ray reverberation time delays (i.e. soft band X-ray variations lagging behind the corresponding hard band X-ray variations) can yield significant information about the geometrical properties of the AGN, such as the location of the X-ray source, as well as the physical properties of the the black hole, such as its mass and spin. In the frame-work of the lamp-post geometry, I present the first systematic X-ray time-lag modelling results of an ensemble of 12 AGN, using a fully general relativistic (GR) ray tracing approach for the estimation of the systems' response functions. By combing these state-of-the art GR response models with statistically innovative fitting routines, I derive the geometrical layout of the close BH environment for each source, unveiling the position of the AGN jet-base.

How to model AGN feedback in cosmological simulations?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sijacki, Debora

2015-08-01

Hydrodynamical cosmological simulations are one of the most powerful tools to study the formation and evolution of galaxies in the fully non-linear regime. Despite several recent successes in simulating Milky Way look-alikes, self-consistent, ab-initio models are still a long way off. In this talk I will review numerical and physical uncertainties plaguing current state-of-the-art cosmological simulations of galaxy formation. I will then discuss which feedback mechanisms are needed to reproduce realistic stellar masses and galaxy morphologies in the present day Universe and argue that the black hole feedback is necessary for the quenching of massive galaxies. I will then demonstrate how black hole - host galaxy scaling relations depend on galaxy morphology and colour, highlighting the implications for the co-evolutionary picture between galaxies and their central black holes. In the second part of the talk I will present a novel method that permits to resolve gas flows around black holes all the way from large cosmological scales to the Bondi radii of black holes themselves. I will demonstrate that with this new numerical technique it is possible to estimate much more accurately gas properties in the vicinity of black holes than has been feasible before in galaxy and cosmological simulations, allowing to track reliably gas angular momentum transport from Mpc to pc scales. Finally, I will also discuss if AGN-driven outflows are more likely to be energy- or momentum-driven and what implications this has for the redshift evolution of black hole - host galaxy scaling relations.

Linear Polarization Properties of Parsec-Scale AGN Jets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pushkarev, Alexander; Kovalev, Yuri; Lister, Matthew; Savolainen, Tuomas; Aller, Margo; Aller, Hugh; Hodge, Mary

2017-12-01

We used 15 GHz multi-epoch Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) polarization sensitive observations of 484 sources within a time interval 1996--2016 from the MOJAVE program, and also from the NRAO data archive. We have analyzed the linear polarization characteristics of the compact core features and regions downstream, and their changes along and across the parsec-scale active galactic nuclei (AGN) jets. We detected a significant increase of fractional polarization with distance from the radio core along the jet as well as towards the jet edges. Compared to quasars, BL Lacs have a higher degree of polarization and exhibit more stable electric vector position angles (EVPAs) in their core features and a better alignment of the EVPAs with the local jet direction. The latter is accompanied by a higher degree of linear polarization, suggesting that compact bright jet features might be strong transverse shocks, which enhance magnetic field regularity by compression.

Baldwin Effect and Additional BLR Component in AGN with Superluminal Jets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Patiño Álvarez, Víctor; Torrealba, Janet; Chavushyan, Vahram; Cruz González, Irene; Arshakian, Tigran; León Tavares, Jonathan; Popovic, Luka

2016-06-01

We study the Baldwin Effect (BE) in 96 core-jet blazars with optical and ultraviolet spectroscopic data from a radio-loud AGN sample obtained from the MOJAVE 2cm survey. A statistical analysis is presented of the equivalent widths W_lambda of emission lines H beta 4861, Mg II 2798, C IV 1549, and continuum luminosities at 5100, 3000, and 1350 angstroms. The BE is found statistically significant (with confidence level c.l. > 95%) in H beta and C IV emission lines, while for Mg II the trend is slightly less significant (c.l. = 94.5%). The slopes of the BE in the studied samples for H beta and Mg II are found steeper and with statistically significant difference than those of a comparison radio-quiet sample. We present simulations of the expected BE slopes produced by the contribution to the total continuum of the non-thermal boosted emission from the relativistic jet, and by variability of the continuum components. We find that the slopes of the BE between radio-quiet and radio-loud AGN should not be different, under the assumption that the broad line is only being emitted by the canonical broad line region around the black hole. We discuss that the BE slope steepening in radio AGN is due to a jet associated broad-line region.

Radio-loud AGN Variability from Propagating Relativistic Jets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Yutong; Schuh, Terance; Wiita, Paul J.

2018-06-01

The great majority of variable emission in radio-loud AGNs is understood to arise from the relativistic flows of plasma along two oppositely directed jets. We study this process using the Athena hydrodynamics code to simulate propagating three-dimensional relativistic jets for a wide range of input jet velocities and jet-to-ambient matter density ratios. We then focus on those simulations that remain essentially stable for extended distances (60-120 times the jet radius). Adopting results for the densities, pressures and velocities from these propagating simulations we estimate emissivities from each cell. The observed emissivity from each cell is strongly dependent upon its variable Doppler boosting factor, which depends upon the changing bulk velocities in those zones with respect to our viewing angle to the jet. We then sum the approximations to the fluxes from a large number of zones upstream of the primary reconfinement shock. The light curves so produced are similar to those of blazars, although turbulence on sub-grid scales is likely to be important for the variability on the shortest timescales.

Quantifying the AGN-driven outflows in ULIRGs (QUADROS) II: evidence for compact outflow regions from HST [OIII] imaging observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tadhunter, C.; Zaurín, J. Rodríguez; Rose, M.; Spence, R. A. W.; Batcheldor, D.; Berg, M. A.; Ramos Almeida, C.; Spoon, H. W. W.; Sparks, W.; Chiaberge, M.

2018-05-01

The true importance of the warm, AGN-driven outflows for the evolution of galaxies remains uncertain. Measurements of the radial extents of the outflows are key for quantifying their masses and kinetic powers, and also establishing whether the AGN outflows are galaxy-wide. Therefore, as part of a larger project to investigate the significance of warm, AGN-driven outflows in the most rapidly evolving galaxies in the local universe, here we present deep Hubble Space Telescope (HST) narrow-band [OIII]λ5007 observations of a complete sample of 8 nearby ULIRGs with optical AGN nuclei. Combined with the complementary information provided by our ground-based spectroscopy, the HST images show that the warm gas outflows are relatively compact for most of the objects in the sample: in three objects the outflow regions are barely resolved at the resolution of HST (0.065 < R[OIII] < 0.12 kpc); in a further four cases the outflows are spatially resolved but with flux weighted mean radii in the range 0.65 < R[OIII] < 1.2 kpc; and in only one object (Mrk273) is there clear evidence for a more extended outflow, with a maximum extent of R[OIII] ˜ 5 kpc. Overall, our observations show little evidence for the galaxy-wide outflows predicted by some models of AGN feedback.

Red Geyser: A New Class of Galaxy with Large-scale AGN-driven Winds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roy, Namrata; Bundy, Kevin; Cheung, Edmond; MaNGA Team

2018-01-01

A new class of quiescent (non-star-forming) galaxies harboring possible AGN-driven winds have been discovered using the spatially resolved optical spectroscopy from the ongoing SDSS-IV MaNGA (Sloan Digital Sky Survey-IV Mapping Nearby Galaxies at Apache Point Observatory) survey. These galaxies named "red geysers" constitute 5%-10% of the local quiescent galaxy population and are characterized by narrow bisymmetric ionized gas emission patterns. These enhanced patterns are seen in equivalent width maps of Hα, [OIII] and other strong emission lines. They are co-aligned with the ionized gas velocity gradients but significantly misaligned with stellar velocity gradients. They also show very high gas velocity dispersions (~200 km/s). Considering these observations in light of models of the gravitational potential, Cheung et al. argued that red geysers host large-scale AGN-driven winds of ionized gas that may play a role in suppressing star formation at late times. In this work, we test the hypothesis that AGN activity is ultimately responsible for the red geyser phenomenon. We compare the nuclear radio activity of the red geysers to a matched control sample of galaxies of similar stellar mass, redshift, rest frame NUV–r color and axis ratio. and additionally, control for the presence of ionized gas. We have used 1.4 GHz radio continuum data from the VLA FIRST Survey to stack the radio flux from the red geyser sample and control sample. We find that the red geysers have a higher average radio flux than the control galaxies at > 3σ significance. Our sample is restricted to rest-frame NUV–r color > 5, thus ruling out possible radio emission due to star formation activity. We conclude that red geysers are associated with more active AGN, supporting a feedback picture in which episodic AGN activity drives large-scale but relatively weak ionized winds in many in many early-type galaxies.

Dissecting the Butterfly: Dual Outflows in the Dual AGN NGC 6240

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mueller Sanchez, Francisco; Comerford, Julie; Nevin, Rebecca; Davies, Richard; Treister, Ezequiel; Privon, George

2018-01-01

Current theories of galaxy evolution invoke some kind of feedback (from the stars or the supermassive black hole) to explain the properties of galaxies. However, numerical simulations and observations have not been able to evaluate the real impact of feedback in galaxies. This is largely because most studies have focused on studying stellar feedback or AGN feedback alone, instead of considering the combined effect of both. In fact, this is an unexplored territory for observations due to the difficulty of separating the contribution from the two sources.In this contribution I present the discovery of a dual outflow of different species of gas in the prototypical merging galaxy NGC 6240 using HST imaging, long-slit and integral-eld spectroscopy: an AGN-driven outflow of highly-ionized gas to the northeast and a starburst-driven outflow of ionized hydrogen to the northwest. The AGN outflow extends up to 4 kpc along a position angle of 56 degrees, has a conical shape with an opening angle of 52 degrees and a maximum line-of-sight velocity of 350 km/s. The WFC3 images also reveal a bubble of Halpha emission in the northwest, which has no counterpart in [O III], consistent with a scenario in which the starburst is ionizing and driving outflowing winds which inflate the bubble at an expansion velocity of 380 km/s. Assuming a spherical geometry for the starburst-driven bubble and a conical geometry for the AGN-driven outflow, we estimate mass outflow rates of 26 Msun/yr and 62 Msun/yr, respectively. We conclude that the AGN contribution to the evolution of the merger remnant and the formation of outflowing winds is signicant in the central 5 kpc of NGC 6240.

The effect of AGN feedback on the X-ray morphologies of clusters: Simulations vs. observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chon, Gayoung; Puchwein, Ewald; Böhringer, Hans

2016-07-01

Clusters of galaxies probe the large-scale distribution of matter and are a useful tool to test the cosmological models by constraining cosmic structure growth and the expansion of the Universe. It is the scaling relations between mass observables and the true mass of a cluster through which we obtain the cosmological constraints by comparing to theoretical cluster mass functions. These scaling relations are, however, heavily influenced by cluster morphology. The presence of the slight tension in recent cosmological constraints on Ωm and σ8 based on the CMB and clusters has boosted the interests in looking for possible sources for the discrepancy. Therefore we study here the effect of active galactic nucleus (AGN) feedback as one of the major mechanisms modifying the cluster morphology influencing scaling relations. It is known that AGN feedback injects energies up to 1062 erg into the intracluster medium, controls the heating and cooling of a cluster, and re-distributes cold gas from the centre to outer radii. We have also learned that cluster simulations with AGN feedback can reproduce observed cluster properties, for example, the X-ray luminosity, temperature, and cooling rate at the centre better than without the AGN feedback. In this paper using cosmological hydrodynamical simulations we investigate how the AGN feedback changes the X-ray morphology of the simulated systems, and compare this to the observed Representative XMM-Newton Cluster Structure Survey (REXCESS) clusters. We apply two substructure measures, centre shifts (w) and power ratios (e.g. P3/P0), to characterise the cluster morphology, and find that our simulated clusters are more substructured than the observed clusters based on the values of w and P3/P0. We also show that the degree of this discrepancy is affected by the inclusion of AGN feedback. While the clusters simulated with the AGN feedback are in much better agreement with the REXCESS LX-T relation, they are also more substructured

Large-scale outflows in luminous QSOs revisited. The impact of beam smearing on AGN feedback efficiencies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Husemann, B.; Scharwächter, J.; Bennert, V. N.; Mainieri, V.; Woo, J.-H.; Kakkad, D.

2016-10-01

Context. Feedback from active galactic nuclei (AGN) is thought to play an important role in quenching star formation in galaxies. However, the efficiency with which AGN dissipate their radiative energy into the ambient medium remains strongly debated. Aims: Enormous observational efforts have been made to constrain the energetics of AGN feedback by mapping the kinematics of the ionized gas on kpc scale. We study how the observed kinematics and inferred energetics are affected by beam smearing of a bright unresolved narrow-line region (NLR) due to seeing. Methods: We re-analyse optical integral-field spectroscopy of a sample of twelve luminous unobscured quasi-stellar objects (QSOs) (0.4 AGN luminosity. This is smaller than the 5-10% feedback efficiency required by some cosmological simulations to reproduce the massive galaxy population. The injected momentum fluxes are close or below the simple radiation-pressure limit Lbol/c for the conical outflow model for the NLR and ENLR

Identifying the subtle signatures of feedback from distant AGN using ALMA observations and the EAGLE hydrodynamical simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scholtz, J.; Alexander, D. M.; Harrison, C. M.; Rosario, D. J.; McAlpine, S.; Mullaney, J. R.; Stanley, F.; Simpson, J.; Theuns, T.; Bower, R. G.; Hickox, R. C.; Santini, P.; Swinbank, A. M.

2018-03-01

We present sensitive 870 μm continuum measurements from our ALMA programmes of 114 X-ray selected active galactic nuclei (AGN) in the Chandra Deep Field-South and Cosmic Evolution Survey fields. We use these observations in combination with data from Spitzer and Herschel to construct a sample of 86 X-ray selected AGN, 63 with ALMA constraints at z = 1.5-3.2 with stellar mass >2 × 1010 M⊙. We constructed broad-band spectral energy distributions in the infrared band (8-1000 μm) and constrain star-formation rates (SFRs) uncontaminated by the AGN. Using a hierarchical Bayesian method that takes into account the information from upper limits, we fit SFR and specific SFR (sSFR) distributions. We explore these distributions as a function of both X-ray luminosity and stellar mass. We compare our measurements to two versions of the Evolution and Assembly of GaLaxies and their Environments (EAGLE) hydrodynamical simulations: the reference model with AGN feedback and the model without AGN. We find good agreement between the observations and that predicted by the EAGLE reference model for the modes and widths of the sSFR distributions as a function of both X-ray luminosity and stellar mass; however, we found that the EAGLE model without AGN feedback predicts a significantly narrower width when compared to the data. Overall, from the combination of the observations with the model predictions, we conclude that (1) even with AGN feedback, we expect no strong relationship between the sSFR distribution parameters and instantaneous AGN luminosity and (2) a signature of AGN feedback is a broad distribution of sSFRs for all galaxies (not just those hosting an AGN) with stellar masses above ≈1010 M⊙.

Massive Molecular Outflows and Evidence for AGN Feedback from CO Observations

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-01-01

19 J. J. Thomson Avenue, Cambridge CB3 0HE, UK e-mail: c.cicone@mrao.cam.ac.uk 2 Kavli Institute for Cosmology , University of Cambridge, Madingley...about 25 arcsec from the galactic centre (corresponding to 1.6 kpc with the cosmology adopted in this paper). The CO(1–0) integrated flux in this com...power of the molecular outflow as a function of AGN luminosity. Theoretical models of AGN feedback and cosmological simulations predict a coupling effi

Broad-band, radio spectro-polarimetric study of 100 radiative-mode and jet-mode AGN

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

O'Sullivan, S. P.; Purcell, C. R.; Anderson, C. S.; Farnes, J. S.; Sun, X. H.; Gaensler, B. M.

2017-08-01

We present the results from a broad-band (1 to 3 GHz), spectro-polarimetry study of the integrated emission from 100 extragalactic radio sources with the Australia Telescope Compact Array, selected to be highly linearly polarized at 1.4 GHz. We use a general-purpose, polarization model-fitting procedure that describes the Faraday rotation measure (RM) and intrinsic polarization structure of up to three distinct polarized emission regions or `RM components' of a source. Overall, 37 per cent/52 per cent/11 per cent of sources are best fitted by one/two/three RM components. However, these fractions are dependent on the signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) in polarization (more RM components more likely at higher S/N). In general, our analysis shows that sources with high integrated degrees of polarization at 1.4 GHz have low Faraday depolarization, are typically dominated by a single RM component, have a steep spectral index and have a high intrinsic degree of polarization. After classifying our sample into radiative-mode and jet-mode AGN, we find no significant difference between the Faraday rotation or Faraday depolarization properties of jet-mode and radiative-mode AGN. However, there is a statistically significant difference in the intrinsic degree of polarization between the two types, with the jet-mode sources having more intrinsically ordered magnetic field structures than the radiative-mode sources. We also find a preferred perpendicular orientation of the intrinsic magnetic field structure of jet-mode AGN with respect to the jet direction, while no clear preference is found for the radiative-mode sources.

Ultra-fast outflows (aka UFOs) in AGNs and their relevance for feedback

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cappi, Massimo; Tombesi, F.; Giustini, M.; Dadina, M.; Braito, V.; Kaastra, J.; Reeves, J.; Chartas, G.; Gaspari, M.; Vignali, C.; Gofford, J.; Lanzuisi, G.

2012-09-01

During the last decade, several observational evidences have been accumulated for the existence of massive, high velocity winds/outflows (aka UFOs) in nearby AGNs and, possibly, distant quasars. I will review here such evidences, present some of the latest results in this field, and discuss the relevance of UFOs for both understanding the physics of accretion/ejection flows on supermassive black holes, and for quantifying the amount of AGN feedback.

Active Galactic Nucleus Feedback in an Elliptical Galaxy with the Most Updated AGN Physics. I. Low Angular Momentum Case

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yuan, Feng; Yoon, DooSoo; Li, Ya-Ping; Gan, Zhao-Ming; Ho, Luis C.; Guo, Fulai

2018-04-01

We investigate the effects of AGN feedback on the cosmological evolution of an isolated elliptical galaxy by performing two-dimensional high-resolution hydrodynamical numerical simulations. The inner boundary of the simulation is chosen so that the Bondi radius is resolved. Compared to previous works, the two accretion modes—namely, hot and cold, which correspond to different accretion rates and have different radiation and wind outputs—are carefully discriminated, and the feedback effects by radiation and wind in each mode are taken into account. The most updated AGN physics, including the descriptions of radiation and wind from the hot accretion flows and wind from cold accretion disks, are adopted. Physical processes like star formation and SNe Ia and II are taken into account. We study the AGN light curve, typical AGN lifetime, growth of the black hole mass, AGN duty cycle, star formation, and X-ray surface brightness of the galaxy. We compare our simulation results with observations and find general consistency. Comparisons with previous simulation works find significant differences, indicating the importance of AGN physics. The respective roles of radiation and wind feedback are examined, and it is found that they are different for different problems of interest, such as AGN luminosity and star formation. We find that it is hard to neglect any of them, so we suggest using the names “cold feedback mode” and “hot feedback mode” to replace the currently used ones.

The combined effect of AGN and supernovae feedback in launching massive molecular outflows in high-redshift galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Biernacki, Pawel; Teyssier, Romain

2018-04-01

We have recently improved our model of active galactic nucleus (AGN) by attaching the supermassive black hole (SMBH) to a massive nuclear star cluster (NSC). Here, we study the effects of this new model in massive, gas-rich galaxies with several simulations of different feedback recipes with the hydrodynamics code RAMSES. These simulations are compared to a reference simulation without any feedback, in which the cooling halo gas is quickly consumed in a burst of star formation. In the presence of strong supernovae (SN) feedback, we observe the formation of a galactic fountain that regulates star formation over a longer period, but without halting it. If only AGN feedback is considered, as soon as the SMBH reaches a critical mass, strong outflows of hot gas are launched and prevent the cooling halo gas from reaching the disc, thus efficiently halting star formation, leading to the so-called `quenching'. If both feedback mechanisms act in tandem, we observe a non-linear coupling, in the sense that the dense gas in the supernovae-powered galactic fountain is propelled by the hot outflow powered by the AGN at much larger radii than without AGN. We argue that these particular outflows are able to unbind dense gas from the galactic halo, thanks to the combined effect of SN and AGN feedback. We speculate that this mechanism occurs at the end of the fast growing phase of SMBH, and is at the origin of the dense molecular outflows observed in many massive high-redshift galaxies.

Unveiling the AGN in IC 883: discovery of a parsec-scale radio jet

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Romero-Cañizales, C.; Alberdi, A.; Ricci, C.; Arévalo, P.; Pérez-Torres, M. Á.; Conway, J. E.; Beswick, R. J.; Bondi, M.; Muxlow, T. W. B.; Argo, M. K.; Bauer, F. E.; Efstathiou, A.; Herrero-Illana, R.; Mattila, S.; Ryder, S. D.

2017-05-01

IC 883 is a luminous infrared galaxy (LIRG) classified as a starburst-active galactic nucleus (AGN) composite. In a previous study, we detected a low-luminosity AGN (LLAGN) radio candidate. Here, we report on our radio follow-up at three frequencies that provides direct and unequivocal evidence of the AGN activity in IC 883. Our analysis of archival X-ray data, together with the detection of a transient radio source with luminosity typical of bright supernovae, gives further evidence of the ongoing star formation activity, which dominates the energetics of the system. At sub-parsec scales, the radio nucleus has a core-jet morphology with the jet being a newly ejected component showing a subluminal proper motion of 0.6-1 c. The AGN contributes less than 2 per cent of the total IR luminosity of the system. The corresponding Eddington factor is ˜10-3, suggesting this is a low-accretion rate engine, as often found in LLAGNs. However, its high bolometric luminosity (˜1044 erg s-1) agrees better with a normal AGN. This apparent discrepancy may just be an indication of the transition nature of the nucleus from a system dominated by star formation, to an AGN-dominated system. The nucleus has a strongly inverted spectrum and a turnover at ˜4.4 GHz, thus qualifying as a candidate for the least luminous (L5.0 GHz ˜ 6.3 × 1028 erg s-1 Hz-1) and one of the youngest (˜3 × 103 yr) gigahertz-peaked spectrum (GPS) sources. If the GPS origin for the IC 883 nucleus is confirmed, then advanced mergers in the LIRG category are potentially key environments to unveil the evolution of GPS sources into more powerful radio galaxies.

Jet launching radius in low-power radio-loud AGNs in advection-dominated accretion flows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Le, Truong; Newman, William; Edge, Brinkley

2018-06-01

Using our theory for the production of relativistic outflows, we estimate the jet launching radius and the inferred mass accretion rate for 52 low-power radio-loud AGNs based on the observed jet powers. Our analysis indicates that (1) a significant fraction of the accreted energy is required to convert the accreted mass to relativistic energy particles for the production of the jets near the event horizon, (2) the jet's launching radius moves radially towards the horizon as the mass accretion rate or jet's power increases, and (3) no jet/outflow formation is possible beyond 44 gravitational radii.

AGN Outflow Shocks on Bonnor–Ebert Spheres

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dugan, Zachary; Silk, Joseph; Rahman, Mubdi

Feedback from active galactic nuclei (AGNs) and subsequent jet cocoons and outflow bubbles can have a significant impact on star formation in the host galaxy. To investigate feedback physics on small scales, we perform hydrodynamic simulations of realistically fast AGN winds striking Bonnor–Ebert spheres and examine gravitational collapse and ablation. We test AGN wind velocities ranging from 300 to 3000 km s{sup −1} and wind densities ranging from 0.5 to 10 m {sub p} cm{sup −3}. We include heating and cooling of low- and high-temperature gas, self-gravity, and spatially correlated perturbations in the shock, with a maximum resolution of 0.01more » pc. We find that the ram pressure is the most important factor that determines the fate of the cloud. High ram pressure winds increase fragmentation and decrease the star formation rate, but they also cause star formation to occur on a much shorter timescale and with increased velocities of the newly formed stars. We find a threshold ram pressure of ∼2 × 10{sup −8} dyn cm{sup −2} above which stars are not formed because the resulting clumps have internal velocities large enough to prevent collapse. Our results indicate that simultaneous positive and negative feedback will be possible in a single galaxy, as AGN wind parameters will vary with location within a galaxy.« less

AGN jets under the microscope: A divide? Doctoral Thesis Award Lecture 2011

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karouzos, M.; Britzen, S.; Witzel, A.; Zensus, A. J.; Eckart, A.

2012-06-01

A new paradigm for active galactic jet kinematics has emerged through detailed investigations of BL Lac objects using very long baseline radio interferometry. In this new scheme, most, if not all, jet components appear to remain stationary with respect to the core but show significant non-radial motions. This paper presents results from our kinematic investigation of the jets of a statistically complete sample of radio-loud flat-spectrum active galaxies, focusing on the comparison between the jet kinematic properties of BL Lacs and flat-spectrum radio-quasars. It is shown that there is a statistically significant difference between the kinematics of the two AGN classes, with BL Lacs showing more bent jets, that are wider and show slower movement along the jet axis, compared to flat-spectrum radio-quasars. This is interpreted as evidence for helically structured jets.

Parsec-Scale Kinematic and Polarization Properties of MOJAVE AGN Jets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lister, Matthew L.

2013-12-01

We describe the parsec-scale kinematics and statistical polarization properties of 200 AGN jets based on 15 GHz VLBA data obtained between 1994 Aug 31 and 2011 May 1. Nearly all of the 60 most heavily observed jets show significant changes in their innermost position angle over a 12 to 16 year interval, ranging from 10° to 150° on the sky, corresponding to intrinsic variations of ~ 0.5° to ~ 2°. The BL Lac jets show smaller variations than quasars. Roughly half of the heavily observed jets show systematic position angle trends with time, and 20 show indications of oscillatory behavior. The time spans of the data sets are too short compared to the fitted periods (5 to 12 y), however, to reliably establish periodicity. The rapid changes and large jumps in position angle seen in many cases suggest that the superluminal AGN jet features occupy only a portion of the entire jet cross section, and may be energized portions of thin instability structures within the jet. We have derived vector proper motions for 887 moving features in 200 jets having at least five VLBA epochs. For 557 well-sampled features, there are sufficient data to additionally study possible accelerations. The moving features are generally non-ballistic, with 70% of the well-sampled features showing either significant accelerations or non-radial motions. Inward motions are rare (2% of all features), are slow (< 0.1 mas per y), are more prevalent in BL Lac jets, and are typically found within 1 mas of the unresolved core feature. There is a general trend of increasing apparent speed with distance down the jet for both radio galaxies and BL Lac objects. In most jets, the speeds of the features cluster around a characteristic value, yet there is a considerable dispersion in the distribution. Orientation variations within the jet cannot fully account for the dispersion, implying that the features have a range of Lorentz factor and/or pattern speed. Very slow pattern speed features are rare, comprising

Energetics of the molecular gas in the H2 luminous radio galaxy 3C 326: Evidence for negative AGN feedback

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nesvadba, N. P. H.; Boulanger, F.; Salomé, P.; Guillard, P.; Lehnert, M. D.; Ogle, P.; Appleton, P.; Falgarone, E.; Pineau Des Forets, G.

2010-10-01

We present a detailed analysis of the gas conditions in the H2 luminous radio galaxy 3C 326 N at z ~ 0.1, which has a low star-formation rate (SFR ~ 0.07 M⊙ yr-1) in spite of a gas surface density similar to those in starburst galaxies. Its star-formation efficiency is likely a factor ~10-50 lower than those of ordinary star-forming galaxies. Combining new IRAM CO emission-line interferometry with existing Spitzer mid-infrared spectroscopy, we find that the luminosity ratio of CO and pure rotational H2 line emission is factors 10-100 lower than what is usually found. This suggests that most of the molecular gas is warm. The Na D absorption-line profile of 3C 326 N in the optical suggests an outflow with a terminal velocity of ~-1800 km s-1 and a mass outflow rate of 30-40 M⊙ yr-1, which cannot be explained by star formation. The mechanical power implied by the wind, of order 1043 erg s-1, is comparable to the bolometric luminosity of the emission lines of ionized and molecular gas. To explain these observations, we propose a scenario where a small fraction of the mechanical energy of the radio jet is deposited in the interstellar medium of 3C 326 N, which powers the outflow, and the line emission through a mass, momentum and energy exchange between the different gas phases of the ISM. Dissipation times are of order 107-8 yrs, similar or greater than the typical jet lifetime. Small ratios of CO and PAH surface brightnesses in another 7 H2 luminous radio galaxies suggest that a similar form of AGN feedback could be lowering star-formation efficiencies in these galaxies in a similar way. The local demographics of radio-loud AGN suggests that secular gas cooling in massive early-type galaxies of ≥1011 M⊙ could generally be regulated through a fundamentally similar form of “maintenance-phase” AGN feedback. Based on observations carried out with the IRAM Plateau de Bure Interferometer.

A Spatially Resolved Investigation on the Influence of AGN and Star Formation in a Lensed Main-Sequence Galaxy at z = 2.39

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fischer, Travis; Rigby, Jane; Gladders, Michael; Sharon, Keren q.; Barrientos, L. Felipe; Bayliss, Matt; Dahle, Håkon; Florian, Michael; Johnson, Traci Lin; Wuyts, Eva

2018-01-01

We present rest-frame optical SINFONI integral field spectroscopy and rest-frame UV HST imaging of a lensed galaxy hosting an active galactic nucleus (AGN) at z = 2.39. Galactic wind feedback is widely acknowledged to play a critical role in the evolution of galaxies, however, the physical mechanisms involved and the relative importance of AGN and star formation as the main feedback drivers remain poorly understood. AGN-driven feedback has been evident in very luminous but rare quasars and radio galaxies, but observational evidence remains lacking for less extreme, “normal” star-forming galaxies. We report, for the first time at high redshift, spatially resolved velocity profiles and geometries of an AGN-driven outflow in a normal star-forming galaxy and spatial extents and morphologies of Lyα emission and stellar UV continuum. Analyzing these measurements in tandem, we determine the physical conditions, geometry, and excitation sources of the interstellar medium in a star-forming, AGN-hosting galaxy at cosmic noon.

AGN host galaxy mass function in COSMOS. Is AGN feedback responsible for the mass-quenching of galaxies?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bongiorno, A.; Schulze, A.; Merloni, A.; Zamorani, G.; Ilbert, O.; La Franca, F.; Peng, Y.; Piconcelli, E.; Mainieri, V.; Silverman, J. D.; Brusa, M.; Fiore, F.; Salvato, M.; Scoville, N.

2016-04-01

We investigate the role of supermassive black holes in the global context of galaxy evolution by measuring the host galaxy stellar mass function (HGMF) and the specific accretion rate, that is, λSAR, the distribution function (SARDF), up to z ~ 2.5 with ~1000 X-ray selected AGN from XMM-COSMOS. Using a maximum likelihood approach, we jointly fit the stellar mass function and specific accretion rate distribution function, with the X-ray luminosity function as an additional constraint. Our best-fit model characterizes the SARDF as a double power-law with mass-dependent but redshift-independent break, whose low λSAR slope flattens with increasing redshift while the normalization increases. This implies that for a given stellar mass, higher λSAR objects have a peak in their space density at earlier epoch than the lower λSAR objects, following and mimicking the well-known AGN cosmic downsizing as observed in the AGN luminosity function. The mass function of active galaxies is described by a Schechter function with an almost constant M∗⋆ and a low-mass slope α that flattens with redshift. Compared to the stellar mass function, we find that the HGMF has a similar shape and that up to log (M⋆/M⊙) ~ 11.5, the ratio of AGN host galaxies to star-forming galaxies is basically constant (~10%). Finally, the comparison of the AGN HGMF for different luminosity and specific accretion rate subclasses with a previously published phenomenological model prediction for the "transient" population, which are galaxies in the process of being mass-quenched, reveals that low-luminosity AGN do not appear to be able to contribute significantly to the quenching and that at least at high masses, that is, M⋆ > 1010.7 M⊙, feedback from luminous AGN (log Lbol ≳ 46 [erg/s]) may be responsible for the quenching of star formation in the host galaxy.

FOUR DUAL AGN CANDIDATES OBSERVED WITH THE VLBA

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gabányi, K. É.; Frey, S.; An, T.

According to hierarchical structure formation models, merging galaxies are expected to be seen in different stages of coalescence. However, there are currently no straightforward observational methods to either select or to confirm a large number of dual active galactic nucleus (AGN) candidates. Most attempts involve obtaining a better understanding of double-peaked narrow emission line sources, in order to distinguish the objects for which the emission lines originate from narrow-line kinematics or jet-driven outflows, from those which might harbor dual AGNs. We observed four such candidate sources with the Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA), at 1.5 GHz with a ∼10 masmore » angular resolution, for which the spectral profiles of AGN optical emission suggested the existence of dual AGNs. In SDSS J210449.13–000919.1 and SDSS J23044.82–093345.3 the radio structures are aligned with the optical emission features, thus the double-peaked emission lines might be the results of jet-driven outflows. In the third detected source SDSS J115523.74+150756.9, the radio structure is less extended and is oriented nearly perpendicular to the position angle derived from optical spectroscopy. The fourth source remained undetected with the VLBA, but it was imaged with the Very Large Array at arcsec resolution a few months before our observations, suggesting the existence of an extended radio structure. We did not detect two radio-emitting cores in any of the four sources, a convincing signature of duality.« less

Evidence for AGN feedback in low-mass galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Masters, Karen; Penny, Sam; Smethurst, Rebecca; Krawczyk, Coleman; Nichol, Bob; SDSS-IV MaNGA

2018-01-01

Despite being the dominant galaxy population by number in groups and clusters, the formation and quenching mechanism of dwarf galaxies remains unknown. We present evidence for AGN feedback in a subset of 69 quenched low-mass galaxies (M* less than 5e9 Msun, fainter than Mr = -19) selected from the first two years of the MaNGA survey. The majority (85 per cent) of these quenched galaxies appear to reside in a group environment. We find 6 galaxies in our sample that appear to have an active AGN that is preventing on-going star-formation; this is the first time such a feedback mechanism has been observed in this mass range. Interestingly, five of these six galaxies have an ionised gas component that is kinematically offset from their stellar component, suggesting the gas is either recently accreted or outflowing. We hypothesise these six galaxies are low-mass equivalents to the “red geysers” observed in more massive galaxies. Of the other 62 galaxies in the sample, we find 8 do appear to have some low-level, residual star formation, or emission from hot, evolved stars. The remaining galaxies in our sample have no detectable ionised gas emission throughout their structures, consistent with them being quenched. I will show that despite being the "simplest" galaxies in our current models of galaxy formation, these quenched dwarf galaxies are a diverse population.

Constraints on AGN feedback from its Sunyaev-Zel'dovich imprint on the cosmic background radiation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Soergel, Bjoern; Giannantonio, Tommaso; Efstathiou, George; Puchwein, Ewald; Sijacki, Debora

2017-06-01

We derive constraints on feedback by active galactic nuclei (AGN) by setting limits on their thermal Sunyaev-Zel'dovich (SZ) imprint on the cosmic microwave background. The amplitude of any SZ signature is small and degenerate with the poorly known sub-mm spectral energy distribution of the AGN host galaxy and other unresolved dusty sources along the line of sight. Here we break this degeneracy by combining microwave and sub-mm data from Planck with all-sky far-infrared maps from the AKARI satellite. We first test our measurement pipeline using the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) redMaPPer catalogue of galaxy clusters, finding a highly significant detection (>20σ) of the SZ effect together with correlated dust emission. We then constrain the SZ signal associated with spectroscopically confirmed quasi-stellar objects (QSOs) from SDSS data release 7 (DR7) and the Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey (BOSS) DR12. We obtain a low-significance (1.6σ) hint of an SZ signal, pointing towards a mean thermal energy of ≃5 × 1060 erg, lower than reported in some previous studies. A comparison of our results with high-resolution hydrodynamical simulations including AGN feedback suggests QSO host masses of M200c ˜ 4 × 1012 h-1 M⊙, but with a large uncertainty. Our analysis provides no conclusive evidence for an SZ signal specifically associated with AGN feedback.

Dynamically important magnetic fields near supermassive black holes in radio-loud AGN

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Savolainen, Tuomas; Zamaninasab, Mohammad; Clausen-Brown, Eric; Tchekhovskoy, Alexander

The powerful radio jets ejected from the vicinity of accreting supermassive black holes in active galactic nuclei are thought to be formed by magnetic forces. However, there is little observational evidence of the actual strength of the magnetic fields in the jet-launching region, and in the accretion disks, of AGN. We have collected from the literature jet magnetic field estimates determined by very long baseline interferometry observations of the opacity-driven core-shift effect for 76 blazars and radio galaxies. We show that the jet magnetic flux of these radio-loud AGN tightly correlates with their accretion disk luminosity -- over seven orders of magnitude in accretion power. Moreover, the estimated magnetic flux threading the black hole quantitatively agrees with the saturation value expected in the magnetically arrested disk scenario. This implies that black holes in many, if not most, of the radio-loud AGN are surrounded by accretion disks that have dynamically important magnetic fields. Such disks behave very differently from the standard model disks with sub-equipartition magnetic fields, which may have important consequences for attempts to interpret disk spectral energy distributions or signatures of the possible black hole shadow in mm-VLBI images.

Evidence for Helical Magnetic fields in Kiloparsec-Scale AGN Jets and the Action of a Cosmic Battery

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gabuzda, D. C.; Christodoulou, D. M.; Contopulos, I.; Kazanas, D.

2012-01-01

A search for transverse kiloparsec-scale gradients in Faraday rotation-measure (RM) maps of extragalactic radio sources in the literature has yielded 6 AGNs displaying continuous, monotonic RM gradients across their jets, oriented roughly orthogonal to the local jet direction. The most natural interpretation of such transverse RM gradients is that they are caused by the systematic change in the line-of-sight components of helical magnetic fields associated with these jets. All the identified transverse RM gradients increase in the counterclockwise (CCW) direction on the sky relative to the centers of these AGNs. Taken together with the results of Contopoulos et al. who found evidence for a predominance of clockwise (CW) transverse RM gradients across parsec-scale (VLBI) jets, this provides new evidence for preferred orientations of RM gradients due to helical jet magnetic fields, with a reversal from CW in the inner jets to CCW farther from the centers of activity. This can be explained by the "Poynting-Robertson cosmic-battery" mechanism, which can generate helical magnetic fields with a. characteristic "twist," which are expelled with the jet outflows. If the Poynting-Robertson battery mechanism is not operating, an alternative mechanism must be identified, which is able to explain the 'predominance of CW /CCW RM gradients on parsec/kiloparsec scales.

DISCOVERY OF A PSEUDOBULGE GALAXY LAUNCHING POWERFUL RELATIVISTIC JETS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kotilainen, Jari K.; Olguín-Iglesias, Alejandro; León-Tavares, Jonathan

Supermassive black holes launching plasma jets at close to the speed of light, producing gamma-rays, have ubiquitously been found to be hosted by massive elliptical galaxies. Since elliptical galaxies are generally believed to be built through galaxy mergers, active galactic nuclei (AGN) launching relativistic jets are associated with the latest stages of galaxy evolution. We have discovered a pseudobulge morphology in the host galaxy of the gamma-ray AGN PKS 2004-447. This is the first gamma-ray emitter radio-loud AGN found to have been launched from a system where both the black hole and host galaxy have been actively growing via secularmore » processes. This is evidence of an alternative black hole–galaxy co-evolutionary path to develop powerful relativistic jets, which is not merger driven.« less

How Supermassive Black Hole Feedback Might Work

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Donahue, Megan

2017-01-01

How black holes regulate their own growth and the growth of their host galaxy is an unsolved problem in galaxy evolution. The problem is particularly acute in the centers of clusters of galaxies, where the largest and most massive galaxies in the universe are found. That is, coincidentally, also where the interaction between the black hole and the surrounding gas is the easiest to study because the gas is sufficiently hot and dense to emit X-rays. The massive central galaxies of clusters of galaxies (BCGs) exhibit striking patterns in their relationships between star formation, radio AGN activity, and the thermodynamic state of the hot, X-ray emitting intracluster gas (ICM) surrounding the galaxies. The AGN jets excavate giant, kpc-scale cavities in the hot gas, in principle, supplying enough heat to the ICM to replace energy lost to radiative cooling. Simulations suggest (by elimination) that AGN feedback must be required to explain the luminosity and colors of these galaxies, but cosmological simulations still struggle with modeling how AGN feedback works in detail. In clusters of galaxies with active AGN and star-forming BCGs, the AGN somehow regulates the gaseous atmosphere to be marginally critical, with a ratio of the cooling time to the free fall time of ~ 5-20. This behavior is also seen in elliptical galaxies, where the feedback is mostly coming from stars. I will discuss the observations that motivated this model. The precipitation model in BCGs is a class of models known as "preventative" feedback, regulated by jets in BCGs. Further, the complex behaviour seen in recent idealized simulations seem to follow emergent patterns predicted by this model, while reproducing the scatter and the time scales inferred from the observations. The link between the thermal instabilities and the depth of the gravitational potential may explain scaling laws such as the black hole mass-velocity dispersion relation, the galaxy mass-metallicity relation and the baryonic

Smashing a Jet into a Cloud to Form Stars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kohler, Susanna

2017-12-01

What happens when the highly energetic jet from the center of an active galaxy rams into surrounding clouds of gas and dust? A new study explores whether this might be a way to form stars.The authors simulations at an intermediate (top) and final (bottom) stage show the compression in the gas cloud as a jet (red) enters from the left. Undisturbed cloud material is shown in blue, whereas green corresponds to cold, compressed gas actively forming stars. [Fragile et al. 2017]Impacts of FeedbackCorrelation between properties of supermassive black holes and their host galaxies suggest that there is some means of communication between them. For this reason, we suspect that feedback from an active galactic nucleus (AGN) in the form of jets, for instance controls the size of the galaxy by influencing star formation. But how does this process work?AGN feedback can be either negative or positive. In negative feedback, the gas necessary for forming stars is heated or dispersed by the jet, curbing or halting star formation. In positive feedback, jets propagate through the surrounding gas with energies high enough to create compression in the gas, but not so high that they heat it. The increased density can cause the gas to collapse, thereby triggering star formation.In a recent study, a team of scientists led by Chris Fragile (College of Charleston) modeled what happens when an enormous AGN jet slams into a dwarf-galaxy-sized, inactive cloud of gas. In particular, the team explored the possibility of star-forming positive feedback with the goal of reproducing recent observations of something called Minkowskis Object, a stellar nursery located at the endpoint of a radio jet emitted from the active galaxy NGC 541.The star formation rate in the simulated cloud increases dramatically as a result of the jets impact, reaching the rate currently observed for Minkowskis Objects within 20 million years. [Fragile et al. 2017]Triggering Stellar BirthFragile and collaborators used a

The Disk-Jet Connection in Radio-Loud AGN: The X-Ray Perspective

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sambruna, Rita

2008-01-01

Unification schemes assume that radio-loud active galactic nuclei (AGN) contain an accretion disk and a relativistic jet perpendicular to the disk, and an obscuring molecular torus. The jet dominance decreases with larger viewing angles from blazars to Broad-Line and Narrow-Line Radio Galaxies. A fundamental question is how accretion and ejecta are related. The X-rays provide a convenient window to study these issues, as they originate in the innermost nuclear regions and penetrate large obscuring columns. I review the data, using observations by Chandra but also from other currently operating high-energy experiments. Synergy with the upcoming GLAST mission will also be highlighted.

X-ray Evidence for Ultra-Fast Outflows in Local AGNs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tombesi, F.; Cappi, M.; Sambruna, R. M.; Reeves, J. N.; Reynolds, C. S.; Braito, V.; Dadina, M.

2012-08-01

X-ray evidence for ultra-fast outflows (UFOs) has been recently reported in a number of local AGNs through the detection of blue-shifted Fe XXV/XXVI absorption lines. We present the results of a comprehensive spectral analysis of a large sample of 42 local Seyferts and 5 Broad-Line Radio Galaxies (BLRGs) observed with XMM-Newton and Suzaku. We detect UFOs in ga 40% of the sources. Their outflow velocities are in the range ˜ 0.03-0.3c, with a mean value of ˜ 0.14c. The ionization is high, in the range logℰ ˜3-6rm erg s-1 cm, and also the associated column densities are large, in the interval ˜ 1022-1024rm cm-2. Overall, these results point to the presence of highly ionized and massive outflowing material in the innermost regions of AGNs. Their variability and location on sub-pc scales favor a direct association with accretion disk winds/outflows. This also suggests that UFOs may potentially play a significant role in the AGN cosmological feedback besides jets, and their study can provide important clues on the connection between accretion disks, winds, and jets.

Radio Properties of the BAT AGNs: the FIR-radio Relation, the Fundamental Plane, and the Main Sequence of Star Formation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, Krista Lynne; Mushotzky, Richard F.; Vogel, Stuart; Shimizu, Thomas T.; Miller, Neal

2016-12-01

We conducted 22 GHz 1″ JVLA imaging of 70 radio-quiet active galactic nuclei (AGNs) from the Swift-BAT survey. We find radio cores in all but three objects. The radio morphologies of the sample fall into three groups: compact and core-dominated, extended, and jet-like. We spatially decompose each image into core flux and extended flux, and compare the extended radio emission with that predicted from previous Herschel observations using the canonical FIR-radio relation. After removing the AGN contribution to the FIR and radio flux densities, we find that the relation holds remarkably well despite the potentially different star formation physics in the circumnuclear environment. We also compare our core radio flux densities with predictions of coronal models and scale-invariant jet models for the origin of radio emission in radio-quiet AGNs, and find general consistency with both models. However, we find that the L R/L X relation does not distinguish between star formation and non-relativistic AGN-driven outflows as the origin of radio emission in radio-quiet AGNs. Finally, we examine where objects with different radio morphologies fall in relation to the main sequence (MS) of star formation, and conclude that those AGNs that fall below the MS, as X-ray selected AGNs have been found to do, have core-dominated or jet-like 22 GHz morphologies.

AGN Unification at z ~ 1: u - R Colors and Gradients in X-Ray AGN Hosts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ammons, S. Mark; Rosario, David J. V.; Koo, David C.; Dutton, Aaron A.; Melbourne, Jason; Max, Claire E.; Mozena, Mark; Kocevski, Dale D.; McGrath, Elizabeth J.; Bouwens, Rychard J.; Magee, Daniel K.

2011-10-01

We present uncontaminated rest-frame u - R colors of 78 X-ray-selected active galactic nucleus (AGN) hosts at 0.5 < z < 1.5 in the Chandra Deep Fields measured with Hubble Space Telescope (HST)/Advanced Camera for Surveys/NICMOS and Very Large Telescope/ISAAC imaging. We also present spatially resolved NUV - R color gradients for a subsample of AGN hosts imaged by HST/Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3). Integrated, uncorrected photometry is not reliable for comparing the mean properties of soft and hard AGN host galaxies at z ~ 1 due to color contamination from point-source AGN emission. We use a cloning simulation to develop a calibration between concentration and this color contamination and use this to correct host galaxy colors. The mean u - R color of the unobscured/soft hosts beyond ~6 kpc is statistically equivalent to that of the obscured/hard hosts (the soft sources are 0.09 ± 0.16 mag bluer). Furthermore, the rest-frame V - J colors of the obscured and unobscured hosts beyond ~6 kpc are statistically equivalent, suggesting that the two populations have similar distributions of dust extinction. For the WFC3/infrared sample, the mean NUV - R color gradients of unobscured and obscured sources differ by less than ~0.5 mag for r > 1.1 kpc. These three observations imply that AGN obscuration is uncorrelated with the star formation rate beyond ~1 kpc. These observations favor a unification scenario for intermediate-luminosity AGNs in which obscuration is determined geometrically. Scenarios in which the majority of intermediate-luminosity AGNs at z ~ 1 are undergoing rapid, galaxy-wide quenching due to AGN-driven feedback processes are disfavored.

RADIO PROPERTIES OF THE BAT AGNs: THE FIR–RADIO RELATION, THE FUNDAMENTAL PLANE, AND THE MAIN SEQUENCE OF STAR FORMATION

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Smith, Krista Lynne; Mushotzky, Richard F.; Vogel, Stuart

We conducted 22 GHz 1″ JVLA imaging of 70 radio-quiet active galactic nuclei (AGNs) from the Swift -BAT survey. We find radio cores in all but three objects. The radio morphologies of the sample fall into three groups: compact and core-dominated, extended, and jet-like. We spatially decompose each image into core flux and extended flux, and compare the extended radio emission with that predicted from previous Herschel observations using the canonical FIR–radio relation. After removing the AGN contribution to the FIR and radio flux densities, we find that the relation holds remarkably well despite the potentially different star formation physics inmore » the circumnuclear environment. We also compare our core radio flux densities with predictions of coronal models and scale-invariant jet models for the origin of radio emission in radio-quiet AGNs, and find general consistency with both models. However, we find that the L {sub R}/ L {sub X} relation does not distinguish between star formation and non-relativistic AGN-driven outflows as the origin of radio emission in radio-quiet AGNs. Finally, we examine where objects with different radio morphologies fall in relation to the main sequence (MS) of star formation, and conclude that those AGNs that fall below the MS, as X-ray selected AGNs have been found to do, have core-dominated or jet-like 22 GHz morphologies.« less

A Compact Group of Galaxies at z = 2.48 Hosting an AGN-driven Outflow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shih, Hsin-Yi; Stockton, Alan

2015-12-01

We present observations of a remarkable compact group of galaxies at z = 2.48. Four galaxies, all within 40 kpc of each other, surround a powerful high-redshift radio source. This group comprises two compact red passive galaxies and a pair of merging galaxies. One of the red galaxies, with an apparent stellar mass of 3.6 × 1011M⊙ and an effective radius of 470 pc, is one of the most extreme examples of a massive quiescent compact galaxy found so far. One of the pair of merging galaxies hosts the active galactic nucleus (AGN) producing the large powerful radio structure. The merger is massive and enriched, consistent with the mass-metallicity relation expected at this redshift. Close to the merging nuclei, the emission lines exhibit broad and asymmetric profiles that suggest outflows powered either by a very young expanding radio jet or by AGN radiation. At ≳50 kpc from the system, we found a fainter extended-emission region that may be a part of a radio-jet-driven outflow. Some of the data presented herein were obtained at the W. M. Keck Observatory, which is operated as a scientific partnership among the California Institute of Technology, the University of California, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. The Observatory was made possible by the generous financial support of the W. M. Keck Foundation. The work is also based, in part, on data collected at the Subaru Telescope, which is operated by the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, and on observations obtained at the Gemini Observatory, which is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc., under a cooperative agreement with the NSF on behalf of the Gemini partnership: the National Science Foundation (United States), the National Research Council (Canada), CONICYT (Chile), the Australian Research Council (Australia), Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Inovação (Brazil), and Ministerio de Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación Productiva (Argentina).

The Magnetar Model of the Superluminous Supernova GAIA16apd and the Explosion Jet Feedback Mechanism

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Soker, Noam

2017-04-01

Under the assumption that jets explode core collapse supernovae (CCSNe) in a negative jet feedback mechanism (JFM), this paper shows that rapidly rotating neutron stars are likely to be formed when the explosion is very energetic. Under the assumption that an accretion disk or an accretion belt around the just-formed neutron star launch jets and that the accreted gas spins-up the just-formed neutron star, I derive a crude relation between the energy that is stored in the spinning neutron star and the explosion energy. This relation is (E NS-spin/E exp) ≈ E exp/1052 erg; It shows that within the frame of the JFM explosion model of CCSNe, spinning neutron stars, such as magnetars, might have significant energy in super-energetic explosions. The existence of magnetars, if confirmed, such as in the recent super-energetic supernova GAIA16apd, further supports the call for a paradigm shift from neutrino-driven to jet-driven CCSN mechanisms.

A VERY DEEP CHANDRA OBSERVATION OF THE GALAXY GROUP NGC 5813: AGN SHOCKS, FEEDBACK, AND OUTBURST HISTORY

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Randall, S. W.; Nulsen, P. E. J.; Jones, C.

2015-06-01

We present results from a very deep (650 ks) Chandra X-ray observation of the galaxy group NGC 5813, the deepest Chandra observation of a galaxy group to date. This system uniquely shows three pairs of collinear cavities, with each pair associated with an unambiguous active galactic nucleus (AGN) outburst shock front. The implied mean kinetic power is roughly the same for each outburst, demonstrating that the average AGN kinetic luminosity can remain stable over long timescales (∼50 Myr). The two older outbursts have larger, roughly equal total energies as compared with the youngest outburst, implying that the youngest outburst ismore » ongoing. We find that the gas radiative cooling rate and mean shock heating rate are well balanced at each shock front, suggesting that shock heating alone is sufficient to offset cooling and establish AGN/intracluster medium (ICM) feedback within at least the central 30 kpc. This heating takes place roughly isotropically and most strongly at small radii, as is required for feedback to operate. We suggest that shock heating may play a significant role in AGN feedback at smaller radii in other systems, where weak shocks are more difficult to detect. We find non-zero shock front widths that are too large to be explained by particle diffusion. Instead, all measured widths are consistent with shock broadening due to propagation through a turbulent ICM with a mean turbulent speed of ∼70 km s{sup −1}. Finally, we place lower limits on the temperature of any volume-filling thermal gas within the cavities that would balance the internal cavity pressure with the external ICM.« less

AGN UNIFICATION AT z {approx} 1: u - R COLORS AND GRADIENTS IN X-RAY AGN HOSTS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mark Ammons, S.; Rosario, David J. V.; Koo, David C., E-mail: ammons@as.arizona.edu, E-mail: rosario@ucolick.org, E-mail: koo@ucolick.org

2011-10-10

We present uncontaminated rest-frame u - R colors of 78 X-ray-selected active galactic nucleus (AGN) hosts at 0.5 < z < 1.5 in the Chandra Deep Fields measured with Hubble Space Telescope (HST)/Advanced Camera for Surveys/NICMOS and Very Large Telescope/ISAAC imaging. We also present spatially resolved NUV - R color gradients for a subsample of AGN hosts imaged by HST/Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3). Integrated, uncorrected photometry is not reliable for comparing the mean properties of soft and hard AGN host galaxies at z {approx} 1 due to color contamination from point-source AGN emission. We use a cloning simulation tomore » develop a calibration between concentration and this color contamination and use this to correct host galaxy colors. The mean u - R color of the unobscured/soft hosts beyond {approx}6 kpc is statistically equivalent to that of the obscured/hard hosts (the soft sources are 0.09 {+-} 0.16 mag bluer). Furthermore, the rest-frame V - J colors of the obscured and unobscured hosts beyond {approx}6 kpc are statistically equivalent, suggesting that the two populations have similar distributions of dust extinction. For the WFC3/infrared sample, the mean NUV - R color gradients of unobscured and obscured sources differ by less than {approx}0.5 mag for r > 1.1 kpc. These three observations imply that AGN obscuration is uncorrelated with the star formation rate beyond {approx}1 kpc. These observations favor a unification scenario for intermediate-luminosity AGNs in which obscuration is determined geometrically. Scenarios in which the majority of intermediate-luminosity AGNs at z {approx} 1 are undergoing rapid, galaxy-wide quenching due to AGN-driven feedback processes are disfavored.« less

Beyond Hydrodynamic Modeling of AGN Heating in Galaxy Clusters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Hsiang-Yi Karen

Clusters of galaxies hold a unique position in hierarchical structure formation - they are both powerful cosmological probes and excellent astrophysical laboratories. Accurate modeling of the cluster properties is crucial for reducing systematic uncertainties in cluster cosmology. However, theoretical modeling of the intracluster medium (ICM) has long suffered from the "cooling-flow problem" - clusters with short central times or cool cores (CCs) are predicted to host massive inflows of gas that are not observed. Feedback from active galactic nuclei (AGN) is by far the most promising heating mechanism to counteract radiative cooling. Recent hydrodynamic simulations have made remarkable progress reproducing properties of the CCs. However, there remain two major questions that cannot be probed using purely hydrodynamic models: (1) what are the roles of cosmic rays (CRs)? (2) how is the existing picture altered when the ICM is modeled as weakly collisional plasma? We propose to move beyond limitations of pure hydrodynamics and progress toward a complete understanding of how AGN jet-inflated bubbles interact with their surroundings and provide heat to the ICM. Our objectives include: (1) understand how CR-dominated bubbles heat the ICM; (2) understand bubble evolution and sound-wave dissipation in the ICM with different assumptions of plasma properties, e.g., collisionality of the ICM, with or without anisotropic transport processes; (3) Develop a subgrid model of AGN heating that can be adopted in cosmological simulations based on state-of-the-art isolated simulations. We will use a combination of analytical calculations and idealized simulations to advance our understanding of each individual physical process. We will then perform the first three-dimensional (3D) magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulations of self-regulated AGN feedback with relevant CR and anisotropic transport processes in order to quantify the amount and distribution of heating from the AGN. Our

Evidence for Merger-driven Growth in Luminous, High- z, Obscured AGNs in the CANDELS/COSMOS Field

DOE PAGES

Donley, J. L.; Kartaltepe, J.; Kocevski, D.; ...

2018-01-23

While major mergers have long been proposed as a driver of both active galactic nucleus (AGN) activity and themore » $${M}_{\\mathrm{BH}}\\mbox{--}{\\sigma }_{\\mathrm{bulge}}$$ relation, studies of moderate to high-redshift Seyfert-luminosity AGN hosts have found little evidence for enhanced rates of interactions. However, both theory and observation suggest that while these AGNs may be fueled by stochastic accretion and secular processes, high-luminosity, high-redshift, and heavily obscured AGNs are the AGNs most likely to be merger-driven. To better sample this population of AGNs, we turn to infrared selection in the CANDELS/COSMOS field. Compared to their lower-luminosity and less obscured X-ray-only counterparts, IR-only AGNs (luminous, heavily obscured AGNs) are more likely to be classified as either irregular ($${50}_{-12}^{+12} \\% $$ versus $${9}_{-2}^{+5} \\% $$) or asymmetric ($${69}_{-13}^{+9} \\% $$ versus $${17}_{-4}^{+6} \\% $$) and are less likely to have a spheroidal component ($${31}_{-9}^{+13} \\% $$ versus $${77}_{-6}^{+4} \\% $$). Furthermore, IR-only AGNs are also significantly more likely than X-ray-only AGNs ($${75}_{-13}^{+8} \\% $$ versus $${31}_{-6}^{+6} \\% $$) to be classified either as interacting or merging in a way that significantly disturbs the host galaxy or as disturbed, though not clearly interacting or merging, which potentially represents the late stages of a major merger. Finally, this suggests that while major mergers may not contribute significantly to the fueling of Seyfert-luminosity AGNs, interactions appear to play a more dominant role in the triggering and fueling of high-luminosity heavily obscured AGNs.« less

New Insights on the Accretion Disk-Winds Connection in Radio-Loud AGNs from Suzaku

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tombesi, F.; Sambruna, R. M.; Reeves, J. N.; Braito, V.; Cappi, M.; Reynolds, S.; Mushotzky, R. F.

2011-01-01

From the spectral analysis of long Suzaku observations of five radio-loud AGNs we have been able to discover the presence of ultra-fast outflows with velocities ,,approx.0.1 c in three of them, namely 3C III, 3C 120 and 3C 390.3. They are consistent with being accretion disk winds/outflows. We also performed a follow-up on 3C III to monitor its outflow on approx.7 days time-scales and detected an anti-correlated variability of a possible relativistic emission line with respect to blue-shifted Fe K features, following a flux increase. This provides the first direct evidence for an accretion disc-wind connection in an AGN. The mass outflow rate of these outflows can be comparable to the accretion rate and their mechanical power can correspond to a significant fraction of the bolometric luminosity and is comparable to their typical jet power. Therefore, they can possibly play a significant role in the expected feedback from AGNs and can give us further clues on the relation between the accretion disk and the formation of winds/jets.

The Keck OSIRIS Nearby AGN (KONA) Survey: AGN Fueling and Feedback

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hicks, Erin K. S.; Müller-Sánchez, Francisco; Malkan, Matthew A.; Yu, Po-Chieh

In an effort to better constrain the relevant physical processes dictating the co-evolution of supermassive black holes and the galaxies in which they reside we turn to local Seyfert AGN. It is only with these local AGN that we can reach the spatial resolution needed to adequately characterize the inflow and outflow mechanisms thought to be the driving forces in establishing the relationship between black holes and their host galaxies at higher redshift. We present the first results from the KONA (Keck OSIRIS Nearby AGN) survey, which takes advantage of the integral field unit OSIRIS plus laser and natural guide star adaptive optics to probe down to scales of 5-30 parsecs in a sample of 40 local Seyfert galaxies. With these K-band data we measure the two-dimensional distribution and kinematics of the nuclear stars, molecular gas, and ionized gas within the central few hundred parsecs.

Momentum-driven Winds from Radiatively Efficient Black Hole Accretion and Their Impact on Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brennan, Ryan; Choi, Ena; Somerville, Rachel S.; Hirschmann, Michaela; Naab, Thorsten; Ostriker, Jeremiah P.

2018-06-01

We explore the effect of momentum-driven winds representing radiation-pressure-driven outflows from accretion onto supermassive black holes in a set of numerical hydrodynamical simulations. We explore two matched sets of cosmological zoom-in runs of 24 halos with masses ∼1012.0–1013.4 M ⊙ run with two different feedback models. Our “NoAGN” model includes stellar feedback via UV heating, stellar winds and supernovae, photoelectric heating, and cosmic X-ray background heating from a metagalactic background. Our fiducial “MrAGN” model is identical except that it also includes a model for black hole seeding and accretion, as well as heating and momentum injection associated with the radiation from black hole accretion. Our MrAGN model launches galactic outflows, which result in both “ejective” feedback—the outflows themselves that drive gas out of galaxies—and “preventative” feedback, which suppresses the inflow of new and recycling gas. As much as 80% of outflowing galactic gas can be expelled, and accretion can be suppressed by as much as a factor of 30 in the MrAGN runs when compared with the NoAGN runs. The histories of NoAGN galaxies are recycling dominated, with ∼70% of material that leaves the galaxy eventually returning, and the majority of outflowing gas reaccretes on 1 Gyr timescales without AGN feedback. Outflowing gas in the MrAGN runs has a higher characteristic velocity (500–1000 km s‑1 versus 100–300 km s‑1 for outflowing NoAGN gas) and travels as far as a few megaparsecs. Only ∼10% of ejected material is reaccreted in the MrAGN galaxies.

MOJAVE. XV. VLBA 15 GHz Total Intensity and Polarization Maps of 437 Parsec-scale AGN Jets from 1996 to 2017

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lister, M. L.; Aller, M. F.; Aller, H. D.; Hodge, M. A.; Homan, D. C.; Kovalev, Y. Y.; Pushkarev, A. B.; Savolainen, T.

2018-01-01

We present 5321 mas-resolution total intensity and linear polarization maps of 437 active galactic nuclei (AGNs) obtained with the VLBA at 15 GHz as part of the MOJAVE survey, and also from the NRAO data archive. The former is a long-term program to study the structure and evolution of powerful parsec-scale outflows associated with AGNs. The targeted AGNs are drawn from several flux-limited radio and γ-ray samples, and all have correlated VLBA flux densities greater than ∼50 mJy at 15 GHz. Approximately 80% of these AGNs are associated with γ-ray sources detected by the Fermi LAT instrument. The vast majority were observed with the VLBA on 5–15 occasions between 1996 January 19 and 2016 December 26, at intervals ranging from a month to several years, with the most typical sampling interval being six months. A detailed analysis of the linear and circular polarization evolutions of these AGN jets is presented in the other papers in this series.

Unifying the Micro and Macro Properties of AGN Feeding and Feedback

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gaspari, Massimo; Sądowski, Aleksander

2017-03-01

We unify the feeding and feedback of supermassive black holes with the global properties of galaxies, groups, and clusters by linking for the first time the physical mechanical efficiency at the horizon and megaparsec scale. The macro hot halo is tightly constrained by the absence of overheating and overcooling as probed by X-ray data and hydrodynamic simulations ({\\varepsilon }{BH}≃ {10}-3 {T}{{x},7.4}). The micro flow is shaped by general-relativistic effects tracked by state-of-the-art GR-RMHD simulations ({\\varepsilon }\\bullet ≃ 0.03). The supermassive black hole properties are tied to the X-ray halo temperature {T}{{x}}, or related cosmic scaling relation (as {L}{{x}}). The model is minimally based on first principles, such as conservation of energy and mass recycling. The inflow occurs via chaotic cold accretion (CCA), the rain of cold clouds condensing out of the quenched cooling flow and then recurrently funneled via inelastic collisions. Within 100s gravitational radii, the accretion energy is transformed into ultrafast 104 km s-1 outflows (UFOs) ejecting most of the inflowing mass. At larger radii, the energy-driven outflow entrains progressively more mass: at roughly kiloparsec scale, the velocities of the hot/warm/cold outflows are a few 103, 1000, and 500 km s-1, with median mass rates ˜ 10, 100, and several 100 {M}⊙ yr-1, respectively. The unified CCA model is consistent with the observations of nuclear UFOs and ionized, neutral, and molecular macro outflows. We provide step-by-step implementation for subgrid simulations, (semi)analytic works, or observational interpretations that require self-regulated AGN feedback at coarse scales, avoiding the a-posteriori fine-tuning of efficiencies.

Suppression of AGN-Driven G-Mode Turbulence by Magnetic Fields in a Magnetohydrodynamic Model of the Intracluster Medium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bambic, Christopher J.; Morsony, Brian J.; Reynolds, Christopher S.

2017-08-01

We investigate the role of AGN feedback in turbulent heating of galaxy clusters. X-ray measurements of the Perseus Cluster intracluster medium (ICM) by the Hitomi Mission found a velocity dispersion measure of σ ˜ 164 km/s, indicating a large-scale turbulent energy of approximately 4% of the thermal energy. If this energy is transferred to small scales via a turbulent cascade and dissipated as heat, radiative cooling can be offset and the cluster can remain in the observed thermal equilibrium. Using 3D ideal MHD simulations and a plane-parallel model of the ICM, we analyze the production of turbulence by g-modes generated by the supersonic expansion and buoyant rise of AGN-driven bubbles. Previous work has shown that this process is inefficient, with less than 1% of the injected energy ending up in turbulence. Hydrodynamic instabilities shred the bubbles apart before they can excite sufficiently strong g-modes. We examine the role of a large-scale magnetic field which is able to drape around these rising bubbles, preserving them from instabilities. We show that a helical magnetic field geometry is able to better preserve bubbles, driving stronger g-modes; however, the production of turbulence is still inefficient. Magnetic tension acts to stabilize g-modes, preventing the nonlinear transition to turbulence. In addition, the magnetic tension force acts along the field lines to suppress the formation of small-scale vortices. These two effects halt the turbulent cascade. Our work shows that ideal MHD is an insufficient description for the cluster feedback process, and we discuss future work such as the inclusion of anisotropic viscosity as a means of simulating high β plasma kinetic effects. In addition, other mechanisms of heating the ICM plasma such as sound waves or cosmic rays may be responsible to account for observed feedback in galaxy clusters.

Optical Time-Domain and Radio Imaging Analyses of the Dynamic Hearts of AGN

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, Krista Lynne

Active galactic nuclei (AGN) are among the most extreme objects in the universe: galaxies with a central supermassive black hole feeding on gas from a hot accretion disk. Despite their potential as powerful tools to study topics ranging from relativity to cosmology, they remain quite mysterious. In the first portion of this thesis, we explore how an AGN may influence the formation of stars in its host galaxy. Using high-resolution 22 GHz radio imaging of an X-ray selected sample of radio-quiet AGN, we find that the far-infrared radio correlation for normal star forming galaxies remains valid within a few hundred parsecs of the central engine. Because the core flux is often spatially isolated from star formation, we can also determine that the radio emission in radio-quiet AGN is consistent with both coronal and disk-jet coupling models. Finally, we find that AGN with jet-like radio morphologies have suppressed star formation, possibly indicating ongoing feedback. The second portion of this thesis uses optical AGN light curves to study the physics of accretion. The Kepler spacecraft produces groundbreaking light curves, but its fixed field of view only contained a handful of known AGN. We conduct an X-ray survey of this field, yielding 93 unique X-ray sources identified by optical follow-up spectroscopy as a mixture of AGN and stars. For the AGN, we spectroscopically measure black hole masses and accretion rates. We then analyze a sample of 22 Kepler AGN light curves. We develop a customized pipeline for AGN science with Kepler, a necessary step since the initial data was optimized for the unique goal of exoplanet detection. The light curves display an astonishing variety of behaviors in a new regime of optical variability inaccessible with previous facilities. We find power spectral slopes inconsistent with the damped random walk model, characteristic variability timescales, correlations of variability properties with physical parameters, and bimodal flux

NGC 741—Mergers and AGN Feedback on a Galaxy-group Scale

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Schellenberger, G.; Vrtilek, J. M.; David, L.

Low-mass galaxy cluster systems and groups will play an essential role in upcoming cosmological studies, such as those to be carried out with eROSITA. Though the effects of active galactic nuclei (AGNs) and merging processes are of special importance to quantify biases like selection effects or deviations from hydrostatic equilibrium, they are poorly understood on the galaxy-group scale. We present an analysis of recent deep Chandra and XMM-Newton integrations of NGC 741 that provides an excellent example of a group with multiple concurrent phenomena: both an old central radio galaxy and a spectacular infalling head-tail source, strongly bent jets, amore » 100-kpc radio trail, intriguing narrow X-ray filaments, and gas-sloshing features. Supported principally by X-ray and radio continuum data, we address the merging history of the group, the nature of the X-ray filaments, the extent of gas-stripping from NGC 742, the character of cavities in the group, and the roles of the central AGN and infalling galaxy in heating the intra-group medium.« less

The Pearson-Readhead AGN Survey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lister, M. L.

2009-08-01

The Pearson-Readhead survey of active galactic nuclei (AGN) was the first complete sample to be studied by VLBI, and was the subject of a detailed investigation by the VSOP program. We discuss the scientific findings from this unique survey, and how it has provided robust confirmation of the relativistic beaming model for AGN jets.

The Magnetar Model of the Superluminous Supernova GAIA16apd and the Explosion Jet Feedback Mechanism

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Soker, Noam, E-mail: soker@physics.technion.ac.il

Under the assumption that jets explode core collapse supernovae (CCSNe) in a negative jet feedback mechanism (JFM), this paper shows that rapidly rotating neutron stars are likely to be formed when the explosion is very energetic. Under the assumption that an accretion disk or an accretion belt around the just-formed neutron star launch jets and that the accreted gas spins-up the just-formed neutron star, I derive a crude relation between the energy that is stored in the spinning neutron star and the explosion energy. This relation is ( E {sub NS-spin}/ E {sub exp}) ≈ E {sub exp}/10{sup 52} erg;more » It shows that within the frame of the JFM explosion model of CCSNe, spinning neutron stars, such as magnetars, might have significant energy in super-energetic explosions. The existence of magnetars, if confirmed, such as in the recent super-energetic supernova GAIA16apd, further supports the call for a paradigm shift from neutrino-driven to jet-driven CCSN mechanisms.« less

Black Hole Accretion and Feedback Driven by Thermal Instability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gaspari, M.; Ruszkowski, M.; Oh, S. P.; Churazov, E.; Brighenti, F.; Ettori, S.; Sharma, P.; Temi, P.

2013-03-01

Multiwavelength data indicate that the cores of several galaxy clusters are moderately cooling, though not catastrophically, showing signs of filamentary extended multiphase gas. Through 3D AMR hydrodynamic simulations, we study the impact of thermal instability in the evolution of the intracluster medium. Common moderate turbulence of just over 100 km/s leads to the growth of nonlinear thermal instability within the central few tens kpc. In the presence of a global counterbalancing heating, the condensation of extended filamentary cold gas is violent, occurring when the cooling time falls below 10 times the free-fall time. The frequent stochastic collisions, fragmentations and shearing motions between the cold clouds, filaments and the central torus, efficiently reduce angular momentum. Tracking the accreting gas with a dynamical range of 10 million, we find that the accretion rate is boosted up to 100 times with respect to the Bondi rate. In a commonly turbulent and quasi-stable atmosphere, the mode of black accretion is cold and chaotic, substantially different from the classic idealized scenario. Only in the transonic regime, turbulent dissipation starts to inhibit thermal instability. On sub-parsec scales the cold phase is channeled via a funnel, triggering the black hole feedback likely linked to mechanical jets/outflows. As shown by long-term self-regulated simulations, the interplay of chaotic cold accretion and AGN feedback is crucial in order to avoid the cooling catastrophe and to reproduce the key thermodynamical features of observed clusters.

The Jet/Disk Connection in AGN: Chandra and XMM-Newton Observations of Three Powerful Radio-Loud Quasars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sambruna, Rita; Gliozzi, Mario; Tavecchio, F.; Maraschi, L.; Foschini, Luigi

2007-01-01

The connection between the accretion process that powers AGN and the formation of jets is still poorly understood. Here we tackle this issue using new, deep Chandra and XMM-Newton observations of tlie cores of three powerful radio loud quasars: 1136-135, 1150+497 (Chandra), and 0723+679 (XMM-Newton), in the redshift range z=0.3-0.8. These sources are known from our previous Chandra siiapsliot survey to liave kpc-scale X-ray jets. In 1136-135 and 1150-1+497; evidence is found for the presence of diffuse thermal X-ray emission around the cores; on scales of 40-50 kpc and with luminosity L(sub 0.3-2 kev approx. 10(sup 43) erg per second, suggesting thermal emission from the host galaxy or a galaxy group. The X-ray continua of the cores in the three sources are described by an upward-curved (concave) broken power law, with photon indices GAMMA (sub soft) approx. 1.8 - 2.1 and GAMMA (sub hard) approx. 1.7 below and above approx. equal to 2 keV, respectively. There is evidence for an uiiresolved Fe K alpha line with EW approx. 70 eV in the three quasars. The Spectral Energy Distributions of the sources can be well described by a mix of jet and disk emission, with the jet dominating the radio and hard X-rays (via synchrotron and external Compton) and the disk dominating the optical/UV through soft X-rays. The ratio of the jet-to-disk powers is approx. 1, consistent with those derived for a number of gamma ray emitting blazars. This indicates that near equality of accretion and jet power may be common in powerful radio-loud AGN.

Relativistic jet feedback - II. Relationship to gigahertz peak spectrum and compact steep spectrum radio galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bicknell, Geoffrey V.; Mukherjee, Dipanjan; Wagner, Alexander Y.; Sutherland, Ralph S.; Nesvadba, Nicole P. H.

2018-04-01

We propose that Gigahertz Peak Spectrum (GPS) and Compact Steep Spectrum (CSS) radio sources are the signposts of relativistic jet feedback in evolving galaxies. Our simulations of relativistic jets interacting with a warm, inhomogeneous medium, utilizing cloud densities and velocity dispersions in the range derived from optical observations, show that free-free absorption can account for the ˜ GHz peak frequencies and low-frequency power laws inferred from the radio observations. These new computational models replace a power-law model for the free-free optical depth a more fundamental model involving disrupted log-normal distributions of warm gas. One feature of our new models is that at early stages, the low-frequency spectrum is steep but progressively flattens as a result of a broader distribution of optical depths, suggesting that the steep low-frequency spectra discovered by Callingham et al. may possibly be attributed to young sources. We also investigate the inverse correlation between peak frequency and size and find that the initial location on this correlation is determined by the average density of the warm ISM. The simulated sources track this correlation initially but eventually fall below it, indicating the need for a more extended ISM than presently modelled. GPS and CSS sources can potentially provide new insights into the phenomenon of AGN feedback since their peak frequencies and spectra are indicative of the density, turbulent structure, and distribution of gas in the host galaxy.

Radio AGN in the local universe: unification, triggering and evolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tadhunter, Clive

2016-06-01

Associated with one of the most important forms of active galactic nucleus (AGN) feedback, and showing a strong preference for giant elliptical host galaxies, radio AGN (L_{1.4 GHz} > 10^{24} W Hz^{-1}) are a key sub-class of the overall AGN population. Recently their study has benefitted dramatically from the availability of high-quality data covering the X-ray to far-IR wavelength range obtained with the current generation of ground- and space-based telescope facilities. Reflecting this progress, here I review our current state of understanding of the population of radio AGN at low and intermediate redshifts (z < 0.7), concentrating on their nuclear AGN and host galaxy properties, and covering three interlocking themes: the classification of radio AGN and its interpretation; the triggering and fuelling of the jet and AGN activity; and the evolution of the host galaxies. I show that much of the observed diversity in the AGN properties of radio AGN can be explained in terms of a combination of orientation/anisotropy, mass accretion rate, and variability effects. The detailed morphologies of the host galaxies are consistent with the triggering of strong-line radio galaxies (SLRG) in galaxy mergers. However, the star formation properties and cool ISM contents suggest that the triggering mergers are relatively minor in terms of their gas masses in most cases, and would not lead to major growth of the supermassive black holes and stellar bulges; therefore, apart from a minority (<20 %) that show evidence for higher star formation rates and more massive cool ISM reservoirs, the SLRG represent late-time re-triggering of activity in mature giant elliptical galaxies. In contrast, the host and environmental properties of weak-line radio galaxies (WLRG) with Fanaroff-Riley class I radio morphologies are consistent with more gradual fuelling of the activity via gas accretion at low rates onto the supermassive black holes.

Very Long Baseline Array Imaging of Type-2 Seyferts with Double-peaked Narrow Emission Lines: Searches for Sub-kpc Dual AGNs and Jet-powered Outflows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Xin; Lazio, T. Joseph W.; Shen, Yue; Strauss, Michael A.

2018-02-01

This paper presents Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) observations of 13 double-peaked [O III] emission-line type-2 active galactic nuclei (AGNs) at redshifts 0.06 < z < 0.41 (with a median redshift of z ∼ 0.15) identified in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. Such double-peaked emission-line objects may result from jets or outflows from the central engine or from a dual AGN. The VLBA provides an angular resolution of ≲10 pc at the distance of many of these galaxies, sufficient to resolve the radio emission from extremely close dual AGNs and to contribute to understanding the origin of double-peaked [O III] emission lines. Of the 13 galaxies observed at 3.6 cm (8.4 GHz), we detect six at a 1σ sensitivity level of ∼0.15 mJy beam‑1, two of which show clear jet structures on scales ranging from a few milliarcseconds to tens of milliarcseconds (corresponding to a few pc to tens of pc at a median redshift of 0.15). We suggest that radio-loud, double-peaked emission-line type-2 AGNs may be indicative of jet produced structures, but a larger sample of double-peaked [O III] AGNs with high angular resolution radio observations will be required to confirm this suggestion. Based, in part, on observations made with the Very Long Baseline Array, obtained at the Long Baseline Observatory. The Long Baseline Observatory is a facility of the National Science Foundation operated under cooperative agreement by Associated Universities, Inc.

VizieR Online Data Catalog: Radio-loud AGN with relativistic jets (Olguin-Iglesias+, 2016)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Olguin-Iglesias, A.; Leon-Tavares, J.; Kotilainen, J. K.; Chavushyan, V.; Tornikoski, M.; Valtaoja, E.; Anorve, C.; Valdes, J.; Carrasco, L.

2017-11-01

The sample of sources analysed in this work is a sub-sample of variable radio-loud AGN monitored at 7mm (S7mm>1Jy) with the Aalto University Metsahovi Radio Observatory, in Finland (http://metsahovi.aalto.fi/en/) since the last 30 years (Terasranta et al., 1992A&AS...94..121T; Teraesranta et al., 1998, Cat. J/A+AS/132/305; Leon-Tavares et al., 2011A&A...532A.146L; Nieppola et al., 2011, Cat. J/A+A/535/A69). According to the AGN unification scheme (Antonucci, 1993ARA&A..31..473A; Urry & Padovani, 1995PASP..107..803U), FSRQ and BL Lacs are those AGN whose relativistic jets point towards the Earth. Observations were made with the Nordic Optical Telescope (NOT) at La Roque de los Muchachos, La Palma, Canarias, Spain. They were conducted between 2011 May 09 and September 15 using the near-infrared Camera (NOTCam)3 on the NOT. NOTcam field of view is 4'x4' with a pixel scale of 0.234-arcsec/pixel designed to be used in the range from 0.8 to 2.5um in the bands J, H and K. (1 data file).

An X-ray/SDSS sample. II. AGN-driven outflowing gas plasma properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Perna, M.; Lanzuisi, G.; Brusa, M.; Cresci, G.; Mignoli, M.

2017-10-01

Aims: Galaxy-scale outflows are currently observed in many active galactic nuclei (AGNs); however, characterisation of them in terms of their (multi-) phase nature, amount of flowing material, and effects on their host galaxy is still unresolved. In particular, ionised gas mass outflow rate and related energetics are still affected by many sources of uncertainty. In this respect, outflowing gas plasma conditions, being largely unknown, play a crucial role. Methods: We have analysed stacked spectra and sub-samples of sources with high signal-to-noise temperature- and density-sensitive emission lines to derive the plasma properties of the outflowing ionised gas component. We did this by taking advantage of the spectroscopic analysis results we obtained while studying the X-ray/SDSS sample of 563 AGNs at z < 0.8 presented in our companion paper. For these sources, we also studied in detail various diagnostic diagrams to infer information about outflowing gas ionisation mechanisms. Results: We derive, for the first time, median values for electron temperature and density of outflowing gas from medium-size samples ( 30 targets) and stacked spectra of AGNs. Evidence of shock excitation are found for outflowing gas. Conclusions: We measure electron temperatures of the order of 1.7 × 104 K and densities of 1200 cm-3 for faint and moderately luminous AGNs (intrinsic X-ray luminosity 40.5 < log (LX) < 44 in the 2-10 keV band). We note that the electron density that is usually assumed (Ne = 100 cm-3) in ejected material might result in relevant overestimates of flow mass rates and energetics and, as a consequence, of the effects of AGN-driven outflows on the host galaxy.

Remnant radio-loud AGN in the Herschel-ATLAS field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mahatma, V. H.; Hardcastle, M. J.; Williams, W. L.; Brienza, M.; Brüggen, M.; Croston, J. H.; Gurkan, G.; Harwood, J. J.; Kunert-Bajraszewska, M.; Morganti, R.; Röttgering, H. J. A.; Shimwell, T. W.; Tasse, C.

2018-04-01

Only a small fraction of observed active galactic nuclei (AGN) display large-scale radio emission associated with jets, yet these radio-loud AGN have become increasingly important in models of galaxy evolution. In determining the dynamics and energetics of the radio sources over cosmic time, a key question concerns what happens when their jets switch off. The resulting `remnant' radio-loud AGN have been surprisingly evasive in past radio surveys, and therefore statistical information on the population of radio-loud AGN in their dying phase is limited. In this paper, with the recent developments of Low-Frequency Array (LOFAR) and the Very Large Array, we are able to provide a systematically selected sample of remnant radio-loud AGN in the Herschel-ATLAS field. Using a simple core-detection method, we constrain the upper limit on the fraction of remnants in our radio-loud AGN sample to 9 per cent, implying that the extended lobe emission fades rapidly once the core/jets turn off. We also find that our remnant sample has a wide range of spectral indices (-1.5≤slant α ^{1400}_{150}≤slant -0.5), confirming that the lobes of some remnants may possess flat spectra at low frequencies just as active sources do. We suggest that, even with the unprecedented sensitivity of LOFAR, our sample may still only contain the youngest of the remnant population.

Utilizing X-ray gas velocity measurements as a new probe of AGN feedback in giant elliptical galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ogorzalek, Anna; Zhuravleva, Irina; Allen, Steven W.; Pinto, Ciro; Werner, Norbert; Mantz, Adam; Canning, Rebecca; Fabian, Andrew C.; Kaastra, Jelle S.; de Plaa, Jelle

2017-08-01

Velocity structure of hot atmospheres of massive early-type galaxies remains a key open question in our understanding of galaxy formation and mechanical AGN feedback. Using a combination of resonant scattering and direct line broadening techniques applied to deep XMM-Newton Reflection Grating Spectrometer observations has allowed us to for the first time measure turbulent velocities in the cores of 13 nearby giant early-type galaxies, opening up the possibility of population studies of hot gas motions in such objects. Our method has also been successfully applied to the Hitomi Perseus observation, serving as an independent velocity probe of the cluster ICM. In this talk I will introduce our measurements and discuss their implications on the physics of kinetic AGN feedback. I will also outline future directions, emphasizing the role of resonant scattering in studying gas dynamics of cooler (~1 keV) systems, such as giant galaxies, as well as its importance for the correct interpretation of high resolution X-ray spectra from XARM and Athena.

AGN Obscuration Through Dusty Infrared Dominated Flows. 1; Radiation-Hydrodynamics Solution for the Wind

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dorodnitsyn, A.; Bisnovatyi-Kogan. G. S.; Kallman, T.

2011-01-01

We construct a radiation-hydrodynamics model for the obscuring toroidal structure in active galactic nuclei. In this model the obscuration is produced at parsec scale by a dense, dusty wind which is supported by infrared radiation pressure on dust grains. To find the distribution of radiation pressure, we numerically solve the 2D radiation transfer problem in a flux limited diffusion approximation. We iteratively couple the solution with calculations of stationary 1D models for the wind, and obtain the z-component of the velocity. Our results demonstrate that for AGN luminosities greater than 0.1 L(sub edd) external illumination can support a geometrically thick obscuration via outflows driven by infrared radiation pressure. The terminal velocity of marginally Compton-thin models (0.2 < tau(sub T) < 0.6), is comparable to or greater than the escape velocity. In Compton thick models the maximum value of the vertical component of the velocity is lower than the escape velocity, suggesting that a significant part of our torus is in the form of failed wind. The results demonstrate that obscuration via normal or failed infrared-driven winds is a viable option for the AGN torus problem and AGN unification models. Such winds can also provide an important channel for AGN feedback.

Particle Acceleration in Mildly Relativistic Shearing Flows: The Interplay of Systematic and Stochastic Effects, and the Origin of the Extended High-energy Emission in AGN Jets

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Liu, Ruo-Yu; Rieger, F. M.; Aharonian, F. A., E-mail: ruoyu@mpi-hd.mpg.de, E-mail: frank.rieger@mpi-hd.mpg.de, E-mail: aharon@mpi-hd.mpg.de

The origin of the extended X-ray emission in the large-scale jets of active galactic nuclei (AGNs) poses challenges to conventional models of acceleration and emission. Although electron synchrotron radiation is considered the most feasible radiation mechanism, the formation of the continuous large-scale X-ray structure remains an open issue. As astrophysical jets are expected to exhibit some turbulence and shearing motion, we here investigate the potential of shearing flows to facilitate an extended acceleration of particles and evaluate its impact on the resultant particle distribution. Our treatment incorporates systematic shear and stochastic second-order Fermi effects. We show that for typical parametersmore » applicable to large-scale AGN jets, stochastic second-order Fermi acceleration, which always accompanies shear particle acceleration, can play an important role in facilitating the whole process of particle energization. We study the time-dependent evolution of the resultant particle distribution in the presence of second-order Fermi acceleration, shear acceleration, and synchrotron losses using a simple Fokker–Planck approach and provide illustrations for the possible emergence of a complex (multicomponent) particle energy distribution with different spectral branches. We present examples for typical parameters applicable to large-scale AGN jets, indicating the relevance of the underlying processes for understanding the extended X-ray emission and the origin of ultrahigh-energy cosmic rays.« less

CMB-induced radio quenching of high-redshift jetted AGNs with highly magnetic hotspots

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Jianfeng; Ghisellini, Gabriele; Hodges-Kluck, Edmund; Gallo, Elena; Ciardi, Benedetta; Haardt, Francesco; Sbarrato, Tullia; Tavecchio, Fabrizio

2017-06-01

In an effort to understand the cause of the apparent depletion in the number density of radio-loud active galactic nuclei (AGNs) at z > 3, this work investigates the viability of the so-called cosmic microwave background (CMB) quenching mechanism of intrinsically jetted, high-z AGNs, whereby inverse Compton scattering of CMB photons off electrons within the extended lobes results in a substantial dimming of the lobe synchrotron emission at GHz frequencies, while simultaneously boosting their diffuse X-ray signal. We focus on five z > 3.5 radio galaxies that have sufficiently deep Chandra exposure (>50 ks) to warrant a meaningful investigation of any extended X-ray emission. For those objects with evidence for statistically significant extended X-ray lobes (4C 41.17 and 4C 03.24), we combine the Chandra measurements with literature data at lower frequencies to assemble the systems' spectral energy distributions (SEDs), and utilize state-of-the-art SED modelling - including emission from the disc, torus, jet, hotspots and lobes - to infer their physical parameters. For both radio galaxies, the magnetic energy density in the hotspots is found to exceed the energy density in CMB photons, whereas the opposite is true for the lobes. This implies that any extended synchrotron emission likely originates from the hotspots themselves, rather than the lobes. Conversely, inverse Compton scattering of CMB photons dominates the extended X-ray emission from the lobes, which are effectively 'radio-quenched'. As a result, CMB quenching is effective in these systems in spite of the fact that the observed X-ray to radio luminosity ratio does not bear the signature (1 + z)4 dependence of the CMB energy density.

Galaxy-wide radio-induced feedback in a radio-quiet quasar

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Villar-Martín, M.; Emonts, B.; Cabrera Lavers, A.; Tadhunter, C.; Mukherjee, D.; Humphrey, A.; Rodríguez Zaurín, J.; Ramos Almeida, C.; Pérez Torres, M.; Bessiere, P.

2017-12-01

We report the discovery of a radio-quiet type 2 quasar (SDSS J165315.06+234943.0 nicknamed the 'Beetle' at z = 0.103) with unambiguous evidence for active galactic nucleus (AGN) radio-induced feedback acting across a total extension of ∼46 kpc and up to ∼26 kpc from the AGN. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first radio-quiet system where radio-induced feedback has been securely identified at ≫several kpc from the AGN. The morphological, ionization and kinematic properties of the extended ionized gas are correlated with the radio structures. We find along the radio axis (a) enhancement of the optical line emission at the location of the radio hotspots (b) turbulent gas kinematics (FWHM ∼ 380-470 km s-1) across the entire spatial range circumscribed by them (c) ionization minima for the turbulent gas at the location of the hot spots, (d) high temperature Te ≳ 1.9 × 104 K at the NE hotspot. Turbulent gas is also found far from the radio axis, ∼25 kpc in the perpendicular direction. We propose a scenario in which the radio structures have perforated the interstellar medium of the galaxy and escaped into the circumgalactic medium. While advancing, they have interacted with in situ gas modifying its properties. Our results show that jets of modest power can be the dominant feedback mechanism acting across huge volumes in radio-quiet systems, including highly accreting luminous AGNs, where radiative mode feedback may be expected.

Confirming the Low-Mass, Sub-kpc Dual AGN Candidate in SDSS J0914+085

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gultekin, Kayhan

2016-09-01

The frequency of dual AGNs at low galaxy/black hole mass is poorly constrained. Thus we lack a full physical understanding of the connection between galaxy mergers and AGN activity and therefore merger-driven feedback. In particular, it is unknown whether or not LLAGN can be triggered by mergers instead of only by stochastic processes. We will address this with a 50 ksec observation to test for a dual AGN in SDSS J0914+0853, a low-mass (MBH 10^6.3), dual LLAGN candidate based on serendipitous, shallow Chandra imaging. The 15-ksec data showed two X-ray sources, but the nature of the secondary source is ambiguous because of 10% pile-up and potential PSF artifacts. With deeper, short-frame-rate Chandra observations at a new roll angle, we can unambiguously determine if the secondary is real.

SDSS-IV MaNGA: evidence of the importance of AGN feedback in low-mass galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Penny, Samantha J.; Masters, Karen L.; Smethurst, Rebecca; Nichol, Robert C.; Krawczyk, Coleman M.; Bizyaev, Dmitry; Greene, Olivia; Liu, Charles; Marinelli, Mariarosa; Rembold, Sandro B.; Riffel, Rogemar A.; Ilha, Gabriele da Silva; Wylezalek, Dominika; Andrews, Brett H.; Bundy, Kevin; Drory, Niv; Oravetz, Daniel; Pan, Kaike

2018-05-01

We present new evidence for AGN feedback in a subset of 69 quenched low-mass galaxies (M⋆ ≲ 5 × 109 M⊙, Mr > -19) selected from the first 2 yr of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey-IV Mapping Nearby Galaxies at APO (SDSS-IV MaNGA) survey. The majority (85 per cent) of these quenched galaxies appear to reside in a group environment. We find six galaxies in our sample that appear to have an active AGN that is preventing on-going star formation; this is the first time such a feedback mechanism has been observed in this mass range. Interestingly, five of these six galaxies have an ionized gas component that is kinematically offset from their stellar component, suggesting the gas is either recently accreted or outflowing. We hypothesize these six galaxies are low-mass equivalents to the `red geysers' observed in more massive galaxies. Of the other 63 galaxies in the sample, we find 8 do appear for have some low level, residual star formation, or emission from hot, evolved stars. The remaining galaxies in our sample have no detectable ionized gas emission throughout their structures, consistent with them being quenched. This work shows the potential for understanding the detailed physical properties of dwarf galaxies through spatially resolved spectroscopy.

AGN Feedback and Cooling Flows: Problems with Simple Hydrodynamic Models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vernaleo, John C.; Reynolds, Christopher S.

2006-07-01

In recent years it has become increasingly clear that active galactic nuclei, and radio galaxies in particular, have an impact on large-scale structure and galaxy formation. In principle, radio galaxies are energetic enough to halt the cooling of the virialized intracluster medium (ICM) in the inner regions of galaxy clusters, solving the cooling flow problem and explaining the high-mass truncation of the galaxy luminosity function. We explore this process through a series of high-resolution, three-dimensional hydrodynamic simulations of jetted active galaxies that act in response to cooling-mediated accretion of an ICM atmosphere. We find that our models are incapable of producing a long-term balance of heating and cooling; catastrophic cooling can be delayed by the jet action but inevitably takes hold. At the heart of the failure of these models is the formation of a low-density channel through which the jet can freely flow, carrying its energy out of the cooling core. It is possible that this failure is due to an oversimplified treatment of the fast jet (which may underestimate the ``dentist drill'' effect). However, it seems likely that additional complexity (large-angle jet precession or ICM turbulence) or additional physics (magnetohydrodynamic effects and plasma transport processes) is required to produce a spatial distribution of jet heating that can prevent catastrophic cooling. This work also underscores the importance of including jet dynamics in any feedback model, as opposed to the isotropically inflated bubble approach taken in some previous works.

Investigating the Feedback Path in a Jet-Surface Resonant Interaction

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zaman, K. B. M. Q.; Fagan, A. F.; Bridges, J. E.; Brown, C. A.

2015-01-01

A resonant interaction between an 8:1 aspect ratio rectangular jet and flat-plates, placed parallel to the jet, is studied experimentally. For certain locations of the plate relative to the jet, the resonance takes place with a loud accompanying tone. The sound pressure level spectra are often marked by multiple peaks. The frequencies of the spectral peaks are studied as a function of the streamwise length of the plate, its relative location to the jet as well as the jet Mach number. It is demonstrated that the tones are not due to a simple feedback between the plate's trailing edge and the nozzle's exit; the leading edge of the plate also comes into play in the frequency selection. With parametric variation, it is found that there is an order in the most energetic spectral peaks; their frequencies cluster in distinct bands. The 'fundamental', i.e., the lowest frequency band is explained by an acoustic feedback involving diffraction at the plate's leading edge.

Supermassive Black Hole Fueling and Feedback in Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Comerford, Julia M.

2018-06-01

Over the last few decades, observations have revealed surprisingly tight correlations between the properties of galaxies and their supermassive black holes. Active galactic nuclei (AGN) have emerged as key drivers of this coevolution of galaxies and supermassive black holes, by two primary mechanisms: AGN fueling and AGN feedback. Supermassive black holes build up mass by accreting gas during AGN fueling, while AGN feedback is a crucial regulator of star formation that controls the mass growth of the galaxies. In this talk, I will present multiwavelength studies of both AGN fueling and feedback. I will discuss results that address AGN fueling in galaxy mergers, the connection between AGN and star formation, and the effect of AGN outflows on their host galaxies.

Investigating Galaxy Evolution and Active Galactic Nucleus Feedback with the Sunyaev-Zel'dovich Effect

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Spacek, Alexander; Scannapieco, Evan; Cohen, Seth H.; Joshi, Bhavin; Mauskopf, Philip; Richardson, Mark L. A.; Devriendt, Julien; Dubois, Yohan; Peirani, Sebastien; Pichon, Christophe

2018-06-01

Galaxy formation is a complex process with aspects that are still very uncertain. A mechanism that has been used in simulations to successfully resolve several of these outstanding issues is active galactic nucleus (AGN) feedback, where a large amount of energy is driven outwards through a galaxy and the surrounding region by a central supermassive black hole. A promising method for directly measuring this energy is by looking at small increases in the energy of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) photons as they pass through hot gas, known as the thermal Sunyaev-Zel'dovich (tSZ) effect. I will present work done to measure the tSZ effect around a large number of 0.5 < z < 1.5 elliptical galaxies using the South Pole Telescope (SPT), Atacama Cosmology Telescope (ACT), and Planck telescope, finding signals at 1-sigma to 3-sigma confindence levels depending on the dataset and redshift range. The results are mixed, including hints at non-gravitational energy possibly due to AGN feedback. Then I will present work done to analyze these results further by comparing them to matching simulated measurements, both including and not including AGN feedback, from the large-scale Horizon-AGN and Horizon-NoAGN cosmological simulations. In these comparisons, the SPT results, which tend to have lower-mass galaxies (<5x10^11 M_Sun), favor the Horizon-AGN results at about a 1-sigma level, while the ACT results, which tend to have higher-mass galaxies (>5x10^11 M_Sun), favor the Horizon-NoAGN results at more than a 6-sigma level. These results indicate that AGN feedback may be milder than often predicted, and they also highlight the promising nature of tSZ effect measurements and the need for further work using better data and more varied simulations.

Massive Molecular Outflows and Evidence for AGN Feedback from CO Observations

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-11-13

J. Thomson Avenue, Cambridge CB3 0HE, UK e-mail: c.cicone@mrao.cam.ac.uk 2 Kavli Institute for Cosmology , University of Cambridge, Madingley Road...molecular outflow as a function of AGN luminosity. Theoretical models of AGN feed- back and cosmological simulations predict a coupling efficiency between AGN

Radiatively driven relativistic jets in Schwarzschild space-time

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vyas, Mukesh K.; Chattopadhyay, Indranil

2018-06-01

Context. Aims: We carry out a general relativistic study of radiatively driven conical fluid jets around non-rotating black holes and investigate the effects and significance of radiative acceleration, as well as radiation drag. Methods: We apply relativistic equations of motion in curved space-time around a Schwarzschild black hole for axis-symmetric one-dimensional jet in steady state, plying through the radiation field of the accretion disc. Radiative moments are computed using information of curved space-time. Slopes of physical variables at the sonic points are found using L'Hôpital's rule and employing Runge-Kutta's fourth order method to solve equations of motion. The analysis is carried out using the relativistic equation of state of the jet fluid. Results: The terminal speed of the jet depends on how much thermal energy is converted into jet momentum and how much radiation momentum is deposited onto the jet. Many classes of jet solutions with single sonic points, multiple sonic points, as well as those having radiation driven internal shocks are obtained. Variation of all flow variables along the jet-axis has been studied. Highly energetic electron-proton jets can be accelerated by intense radiation to terminal Lorentz factors γT 3. Moderate terminal speed vT 0.5 is obtained for moderately luminous discs. Lepton dominated jets may achieve γT 10. Conclusions: Thermal driving of the jet itself and radiation driving by accretion disc photons produce a wide-ranging jet solutions starting from moderately strong jets to the relativistic ones. Interplay of intensity, the nature of the radiation field, and the energetics of the jet result in a variety of jet solutions. We show that radiation field is able to induce steady shocks in jets, one of the criteria to explain high-energy power-law emission observed in spectra of some of the astrophysical objects.

Investigating the Feedback Path in a Jet-Surface Resonant Interaction

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zaman, Khairul; Fagan, Amy; Bridges, James; Brown, Cliff

2015-01-01

A resonant interaction between an 8:1 aspect ratio rectangular jet and flat-plates, placed parallel to the jet, is addressed in this study. For certain relative locations of the plates, the resonance takes place with accompanying audible tones. Even when the tone is not audible the sound pressure level spectra is often marked by conspicuous peaks. The frequencies of the spectral peaks, as functions of the streamwise length of the plate and its relative location to the jet as well as the jet Mach number, are explored in an effort of understand the flow mechanism. It is demonstrated that the tones are not due to a simple feedback between the plates trailing edge and the nozzle exit; the leading edge also comes into play in determining the frequency. An acoustic feedback path, involving diffraction from the leading edge, appears to explain the frequencies of some of the spectral peaks.

AGN Heating in Simulated Cool-core Clusters

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Li, Yuan; Ruszkowski, Mateusz; Bryan, Greg L., E-mail: yuanlium@umich.edu

We analyze heating and cooling processes in an idealized simulation of a cool-core cluster, where momentum-driven AGN feedback balances radiative cooling in a time-averaged sense. We find that, on average, energy dissipation via shock waves is almost an order of magnitude higher than via turbulence. Most of the shock waves in the simulation are very weak shocks with Mach numbers smaller than 1.5, but the stronger shocks, although rare, dissipate energy more effectively. We find that shock dissipation is a steep function of radius, with most of the energy dissipated within 30 kpc, more spatially concentrated than radiative cooling loss.more » However, adiabatic processes and mixing (of post-shock materials and the surrounding gas) are able to redistribute the heat throughout the core. A considerable fraction of the AGN energy also escapes the core region. The cluster goes through cycles of AGN outbursts accompanied by periods of enhanced precipitation and star formation, over gigayear timescales. The cluster core is under-heated at the end of each cycle, but over-heated at the peak of the AGN outburst. During the heating-dominant phase, turbulent dissipation alone is often able to balance radiative cooling at every radius but, when this is occurs, shock waves inevitably dissipate even more energy. Our simulation explains why some clusters, such as Abell 2029, are cooling dominated, while in some other clusters, such as Perseus, various heating mechanisms including shock heating, turbulent dissipation and bubble mixing can all individually balance cooling, and together, over-heat the core.« less

Warm Absorber Diagnostics of AGN Dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kallman, Timothy

Warm absorbers and related phenomena are observable manifestations of outflows or winds from active galactic nuclei (AGN) that have great potential value. Understanding AGN outflows is important for explaining the mass budgets of the central accreting black hole, and also for understanding feedback and the apparent co-evolution of black holes and their host galaxies. In the X-ray band warm absorbers are observed as photoelectric absorption and resonance line scattering features in the 0.5-10 keV energy band; the UV band also shows resonance line absorption. Warm absorbers are common in low luminosity AGN and they have been extensively studied observationally. They may play an important role in AGN feedback, regulating the net accretion onto the black hole and providing mechanical energy to the surroundings. However, fundamental properties of the warm absorbers are not known: What is the mechanism which drives the outflow?; what is the gas density in the flow and the geometrical distribution of the outflow?; what is the explanation for the apparent relation between warm absorbers and the surprising quasi-relativistic 'ultrafast outflows' (UFOs)? We propose a focused set of model calculations that are aimed at synthesizing observable properties of warm absorber flows and associated quantities. These will be used to explore various scenarios for warm absorber dynamics in order to answer the questions in the previous paragraph. The guiding principle will be to examine as wide a range as possible of warm absorber driving mechanisms, geometry and other properties, but with as careful consideration as possible to physical consistency. We will build on our previous work, which was a systematic campaign for testing important class of scenarios for driving the outflows. We have developed a set of tools that are unique and well suited for dynamical calculations including radiation in this context. We also have state-of-the-art tools for generating synthetic spectra, which are

High-energy neutrino fluxes from AGN populations inferred from X-ray surveys

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jacobsen, Idunn B.; Wu, Kinwah; On, Alvina Y. L.; Saxton, Curtis J.

2015-08-01

High-energy neutrinos and photons are complementary messengers, probing violent astrophysical processes and structural evolution of the Universe. X-ray and neutrino observations jointly constrain conditions in active galactic nuclei (AGN) jets: their baryonic and leptonic contents, and particle production efficiency. Testing two standard neutrino production models for local source Cen A (Koers & Tinyakov and Becker & Biermann), we calculate the high-energy neutrino spectra of single AGN sources and derive the flux of high-energy neutrinos expected for the current epoch. Assuming that accretion determines both X-rays and particle creation, our parametric scaling relations predict neutrino yield in various AGN classes. We derive redshift-dependent number densities of each class, from Chandra and Swift/BAT X-ray luminosity functions (Silverman et al. and Ajello et al.). We integrate the neutrino spectrum expected from the cumulative history of AGN (correcting for cosmological and source effects, e.g. jet orientation and beaming). Both emission scenarios yield neutrino fluxes well above limits set by IceCube (by ˜4-106 × at 1 PeV, depending on the assumed jet models for neutrino production). This implies that: (i) Cen A might not be a typical neutrino source as commonly assumed; (ii) both neutrino production models overestimate the efficiency; (iii) neutrino luminosity scales with accretion power differently among AGN classes and hence does not follow X-ray luminosity universally; (iv) some AGN are neutrino-quiet (e.g. below a power threshold for neutrino production); (v) neutrino and X-ray emission have different duty cycles (e.g. jets alternate between baryonic and leptonic flows); or (vi) some combination of the above.

AGN-driven helium reionization and the incidence of extended He III regions at redshift z > 3

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Compostella, Michele; Cantalupo, Sebastiano; Porciani, Cristiano

2014-12-01

We use hydrodynamic simulations post-processed with the radiative-transfer code RADAMESH to assess recent claims that the low He II opacity observed in z > 3 quasar spectra may be incompatible with models of He II reionization driven by the observed population of active galactic nuclei (AGNs). In particular, building upon our previous work, we consider an early population of sources and start the radiative-transfer calculation at redshifts z ≥ 5. Our model faithfully reproduces the emissivity of optically selected AGNs as inferred from measurements of their luminosity function. We find that He II reionization is very extended in redshift (Δz ≥ 2) and highly spatially inhomogeneous. In fact, mock spectra extracted from the simulations show a large variability in the evolution of the He II effective optical depth within chunks of size Δz = 0.04. Regions with low opacity (τ_ {He {II}}^eff < 3) can be found at high redshift, in agreement with the most recent observations of UV-transmitting quasars. At the highest redshift currently probed by observations (z ˜ 3.4), our updated model predicts a much lower He II effective optical depth than previous simulations in the literature relieving most of the tension with the current data, that, however, still persists at about the (Gaussian) 1σ to 2σ level. Given the very small number of observed lines of sight, our analysis indicates that current data cannot rule out a purely AGN-driven scenario with high statistical significance.

A Universal Scaling for the Energetics of Relativistic Jets From Black Hole Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nemmen, R. S.; Georganopoulos, M.; Guiriec, S.; Meyer, E. T.; Gehrels, N.; Sambruna, R. M.

2013-01-01

Black holes generate collimated, relativistic jets which have been observed in gamma-ray bursts (GRBs), microquasars, and at the center of some galaxies (active galactic nuclei; AGN). How jet physics scales from stellar black holes in GRBs to the supermassive ones in AGNs is still unknown. Here we show that jets produced by AGNs and GRBs exhibit the same correlation between the kinetic power carried by accelerated particles and the gamma-ray luminosity, with AGNs and GRBs lying at the low and high-luminosity ends, respectively, of the correlation. This result implies that the efficiency of energy dissipation in jets produced in black hole systems is similar over 10 orders of magnitude in jet power, establishing a physical analogy between AGN and GRBs.

A universal scaling for the energetics of relativistic jets from black hole systems.

PubMed

Nemmen, R S; Georganopoulos, M; Guiriec, S; Meyer, E T; Gehrels, N; Sambruna, R M

2012-12-14

Black holes generate collimated, relativistic jets, which have been observed in gamma-ray bursts (GRBs), microquasars, and at the center of some galaxies [active galactic nuclei (AGN)]. How jet physics scales from stellar black holes in GRBs to the supermassive ones in AGN is still unknown. Here, we show that jets produced by AGN and GRBs exhibit the same correlation between the kinetic power carried by accelerated particles and the gamma-ray luminosity, with AGN and GRBs lying at the low- and high-luminosity ends, respectively, of the correlation. This result implies that the efficiency of energy dissipation in jets produced in black hole systems is similar over 10 orders of magnitude in jet power, establishing a physical analogy between AGN and GRBs.

STAR FORMATION SUPPRESSION DUE TO JET FEEDBACK IN RADIO GALAXIES WITH SHOCKED WARM MOLECULAR GAS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lanz, Lauranne; Ogle, Patrick M.; Appleton, Philip N.

2016-07-20

We present Herschel observations of 22 radio galaxies, selected for the presence of shocked, warm molecular hydrogen emission. We measured and modeled spectral energy distributions in 33 bands from the ultraviolet to the far-infrared to investigate the impact of jet feedback on star formation activity. These galaxies are massive, early-type galaxies with normal gas-to-dust ratios, covering a range of optical and infrared colors. We find that the star formation rate (SFR) is suppressed by a factor of ∼3–6, depending on how molecular gas mass is estimated. We suggest that this suppression is due to the shocks driven by the radiomore » jets injecting turbulence into the interstellar medium (ISM), which also powers the luminous warm H{sub 2} line emission. Approximately 25% of the sample shows suppression by more than a factor of 10. However, the degree of SFR suppression does not correlate with indicators of jet feedback including jet power, diffuse X-ray emission, or intensity of warm molecular H{sub 2} emission, suggesting that while injected turbulence likely impacts star formation, the process is not purely parameterized by the amount of mechanical energy dissipated into the ISM. Radio galaxies with shocked warm molecular gas cover a wide range in SFR–stellar mass space, indicating that these galaxies are in a variety of evolutionary states, from actively star-forming and gas-rich to quiescent and gas-poor. SFR suppression appears to have the largest impact on the evolution of galaxies that are moderately gas-rich.« less

Baroclinic Adjustment of the Eddy-Driven Jet

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Novak, Lenka; Ambaum, Maarten H. P.; Harvey, Ben J.

2017-04-01

The prediction of poleward shift in the midlatitude eddy-driven jets due to anthropogenic climate change is now a robust feature of climate models, but the magnitude of this shift or the processes responsible for it are less certain. This uncertainty comes from the complex response in storm tracks to large-scale forcing and their nonlinear modulation of the jet. This study uses global circulation models to reveal a relationship between eddy growth rate (referred to as baroclinicity) and eddy activity, whereby baroclinicity responds most rapidly to an eddy-dissipating forcing whereas eddy activity responds most rapidly to a baroclinicity-replenishing forcing. This nonlinearity can be generally explained using a two-dimensional dynamical system essentially describing the baroclinic adjustment as a predator-prey relationship. Despite this nonlinearity, the barotropic changes in the eddy-driven jet appear to be of a comparable magnitude for the ranges of both types of forcing tested in this study. It is implied that while changes in eddy activity or baroclinicity may indicate the sign of latitudinal jet shifting, the precise magnitude of this shifting is a result of a balance between these two quantities.

Buoyant AGN Bubbles in the Quasi-isothermal Potential of NGC 1399

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Su, Yuanyuan; Nulsen, Paul E. J.; Kraft, Ralph P.; Forman, William R.; Jones, Christine; Irwin, Jimmy A.; Randall, Scott W.; Churazov, Eugene

2017-10-01

The Fornax Cluster is a low-mass cool-core galaxy cluster. We present a deep Chandra study of NGC 1399, the central dominant elliptical galaxy of Fornax. The cluster center harbors two symmetric X-ray cavities coincident with a pair of radio lobes fed by two collimated jets along a north-south axis. A temperature map reveals that the active galactic nucleus (AGN) outburst has created a channel filled with cooler gas out to a radius of 10 kpc. The cavities are surrounded by cool bright rims and filaments that may have been lifted from smaller radii by the buoyant bubbles. X-ray imaging suggests a potential ghost bubble of ≳5 kpc diameter to the northwest. We find that the amount of gas lifted by AGN bubbles is comparable to that which would otherwise cool, demonstrating that AGN-driven outflow is effective in offsetting cooling in low-mass clusters. The cluster cooling timescale is > 30 times longer than the dynamical timescale, which is consistent with the lack of cold molecular gas at the cluster center. The X-ray hydrostatic mass is consistent within 10%, with the total mass derived from the optical data. The observed entropy profile rises linearly, following a steeper slope than that observed at the centers of massive clusters; gas shed by stars in NGC 1399 may be incorporated in the hot phase. However, it is far-fetched for supernova-driven outflow to produce and maintain the thermal distribution in NGC 1399, and it is in tension with the metal content in the hot gas.

Mass distribution in galaxy clusters: the role of Active Galactic Nuclei feedback

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Teyssier, Romain; Moore, Ben; Martizzi, Davide; Dubois, Yohan; Mayer, Lucio

2011-06-01

We use 1-kpc resolution cosmological Adaptive Mesh Refinement (AMR) simulations of a Virgo-like galaxy cluster to investigate the effect of feedback from supermassive black holes on the mass distribution of dark matter, gas and stars. We compared three different models: (i) a standard galaxy formation model featuring gas cooling, star formation and supernovae feedback, (ii) a 'quenching' model for which star formation is artificially suppressed in massive haloes and finally (iii) the recently proposed active galactic nucleus (AGN) feedback model of Booth and Schaye. Without AGN feedback (even in the quenching case), our simulated cluster suffers from a strong overcooling problem, with a stellar mass fraction significantly above observed values in M87. The baryon distribution is highly concentrated, resulting in a strong adiabatic contraction (AC) of dark matter. With AGN feedback, on the contrary, the stellar mass in the brightest cluster galaxy (BCG) lies below observational estimates and the overcooling problem disappears. The stellar mass of the BCG is seen to increase with increasing mass resolution, suggesting that our stellar masses converge to the correct value from below. The gas and total mass distributions are in better agreement with observations. We also find a slight deficit (˜10 per cent) of baryons at the virial radius, due to the combined effect of AGN-driven convective motions in the inner parts and shock waves in the outer regions, pushing gas to Mpc scales and beyond. This baryon deficit results in a slight adiabatic expansion of the dark matter distribution that can be explained quantitatively by AC theory.

Cosmic-Ray Feedback Heating of the Intracluster Medium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ruszkowski, Mateusz; Yang, H.-Y. Karen; Reynolds, Christopher S.

2017-07-01

Active galactic nuclei (AGNs) play a central role in solving the decades-old cooling-flow problem. Although there is consensus that AGNs provide the energy to prevent catastrophically large star formation, one major problem remains: How is the AGN energy thermalized in the intracluster medium (ICM)? We perform a suite of three-dimensional magnetohydrodynamical adaptive mesh refinement simulations of AGN feedback in a cool core cluster including cosmic rays (CRs). CRs are supplied to the ICM via collimated AGN jets and subsequently disperse in the magnetized ICM via streaming, and interact with the ICM via hadronic, Coulomb, and streaming instability heating. We find that CR transport is an essential model ingredient at least within the context of the physical model considered here. When streaming is included, (I) CRs come into contact with the ambient ICM and efficiently heat it, (II) streaming instability heating dominates over Coulomb and hadronic heating, (III) the AGN is variable and the atmosphere goes through low-/high-velocity dispersion cycles, and, importantly, (IV) CR pressure support in the cool core is very low and does not demonstrably violate observational constraints. However, when streaming is ignored, CR energy is not efficiently spent on the ICM heating and CR pressure builds up to a significant level, creating tension with the observations. Overall, we demonstrate that CR heating is a viable channel for the AGN energy thermalization in clusters and likely also in ellipticals, and that CRs play an important role in determining AGN intermittency and the dynamical state of cool cores.

Cosmic-Ray Feedback Heating of the Intracluster Medium

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ruszkowski, Mateusz; Yang, H.-Y. Karen; Reynolds, Christopher S., E-mail: mateuszr@umich.edu, E-mail: hsyang@astro.umd.edu, E-mail: chris@astro.umd.edu

2017-07-20

Active galactic nuclei (AGNs) play a central role in solving the decades-old cooling-flow problem. Although there is consensus that AGNs provide the energy to prevent catastrophically large star formation, one major problem remains: How is the AGN energy thermalized in the intracluster medium (ICM)? We perform a suite of three-dimensional magnetohydrodynamical adaptive mesh refinement simulations of AGN feedback in a cool core cluster including cosmic rays (CRs). CRs are supplied to the ICM via collimated AGN jets and subsequently disperse in the magnetized ICM via streaming, and interact with the ICM via hadronic, Coulomb, and streaming instability heating. We findmore » that CR transport is an essential model ingredient at least within the context of the physical model considered here. When streaming is included, (i) CRs come into contact with the ambient ICM and efficiently heat it, (ii) streaming instability heating dominates over Coulomb and hadronic heating, (iii) the AGN is variable and the atmosphere goes through low-/high-velocity dispersion cycles, and, importantly, (iv) CR pressure support in the cool core is very low and does not demonstrably violate observational constraints. However, when streaming is ignored, CR energy is not efficiently spent on the ICM heating and CR pressure builds up to a significant level, creating tension with the observations. Overall, we demonstrate that CR heating is a viable channel for the AGN energy thermalization in clusters and likely also in ellipticals, and that CRs play an important role in determining AGN intermittency and the dynamical state of cool cores.« less

From the Blazar Sequence to the Blazar Envelope: Revisiting the Relativistic Jet Dichotomy in Radio-Loud AGN

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Meyer, Eileen T.; Fossati, Giovanini; Georganopoulos, Markos; Lister, Matthew L.

2012-01-01

We revisit the concept of a blazar sequence that relates the synchrotron peak frequency (Vpeak) in blazars with synchrotron peak luminosity (Lpeak, in vLv) using a large sample of radio-loud AGN. We present observational evidence that the blazar sequence is formed from two populations in the synchrotron Vpeak - Lpeak plane, each forming an upper edge to an envelope of progressively misaligned blazars, and connecting to an adjacent group of radio galaxies having jets viewed at much larger angles to the line of sight. When binned by jet kinetic power (Lkin; as measured through a scaling relationship with extended radio power), we find that radio core dominance decreases with decreasing synchrotron Lpeak, revealing that sources in the envelope are generally more misaligned. We find population-based evidence of velocity gradients in jets at low kinetic powers (approximately 10(exp 42) - 10(exp 44.5) erg s(exp -1)), corresponding to FR I radio galaxies and most BL Lacs. These low jet power 'weak jet' sources, thought to exhibit radiatively inefficient accretion, are distinguished from the population of non-decelerating, low synchrotron-peaking (LSP) blazars and FR II radio galaxies ('strong' jets) which are thought to exhibit radiatively efficient accretion. The two-population interpretation explains the apparent contradiction of the existence of highly core-dominated, low-power blazars at both low and high synchrotron peak frequencies, and further implies that most intermediate synchrotron peak (ISP) sources are not intermediate in intrinsic jet power between LSP and high synchrotron-peaking (HSP) sources, but are more misaligned versions of HSP sources with similar jet powers.

Extended X-ray emission in the IC 2497 - Hanny's Voorwerp system: energy injection in the gas around a fading AGN

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sartori, Lia F.; Schawinski, Kevin; Koss, Michael; Treister, Ezequiel; Maksym, W. Peter; Keel, William C.; Urry, C. Megan; Lintott, Chris J.; Wong, O. Ivy

2016-04-01

We present deep Chandra X-ray observations of the core of IC 2497, the galaxy associated with Hanny's Voorwerp and hosting a fading AGN. We find extended soft X-ray emission from hot gas around the low intrinsic luminosity (unobscured) AGN (Lbol ˜ 1042-1044 erg s-1). The temperature structure in the hot gas suggests the presence of a bubble or cavity around the fading AGN ({{E}}_bub ˜ 10^{54}{-}10^{55} erg). A possible scenario is that this bubble is inflated by the fading AGN, which after changing accretion state is now in a kinetic mode. Other possibilities are that the bubble has been inflated by the past luminous quasar (Lbol ˜ 1046 erg s-1), or that the temperature gradient is an indication of a shock front from a superwind driven by the AGN. We discuss the possible scenarios and the implications for the AGN-host galaxy interaction, as well as an analogy between AGN and X-ray binaries lifecycles. We conclude that the AGN could inject mechanical energy into the host galaxy at the end of its lifecycle, and thus provide a source for mechanical feedback, in a similar way as observed for X-ray binaries.

Small jets in radio-loud hot DOGs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lonsdale, C. J.; Whittle, M.; Trapp, A.; Patil, P.; Lonsdale, C. J.; Thorp, R.; Lacy, M.; Kimball, A. E.; Blain, A.; Jones, S.; Kim, M.

2016-02-01

We address the impact of young radio jets on the ISM and star formation in a sample of radiatively efficient, highly obscured, radio AGN with look back times that place them near the peak of the galaxy and BH building era, z˜ 1-3. By selecting systems with a high mid-infrared (MIR) luminosity we aim to identify radiatively efficient (``quasar-mode'' or ``radiative-mode") AGN in a peak fueling phase, and by selecting compact radio sources we favor young or re-generated radio jets which are confined within the hosts. By selecting AGN which are very red through the optical-MIR we favor highly obscured systems likely to have been recently merger-triggered and still in the pre-blow-out phase of AGN feedback into the surrounding ISM. ALMA imaging at 345 GHz of 49 sources has revealed that they are accretion dominated, relative to star formation, with luminosities reaching 1014 L⊙. Extensive VLA imaging at 8-10 GHz in both A-array and B-array for 155 sources reveals that the majority of these powerful radio systems are compact on < 2-5 kpc scales while some have resolved structures on 3-25 kpc scales, and a small number have giant radio lobes on hundreds of kpc scales. The majority of the GHz range radio SEDs are typical of optically thin synchrotron, however for the 34 sources with data at more than 2 frequencies, 40 % are likely to be CSS, GPS, or HFP sources. VLBA imaging of 62 sources reveals varied morphologies, from unresolved sources to complex multicomponent 1-10 mas scale structures. Data from ALMA, VLA, and VLBA

Constraining Feedback in Galaxy Formation: Using Galaxy and AGN Surveys to Shed Light on ``Gastrophysics"

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Monaco, P.

2007-12-01

We present some results of the new MORGANA model for the rise of galaxies and active nuclei, and show that the improved physical motivation of the description of star formation and feedback allows to get hints on the physical processes at play. We propose that the high level of turbulence in star-forming bulges is at the base of the observed downsizing of AGNs. In this framework it is also possible to reproduce the recently obtained evidence that most low-redshift accretion is powered by relatively massive, slowly accreting black holes. Besides, we notice that many galaxy formation models (including MORGANA) fail to reproduce a basic observable, namely the number density of 10^{11} M_⊙ galaxies at z˜1, as traced by the GOODS-MUSIC sample. This points to a possibly missing ingredient in the modeling of stellar feedback.

Ultra-fast outflows (aka UFOs) from AGNs and QSOs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cappi, M.; Tombesi, F.; Giustini, M.

During the last decade, strong observational evidence has been accumulated for the existence of massive, high velocity winds/outflows (aka Ultra Fast Outflows, UFOs) in nearby AGNs and in more distant quasars. Here we briefly review some of the most recent developments in this field and discuss the relevance of UFOs for both understanding the physics of accretion disk winds in AGNs, and for quantifying the global amount of AGN feedback on the surrounding medium.

Simulated star formation rate functions at z ˜ 4-7, and the role of feedback in high-z galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tescari, E.; Katsianis, A.; Wyithe, J. S. B.; Dolag, K.; Tornatore, L.; Barai, P.; Viel, M.; Borgani, S.

2014-03-01

We study the role of feedback from supernovae (SN) and black holes in the evolution of the star formation rate function (SFRF) of z ˜ 4-7 galaxies. We use a new set of cosmological hydrodynamic simulations, ANGUS (AustraliaN GADGET-3 early Universe Simulations), run with a modified and improved version of the parallel TreePM-smoothed particle hydrodynamics code GADGET-3 called P-GADGET3(XXL), that includes a self-consistent implementation of stellar evolution and metal enrichment. In our simulations both SN-driven galactic winds and active galactic nuclei (AGN) act simultaneously in a complex interplay. The SFRF is insensitive to feedback prescription at z > 5, meaning that it cannot be used to discriminate between feedback models during reionization. However, the SFRF is sensitive to the details of feedback prescription at lower redshift. By exploring different SN-driven wind velocities and regimes for the AGN feedback, we find that the key factor for reproducing the observed SFRFs is a combination of `strong' SN winds and early AGN feedback in low-mass galaxies. Conversely, we show that the choice of initial mass function and inclusion of metal cooling have less impact on the evolution of the SFRF. When variable winds are considered, we find that a non-aggressive wind scaling is needed to reproduce the SFRFs at z ≳ 4. Otherwise, the amount of objects with low SFRs is greatly suppressed and at the same time winds are not effective enough in the most massive systems.

The nature and energetics of AGN-driven perturbations in the hot gas in the Perseus Cluster

DOE PAGES

Zhuravleva, I.; Churazov, E.; Arevalo, P.; ...

2016-03-07

In this paper, cores of relaxed galaxy clusters are often disturbed by AGN. Their Chandra observations revealed a wealth of structures induced by shocks, subsonic gas motions, bubbles of relativistic plasma, etc. In this paper, we determine the nature and energy content of gas fluctuations in the Perseus core by probing statistical properties of emissivity fluctuations imprinted in the soft- and hard-band X-ray images. About 80 per cent of the total variance of perturbations on ~8–70 kpc scales in the core have an isobaric nature, i.e. are consistent with subsonic displacements of the gas in pressure equilibrium with the ambientmore » medium. The observed variance translates to the ratio of energy in perturbations to thermal energy of ~13 per cent. In the region dominated by weak ‘ripples’, about half of the total variance is associated with isobaric perturbations on scales of a few tens of kpc. If these isobaric perturbations are induced by buoyantly rising bubbles, then these results suggest that most of the AGN-injected energy should first go into bubbles rather than into shocks. Using simulations of a shock propagating through the Perseus atmosphere, we found that models reproducing the observed features of a central shock have more than 50 per cent of the AGN-injected energy associated with the bubble enthalpy and only about 20 per cent is carried away with the shock. Such energy partition is consistent with the AGN-feedback model, mediated by bubbles of relativistic plasma, and supports the importance of turbulence in the cooling–heating balance.« less

The nature and energetics of AGN-driven perturbations in the hot gas in the Perseus Cluster

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zhuravleva, I.; Churazov, E.; Arevalo, P.

In this paper, cores of relaxed galaxy clusters are often disturbed by AGN. Their Chandra observations revealed a wealth of structures induced by shocks, subsonic gas motions, bubbles of relativistic plasma, etc. In this paper, we determine the nature and energy content of gas fluctuations in the Perseus core by probing statistical properties of emissivity fluctuations imprinted in the soft- and hard-band X-ray images. About 80 per cent of the total variance of perturbations on ~8–70 kpc scales in the core have an isobaric nature, i.e. are consistent with subsonic displacements of the gas in pressure equilibrium with the ambientmore » medium. The observed variance translates to the ratio of energy in perturbations to thermal energy of ~13 per cent. In the region dominated by weak ‘ripples’, about half of the total variance is associated with isobaric perturbations on scales of a few tens of kpc. If these isobaric perturbations are induced by buoyantly rising bubbles, then these results suggest that most of the AGN-injected energy should first go into bubbles rather than into shocks. Using simulations of a shock propagating through the Perseus atmosphere, we found that models reproducing the observed features of a central shock have more than 50 per cent of the AGN-injected energy associated with the bubble enthalpy and only about 20 per cent is carried away with the shock. Such energy partition is consistent with the AGN-feedback model, mediated by bubbles of relativistic plasma, and supports the importance of turbulence in the cooling–heating balance.« less

Galaxy Zoo: evidence for rapid, recent quenching within a population of AGN host galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smethurst, R. J.; Lintott, C. J.; Simmons, B. D.; Schawinski, K.; Bamford, S. P.; Cardamone, C. N.; Kruk, S. J.; Masters, K. L.; Urry, C. M.; Willett, K. W.; Wong, O. I.

2016-12-01

We present a population study of the star formation history of 1244 Type 2 active galactic nuclei (AGN) host galaxies, compared to 6107 inactive galaxies. A Bayesian method is used to determine individual galaxy star formation histories, which are then collated to visualize the distribution for quenching and quenched galaxies within each population. We find evidence for some of the Type 2 AGN host galaxies having undergone a rapid drop in their star formation rate within the last 2 Gyr. AGN feedback is therefore important at least for this population of galaxies. This result is not seen for the quenching and quenched inactive galaxies whose star formation histories are dominated by the effects of downsizing at earlier epochs, a secondary effect for the AGN host galaxies. We show that histories of rapid quenching cannot account fully for the quenching of all the star formation in a galaxy's lifetime across the population of quenched AGN host galaxies, and that histories of slower quenching, attributed to secular (non-violent) evolution, are also key in their evolution. This is in agreement with recent results showing that both merger-driven and non-merger processes are contributing to the co-evolution of galaxies and supermassive black holes. The availability of gas in the reservoirs of a galaxy, and its ability to be replenished, appear to be the key drivers behind this co-evolution.

AGN feedback and the origin of the α enhancement in early-type galaxies - insights from the GAEA model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

De Lucia, Gabriella; Fontanot, Fabio; Hirschmann, Michaela

2017-03-01

We take advantage of our recently published model for GAlaxy Evolution and Assembly (GAEA) to study the origin of the observed correlation between [α/Fe] and galaxy stellar mass. In particular, we analyse the role of radio-mode active galactic nuclei (AGN) feedback, which recent work has identified as a crucial ingredient to reproduce observations. In GAEA, this process introduces the observed trend of star formation histories extending over shorter time-scales for more massive galaxies, but does not provide a sufficient condition to reproduce the observed α enhancements of massive galaxies. In the framework of our model, this is possible only by assuming that any residual star formation is truncated for galaxies more massive than 1010.5 M⊙. This results, however, in even shorter star formation time-scales for the most massive galaxies, which translate in total stellar metallicities significantly lower than observed. Our results demonstrate that (I) trends of [α/Fe] ratios cannot be simply converted into relative time-scale indicators; and (II) AGN feedback cannot explain alone the positive correlation between [α/Fe] and galaxy mass/velocity dispersion. Reproducing simultaneously the mass-metallicity relation and the α enhancements observed pose a challenge for hierarchical models, unless more exotic solutions are adopted such as metal-rich winds or a variable initial mass function.

Probing the gas fuelling and outflows in nearby AGN with ALMA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Audibert, Anelise; Combes, Françoise; García-Burillo, Santiago; Salomé, Philippe

2017-12-01

Feeding and feedback in AGN play a very important role to gain a proper understanding of galaxy formation and evolution. The interaction between activity mechanisms in the nucleus and its influence in the host galaxy are related to the physical processes involved in feedback and the gas fuelling of the black hole. The discovery of many massive molecular outflows in the last few years have been promoting the idea that winds may be major actors in sweeping the gas out of galaxies. Also, the widely observed winds from the central regions of AGN are promising candidates to explain the scaling relations (e.g. the black hole-bulge mass relation, BH accretion rate tracking the star formation history) under the AGN feedback scenario. Out goal is to probe these phenomena through the kinematic and morphology of the gas inside the central kpc in nearby AGN. This has recently been possible due to the unprecedented ALMA spatial resolution and sensitivity. We present results on NGC7213 and NGC1808, the latter is part of a new ALMA follow-up of the NuGa project, a previous high-resolution (0.5-1”) CO survey of low luminosity AGN performed with the IRAM PdBI.

Spherical accretion in giant elliptical galaxies: multi-transonicity, shocks, and implications on AGN feedback

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Raychaudhuri, Sananda; Ghosh, Shubhrangshu; Joarder, Partha S.

2018-06-01

Isolated massive elliptical galaxies, or that are present at the center of cool-core clusters, are believed to be powered by hot gas accretion directly from their surrounding hot X-ray emitting gaseous medium. This leads to a giant Bondi-type spherical/quasi-spherical accretion flow onto their host SMBHs, with the accretion flow region extending well beyond the Bondi radius. In this work, we present a detailed study of Bondi-type spherical flow in the context of these massive ellipticals by incorporating the effect of entire gravitational potential of the host galaxy in the presence of cosmological constant Λ, considering a five-component galactic system (SMBH + stellar + dark matter + hot gas + Λ). The current work is an extension of Ghosh & Banik (2015), who studied only the cosmological aspect of the problem. The galactic contribution to the potential renders the (adiabatic) spherical flow to become multi-transonic in nature, with the flow topology and flow structure significantly deviating from that of classical Bondi solution. More notably, corresponding to moderate to higher values of galactic mass-to-light ratios, we obtain Rankine-Hugoniot shocks in spherical wind flows. Galactic potential enhances the Bondi accretion rate. Our study reveals that there is a strict lower limit of ambient temperature below which no Bondi accretion can be triggered; which is as high as ˜9 × 106 K for flows from hot ISM-phase, indicating that the hot phase tightly regulates the fueling of host nucleus. Our findings may have wider implications, particularly in the context of outflow/jet dynamics, and radio-AGN feedback, associated with these massive galaxies in the contemporary Universe.

Battery-Powered RF Pre-Ionization System for the Caltech Magnetohydrodynamically-Driven Jet Experiment: RF Discharge Properties and MHD-Driven Jet Dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chaplin, Vernon H.

This thesis describes investigations of two classes of laboratory plasmas with rather different properties: partially ionized low pressure radiofrequency (RF) discharges, and fully ionized high density magnetohydrodynamically (MHD)-driven jets. An RF pre-ionization system was developed to enable neutral gas breakdown at lower pressures and create hotter, faster jets in the Caltech MHD-Driven Jet Experiment. The RF plasma source used a custom pulsed 3 kW 13.56 MHz RF power amplifier that was powered by AA batteries, allowing it to safely float at 4-6 kV with the cathode of the jet experiment. The argon RF discharge equilibrium and transport properties were analyzed, and novel jet dynamics were observed. Although the RF plasma source was conceived as a wave-heated helicon source, scaling measurements and numerical modeling showed that inductive coupling was the dominant energy input mechanism. A one-dimensional time-dependent fluid model was developed to quantitatively explain the expansion of the pre-ionized plasma into the jet experiment chamber. The plasma transitioned from an ionizing phase with depressed neutral emission to a recombining phase with enhanced emission during the course of the experiment, causing fast camera images to be a poor indicator of the density distribution. Under certain conditions, the total visible and infrared brightness and the downstream ion density both increased after the RF power was turned off. The time-dependent emission patterns were used for an indirect measurement of the neutral gas pressure. The low-mass jets formed with the aid of the pre-ionization system were extremely narrow and collimated near the electrodes, with peak density exceeding that of jets created without pre-ionization. The initial neutral gas distribution prior to plasma breakdown was found to be critical in determining the ultimate jet structure. The visible radius of the dense central jet column was several times narrower than the axial current channel

A POWERFUL AGN OUTBURST IN RBS 797

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cavagnolo, K. W.; McNamara, B. R.; Wise, M. W.

2011-05-10

Utilizing {approx}50 ks of Chandra X-Ray Observatory imaging, we present an analysis of the intracluster medium (ICM) and cavity system in the galaxy cluster RBS 797. In addition to the two previously known cavities in the cluster core, the new and deeper X-ray image has revealed additional structure associated with the active galactic nucleus (AGN). The surface brightness decrements of the two cavities are unusually large and are consistent with elongated cavities lying close to our line of sight. We estimate a total AGN outburst energy and mean jet power of {approx}(3-6) x 10{sup 60} erg and {approx}(3-6) x 10{supmore » 45} erg s{sup -1}, respectively, depending on the assumed geometrical configuration of the cavities. Thus, RBS 797 is apparently among the most powerful AGN outbursts known in a cluster. The average mass accretion rate needed to power the AGN by accretion alone is {approx}1 M{sub sun} yr{sup -1}. We show that accretion of cold gas onto the AGN at this level is plausible, but that Bondi accretion of the hot atmosphere is probably not. The brightest cluster galaxy (BCG) harbors an unresolved, non-thermal nuclear X-ray source with a bolometric luminosity of {approx}2 x 10{sup 44} erg s{sup -1}. The nuclear emission is probably associated with a rapidly accreting, radiatively inefficient accretion flow. We present tentative evidence that star formation in the BCG is being triggered by the radio jets and suggest that the cavities may be driving weak shocks (M {approx} 1.5) into the ICM, similar to the process in the galaxy cluster MS 0735.6+7421.« less

AGN feedback on molecular gas reservoirs in quasars at z 2.4

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carniani, S.; Marconi, A.; Maiolino, R.; Feruglio, C.; Brusa, M.; Cresci, G.; Cano-Díaz, M.; Cicone, C.; Balmaverde, B.; Fiore, F.; Ferrara, A.; Gallerani, S.; La Franca, F.; Mainieri, V.; Mannucci, F.; Netzer, H.; Piconcelli, E.; Sani, E.; Schneider, R.; Shemmer, O.; Testi, L.

2017-09-01

We present new ALMA observations aimed at mapping molecular gas reservoirs through the CO(3-2) transition in three quasars at z ≃ 2.4, LBQS 0109+0213, 2QZ J002830.4-281706, and [HB89] 0329-385. Previous [Oiii]λ5007 observations of these quasars showed evidence for ionised outflows quenching star formation in their host galaxies. Systemic CO(3-2) emission has been detected only in one quasar, LBQS 0109+0213, where the CO(3-2) emission is spatially anti-correlated with the ionised outflow, suggesting that most of the molecular gas may have been dispersed or heated in the region swept by the outflow. In all three sources, including the one detected in CO, our constraints on the molecular gas mass indicate a significantly reduced reservoir compared to main-sequence galaxies at the same redshift, supporting a negative feedback scenario. In the quasar 2QZ J002830.4-281706, we tentatively detect an emission line blob blue-shifted by v - 2000 km s-1 with respect to the galaxy systemic velocity and spatially offset by 0.2'' (1.7 kpc) with respect to the ALMA continuum peak. Interestingly, such emission feature is coincident in both velocity and space with the ionised outflow as seen in [Oiii]λ5007. This tentative detection must be confirmed with deeper observations but, if real, it could represent the molecular counterpart of the ionised gas outflow driven by the Active Galactic Nucleus (AGN). Finally, in all ALMA maps we detect the presence of serendipitous line emitters within a projected distance 160 kpc from the quasars. By identifying these features with the CO(3-2) transition, we find that the serendipitous line emitters would be located within | Δv | < 500 km s-1 from the quasars, hence suggesting an overdensity of galaxies in two out of three quasars.

Jet Mixing Enhancement by Feedback Control

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Glauser, Mark; Taylor, Jeffrey

1999-01-01

The objective of this work has been to produce methodologies for high speed jet noise reduction based on natural mechanisms and enhanced feedback control to affect frequencies and structures in a prescribed manner. In this effort the two-point hot wire measurements obtained in the Langley jet facility by Ukeiley were used in conjuction with linear stochastic estimation (LSE) to implement the LSE component of the complementary technique. This method combines the Proper Orthogonal Decomposition (POD) and LSE to provide an experimental low dimensional time dependent description of the flow field. From such a description it should be possible to identify short time high strain rate events in the jet which contribute to the noise. The main task completed for this effort is summarized: LSE experiments were performed at the downstream locations where the two point hot wire measurements have been obtained by Ukeiley. These experiments involved sampling simultaneously hot wire signals from a relatively course spatial grid in gamma and theta. From this simultaneous data, coupled with the two-point measurements of Ukeiley via the LSE components of the complementary technique, an experimental low dimensional description of the jet at 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 diameters downstream was obtained for Mach numbers of 0.3 and 0.6. We first present an overview of the theory involved. We finish up with a statement of the work performed and finally provide charts from a 1999 APS talk which summarizes the results.

Gas kinematics in powerful radio galaxies at z 2: Energy supply from star formation, AGN, and radio jets⋆

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nesvadba, N. P. H.; Drouart, G.; De Breuck, C.; Best, P.; Seymour, N.; Vernet, J.

2017-04-01

We compare the kinetic energy and momentum injection rates from intense star formation, bolometric AGN radiation, and radio jets with the kinetic energy and momentum observed in the warm ionized gas in 24 powerful radio galaxies at z 2. These galaxies are among our best candidates for being massive galaxies near the end of their active formation period, when intense star formation, quasar activity, and powerful radio jets all co-exist. All galaxies have VLT/SINFONI imaging spectroscopy of the rest-frame optical line emission, showing extended emission-line regions with large velocity offsets (up to 1500 km s-1) and line widths (typically 800-1000 km s-1) consistent with very turbulent, often outflowing gas. As part of the HeRGÉ sample, they also have FIR estimates of the star formation and quasar activity obtained with Herschel/PACS and SPIRE, which enables us to measure the relative energy and momentum release from each of the three main sources of feedback in massive, star-forming AGN host galaxies during their most rapid formation phase. We find that star formation falls short by factors 10-1000 of providing the energy and momentum necessary to power the observed gas kinematics. The obscured quasars in the nuclei of these galaxies provide enough energy and momentum in about half of the sample, however, only if both are transferred to the gas relatively efficiently. We compare with theoretical and observational constraints on the efficiency of the energy and momentum transfer from jet and AGN radiation, which favors the radio jets as main drivers of the gas kinematics. Based on observations carried out with the Very Large Telescope of ESO under Program IDs 079.A-0617, 084.A-0324, 085.A-0897, and 090.A-0614.Herschel is an ESA space observatory with science instruments provided by European-led Principal Investigator consortia and with important participation from NASA.

AGN Luminosity and Stellar Age: Two Missing Ingredients for AGN Unification as Seen with iPTF Supernovae

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Villarroel, Beatriz; Nyholm, Anders; Karlsson, Torgny; Comerón, Sébastien; Korn, Andreas J.; Sollerman, Jesper; Zackrisson, Erik

2017-03-01

Active galactic nuclei (AGNs) are extremely powerful cosmic objects, driven by accretion of hot gas upon super-massive black holes. The zoo of AGN classes is divided into two major groups, with Type-1 AGNs displaying broad Balmer emission lines and Type-2 narrow ones. For a long time it was believed that a Type-2 AGN is a Type-1 AGN viewed through a dusty kiloparsec-sized torus, but an emerging body of observations suggests more than just the viewing angle matters. Here we report significant differences in supernova (SN) counts and classes in the first study to date of SNe near Type-1 and Type-2 AGN host galaxies, using data from the intermediate Palomar Transient Factory, the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 7, and Galaxy Zoo. We detect many more SNe in Type-2 AGN hosts (size of effect ˜5.1σ) compared to Type-1 hosts, which shows that the two classes of AGN are located inside host galaxies with different properties. In addition, Type-1 and Type-2 AGNs that are dominated by star formation according to Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer colors {m}W1-{m}W2< 0.5 and are matched in 22 μm absolute magnitude differ by a factor of ten in L[O III] λ5007 luminosity, suggesting that when residing in similar types of host galaxies Type-1 AGNs are much more luminous. Our results demonstrate two more factors that play an important role in completing the current picture: the age of stellar populations and the AGN luminosity. This has immediate consequences for understanding the many AGN classes and galaxy evolution.

Screech tones from free and ducted supersonic jets

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tam, C. K. W.; Ahuja, K. K.; Jones, R. R., III

1994-01-01

It is well known that screech tones from supersonic jets are generated by a feedback loop. The loop consists of three main components. They are the downstream propagating instability wave, the shock cell structure in the jet plume, and the feedback acoustic waves immediately outside the jet. Evidence will be presented to show that the screech frequency is largely controlled by the characteristics of the feedback acoustic waves. The feedback loop is driven by the instability wave of the jet. Thus the tone intensity and its occurrence are dictated by the characteristics of the instability wave. In this paper the dependence of the instability wave spectrum on the azimuthal mode number (axisymmetric or helical/flapping mode, etc.), the jet-to-ambient gas temperature ratio, and the jet Mach number are studied. The results of this study provide an explanation for the observed screech tone mode switch phenomenon (changing from axisymmetric to helical mode as Mach number increases) and the often-cited experimental observation that tone intensity reduces with increase in jet temperature. For ducted supersonic jets screech tones can also be generated by feedback loops formed by the coupling of normal duct modes to instability waves of the jet. The screech frequencies are dictated by the frequencies of the duct modes. Super resonance, resonance involving very large pressure oscillations, can occur when the feedback loop is powered by the most amplified instability wave. It is proposed that the observed large amplitude pressure fluctuations and tone in the test cells of Arnold Engineering Development Center were generated by super resonance. Estimated super-resonance frequency for a Mach 1.3 axisymmetric jet tested in the facility agrees well with measurement.

Astrophysical ZeV acceleration in the relativistic jet from an accreting supermassive blackhole

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ebisuzaki, Toshikazu; Tajima, Toshiki

2014-04-01

An accreting supermassive blackhole, the central engine of active galactic nucleus (AGN), is capable of exciting extreme amplitude Alfven waves whose wavelength (wave packet) size is characterized by its clumpiness. The pondermotive force and wakefield are driven by these Alfven waves propagating in the AGN (blazar) jet, and accelerate protons/nuclei to extreme energies beyond Zetta-electron volt (ZeV=1021 eV). Such acceleration is prompt, localized, and does not suffer from the multiple scattering/bending enveloped in the Fermi acceleration that causes excessive synchrotron radiation loss beyond 1019 eV. The production rate of ZeV cosmic rays is found to be consistent with the observed gamma-ray luminosity function of blazars and their time variabilities.

AGN jet power, formation of X-ray cavities, and FR I/II dichotomy in galaxy clusters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fujita, Yutaka; Kawakatu, Nozomu; Shlosman, Isaac

2016-04-01

We investigate the ability of jets in active galactic nuclei to break out of the ambient gas with sufficiently large advance velocities. Using observationally estimated jet power, we analyze 28 bright elliptical galaxies in nearby galaxy clusters. Because the gas density profiles in the innermost regions of galaxies have not been resolved so far, we consider two extreme cases for temperature and density profiles. We also follow two types of evolution for the jet cocoons: being driven by the pressure inside the cocoon [Fanaroff-Riley (FR) type I], and being driven by the jet momentum (FR type II). Our main result is that regardless of the assumed form of the density profiles, jets with observed powers of ≲1044 erg s-1 are not powerful enough to evolve as FR II sources. Instead, they evolve as FR I sources and appear to be decelerated below the buoyant velocities of the cocoons when jets were propagating through the central dense regions of the host galaxies. This explains why FR I sources are more frequent than FR II sources in clusters. Furthermore, we predict the sizes of X-ray cavities from the observed jet powers and compare them with the observed ones-they are consistent within a factor of two if the FR I type evolution is realized. Finally, we find that the jets with a power ≳1044 erg s-1 are less affected by the ambient medium, and some of them, but not all, could serve as precursors of the FR II sources.

The imprints of the last jets in core collapse supernovae

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bear, Ealeal; Grichener, Aldana; Soker, Noam

2017-12-01

We analyse the morphologies of three core collapse supernova remnants (CCSNRs) and the energy of jets in other CCSNRs and in Super Luminous Supernovae (SLSNe) of type Ib/Ic/IIb, and conclude that these properties are well explained by the last jets' episode as expected in the jet feedback explosion mechanism of core collapse supernovae (CCSNe). The presence of two opposite protrusions, termed ears, and our comparison of the CCSNR morphologies with morphologies of planetary nebulae strengthen the claim that jets play a major role in the explosion mechanism of CCSNe. We crudely estimate the energy that was required to inflate the ears in two CCSNRs and assume that the ears were inflated by jets. We find that the energies of the jets which inflated ears in 11 CCSNRs span a range that is similar to that of jets in some energetic CCSNe (SLSNe) and that this energy, only of the last jets' episode, is much less than the explosion energy. This finding is compatible with the jet feedback explosion mechanism of CCSNe, where only the last jets, which carry a small fraction of the total energy carried by earlier jets, are expected to influence the outer parts of the ejecta. We reiterate our call for a paradigm shift from neutrino-driven to jet-driven explosion models of CCSNe.

BAT AGN Spectroscopic Survey - III. An Observed Link Between AGN Eddington Ratio and Narrow-Emission-Line Ratios

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Oh, Kyuseok; Schawinski, Kevin; Koss, Michael; Trakhtenbrot, Benny; Lamperti, Isabella; Ricci, Claudio; Mushotzky, Richard; Veilleux, Sylvain; Berney, Simon; Crenshaw, D. Michael;

The Effect of AGN Heating on the Low-redshift Lyα Forest

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gurvich, Alex; Burkhart, Blakesley; Bird, Simeon

2017-02-01

We investigate the effects of AGN heating and the ultraviolet background on the low-redshift Lyα forest column density distribution (CDD) using the Illustris simulation. We show that Illustris reproduces observations at z = 0.1 in the column density range {10}12.5{--}{10}13.5 cm-2, relevant for the “photon underproduction crisis.” We attribute this to the inclusion of AGN feedback, which changes the gas distribution so as to mimic the effect of extra photons, as well as the use of the Faucher-Giguère ultraviolet background, which is more ionizing at z = 0.1 than the Haardt & Madau background previously considered. We show that the difference between simulations run with smoothed particle hydrodynamics and simulations using a moving mesh is small in this column density range but can be more significant at larger column densities. We further consider the effect of supernova feedback, Voigt profile fitting, and finite resolution, all of which we show to have little influence on the CDD. Finally, we identify a discrepancy between our simulations and observations at column densities {10}14{--}{10}16 cm-2, where Illustris produces too few absorbers, which suggests the AGN feedback model should be further refined. Since the “photon underproduction crisis” primarily affects lower column density systems, we conclude that AGN feedback and standard ionizing background models can resolve the crisis.

The cosmic evolution of massive black holes in the Horizon-AGN simulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Volonteri, M.; Dubois, Y.; Pichon, C.; Devriendt, J.

2016-08-01

We analyse the demographics of black holes (BHs) in the large-volume cosmological hydrodynamical simulation Horizon-AGN. This simulation statistically models how much gas is accreted on to BHs, traces the energy deposited into their environment and, consequently, the back-reaction of the ambient medium on BH growth. The synthetic BHs reproduce a variety of observational constraints such as the redshift evolution of the BH mass density and the mass function. Strong self-regulation via AGN feedback, weak supernova feedback, and unresolved internal processes result in a tight BH-galaxy mass correlation. Starting at z ˜ 2, tidal stripping creates a small population of BHs over-massive with respect to the halo. The fraction of galaxies hosting a central BH or an AGN increases with stellar mass. The AGN fraction agrees better with multi-wavelength studies, than single-wavelength ones, unless obscuration is taken into account. The most massive haloes present BH multiplicity, with additional BHs gained by ongoing or past mergers. In some cases, both a central and an off-centre AGN shine concurrently, producing a dual AGN. This dual AGN population dwindles with decreasing redshift, as found in observations. Specific accretion rate and Eddington ratio distributions are in good agreement with observational estimates. The BH population is dominated in turn by fast, slow, and very slow accretors, with transitions occurring at z = 3 and z = 2, respectively.

Compton Thick AGN in the XMM-COSMOS field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lanzuisi, G.; Perna, M.; Delvecchio, I.; Berta, S.; Brusa, M.; Gruppioni, C.; Comastri, A.

2016-06-01

I will present results we published in two recent papers (Lanzuisi et al. 2015, A&A 573A 137, Lanzuisi et al. 2015, A≈A 578A 120) on the properties of X-ray selected Compton Thick (CT, NH>10^{24} cm^{-2}) AGN, in the XMM-COSMOS survey. We exploited the rich multi-wavelength dataset available in this field, to show that CT AGN tend to harbor smaller, rapidly growing SMBH with respect to unobscured AGN, and have a higher chance of being hosted by star-forming, merging and post-merger systems. We also demonstrated the detectability of even more heavily obscured AGN (NH>10^{25} cm^{-2}), thanks to a truly multi-wavelength approach in the same field, and to the unrivaled XMM sensitivity. The extreme source detected in this way shows strong evidences of ongoing powerful AGN feedback, detected as blue-shifted wings of high ionization optical emission lines such as [NeV] and [FeVII], as well as of the [OIII] emission line. The results obtained from these works point toward a scenario in which highly obscured AGN occupy a peculiar place in the galaxy-AGN co-evolution process, in which both the host and the SMBH rapidly evolve toward the local relations.

Constraints on Jet Formation Mechanisms with the Most Energetic Giant Outbursts in MS 0735+7421

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Shuang-Liang; Cao, Xinwu

2012-07-01

Giant X-ray cavities lie in some active galactic nuclei (AGNs) locating in central galaxies of clusters, which are estimated to have stored 1055-1062 erg of energy. Most of these cavities are thought to be inflated by jets of AGNs on a timescale of >~ 107 years. The jets can be either powered by rotating black holes or the accretion disks surrounding black holes, or both. The observations of giant X-ray cavities can therefore be used to constrain jet formation mechanisms. In this work, we choose the most energetic cavity, MS 0735+7421, with stored energy ~1062 erg, to constrain the jet formation mechanisms and the evolution of the central massive black hole in this source. The bolometric luminosity of the AGN in this cavity is ~10-5 L Edd, however, the mean power of the jet required to inflate the cavity is estimated as ~0.02L Edd, which implies that the source has previously experienced strong outbursts. During outbursts, the jet power and the mass accretion rate should be significantly higher than its present values. We construct an accretion disk model in which the angular momentum and energy carried away by jets are properly included to calculate the spin and mass evolution of the massive black hole. In our calculations, different jet formation mechanisms are employed, and we find that the jets generated with the Blandford-Znajek (BZ) mechanism are unable to produce the giant cavity with ~1062 erg in this source. Only the jets accelerated with a combination of the Blandford-Payne and BZ mechanisms can successfully inflate such a giant cavity if the magnetic pressure is close to equipartition with the total (radiation+gas) pressure of the accretion disk. For a dynamo-generated magnetic field in the disk, such an energetic giant cavity can be inflated by the magnetically driven jets only if the initial black hole spin parameter a 0 >~ 0.95. Our calculations show that the final spin parameter a of the black hole is always ~0.9-0.998 for all the computational

Radiative cooling of swept up gas in AGN-driven galactic winds and its implications for molecular outflows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Richings, Alexander J.; Faucher-Giguére, Claude-André

2018-05-01

We recently used hydro-chemical simulations to demonstrate that molecular outflows observed in luminous quasars can be explained by molecule formation within the AGN wind. However, these simulations cover a limited parameter space, due to their computational cost. We have therefore developed an analytic model to follow cooling in the shocked ISM layer of an AGN wind. We explore different ambient densities (1-104 {cm}^{-3}), density profile slopes (0-1.5), AGN luminosities (1044-10^{47} {erg} {s}^{-1}), and metallicities (0.1-3 Z⊙). The swept up gas mostly cools within ˜1 Myr. Based on our previous simulations, we predict that this gas would produce observable molecular outflows. The instantaneous momentum boost initially increases as the outflow decelerates. However, it reaches a maximum of ≈20, due to work done against the gravitational potential. The predicted time-averaged observational estimate of the molecular outflow momentum boost reaches a maximum of ≈1 -2, partly due to our assumed molecular fraction, 0.2, but also because the instantaneous and observational, time-averaged definitions are not equivalent. Thus recent observational estimates of order unity momentum boosts do not necessarily rule out energy-driven outflows. Finally, we find that dust grains are likely to re-form by accretion of metals after the shocked ISM layer has cooled, assuming that a small fraction of dust grains swept up after this layer has cooled are able to mix into the cool phase, and assuming that grain growth remains efficient in the presence of the strong AGN radiation field. This would enable rapid molecule formation, as assumed in our models.

Compton Thick AGN in the COSMOS field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lanzuisi, Giorgio; Cosmos Collaboration

2015-09-01

I will present the results we published in a couple of recent papers (Lanzuisi et al. 2015, A&A 573A 137, Lanzuisi et al. 2015, arXiv 1505.01153) on the properties of X-ray selected Compton Thick (CT, NH>10^24 cm^-2) AGN, in the COSMOS survey. We exploited the rich multi-wavelength dataset available in this field, to show that CT AGN tend to harbor smaller, rapidly growing SMBH with respect to unobscured AGN, and have a higher chance of being hosted by star-forming, merging and post-merger systems.We also demonstrated the detectability of even more heavily obscured AGN (NH>10^25 cm^-2), thanks to a truly multi-wavelength approach in the same field. The extreme source detected in this way shows strong evidences of ongoing powerful AGN feedback, detected as blue-shifted wings of high ionization optical emission lines such as [NeV] and [FeVII], as well as of the [OIII] emission line.The results obtained from these works point toward a scenario in which highly obscured AGN occupy a peculiar place in the galaxy-AGN co-evolution process, in which both the host and the SMBH rapidly evolve toward the local relations.We will also present estimates on the detectability of such extreme sources up to redshift ~6-7 with Athena. Combining the most up to date models for the Luminosity Function of CT AGN at high z, aggressive data analysis techniques on faint sources, and the current Athena survey design, we demonstrate that we will detect, and recognize as such, a small (few to ten) but incredibly valuable sample of CT AGN at such high redshift.

Can Radio Emission From Luminous Obscured AGN Blow Kpc-scale Ionized Outflows?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goulding, Andy

2017-09-01

We propose joint VLA radio and Chandra X-ray to observe 4 AGN selected from the SDSS-BOSS and the Hyper Suprime-Cam surveys that present spectacular extended outflowing [O III] regions, reaching up to 50kpc in diameter. Our proposed observations allow us to study the mechanical and kinematical output of the AGN through radio and X-ray observations, measure the fraction of the AGN bolometric luminosity that is transferred to the outflow, and to determine the morphology and spectral index (by producing high-res continuum maps) of the radio emission that may be co-spatial with the extended ionized AGN outflow. In turn, our study will determine what role the AGN plays in producing extended outflows, and hence, provide an in-depth understanding of the physical drivers of AGN feedback.

Subgrid Modeling of AGN-driven Turbulence in Galaxy Clusters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scannapieco, Evan; Brüggen, Marcus

2008-10-01

Hot, underdense bubbles powered by active galactic nuclei (AGNs) are likely to play a key role in halting catastrophic cooling in the centers of cool-core galaxy clusters. We present three-dimensional simulations that capture the evolution of such bubbles, using an adaptive mesh hydrodynamic code, FLASH3, to which we have added a subgrid model of turbulence and mixing. While pure hydro simulations indicate that AGN bubbles are disrupted into resolution-dependent pockets of underdense gas, proper modeling of subgrid turbulence indicates that this is a poor approximation to a turbulent cascade that continues far beyond the resolution limit. Instead, Rayleigh-Taylor instabilities act to effectively mix the heated region with its surroundings, while at the same time preserving it as a coherent structure, consistent with observations. Thus, bubbles are transformed into hot clouds of mixed material as they move outward in the hydrostatic intracluster medium (ICM), much as large airbursts lead to a distinctive "mushroom cloud" structure as they rise in the hydrostatic atmosphere of Earth. Properly capturing the evolution of such clouds has important implications for many ICM properties. In particular, it significantly changes the impact of AGNs on the distribution of entropy and metals in cool-core clusters such as Perseus.

VizieR Online Data Catalog: MOJAVE. VIII. Faraday rotation in AGN jets. (Hovatta+, 2012)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hovatta, T.; Lister, M. L.; Aller, M. F.; Aller, H. D.; Homan, D. C.; Kovalev, Yu. Y.; Pushkarev, A. B.; Savolainen, T.

2013-10-01

Our sample consists of 191 AGNs observed within the MOJAVE Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) survey (Lister et al., 2009, cat. J/AJ/137/3718, Paper V). It includes 134 sources of the complete flux density-limited MOJAVE-1 sample. The rest of the sources belong to the MOJAVE-2 sample (http://www.physics.purdue.edu/astro/MOJAVE/allsources.html), which includes sources from the 2cm survey (Kellermann et al. 2004, cat. J/ApJ/609/539), gamma-ray blazars, and other sources with unusual jet properties. The sources were observed with VLBA in 2006 over 12 epochs with about monthly separation, each epoch containing 18 sources (except for epoch 2006 February 12, which included only 14 sources and epoch 2006 April 28, which included 17 sources). The observations were made in dual polarization mode using frequencies centered at 8.104, 8.424 (X band), 12.119, and 15.369GHz (U band). (2 data files).

A (likely) X-ray jet from NGC6217 observed by XMM-Newton

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Falocco, Serena; Larsson, Josefin; Nandi, Sumana

2017-12-01

NGC6217 is a nearby spiral galaxy with a starburst region near its centre. Evidence for a low-luminosity Active Galactic Nucleus (AGN) in its core has also been found in optical spectra. Intriguingly, X-ray observations by ROSAT revealed three knots aligned with the galaxy centre, resembling a jet structure. This paper presents a study of XMM-Newton observations made to assess the hypothesis of a jet emitted from the centre of NGC6217. The XMM data confirm the knots found with ROSAT and our spectral analysis shows that they have similar spectral properties with a hard photon index Γ ∼ 1.7. The core of NGC6217 is well fitted by a model with an AGN and a starburst component, where the AGN contributes at most 46 per cent of the total flux. The candidate jet has an apparent length ∼15 kpc and a luminosity of ∼5 × 1038 erg s- 1. It stands out by being hosted by a spiral galaxy, since jets are more widely associated with ellipticals. To explain the jet launching mechanism we consider the hypothesis of an advection dominated accretion flow with a low accretion rate. The candidate jet emitted from NGC6217 is intriguing since it represents a challenge to the current knowledge of the connection between AGN, jets and host galaxies.

THE PROPAGATION OF NEUTRINO-DRIVEN JETS IN WOLF-RAYET STARS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nagakura, Hiroki, E-mail: hiroki@heap.phys.waseda.ac.jp; Advanced Research Institute for Science and Engineering, Waseda University, 3-4-1 Okubo, Shinjuku, Tokyo 169-8555

We numerically investigate the jet propagation through a rotating collapsing Wolf-Rayet star with detailed central engine physics constructed based on the neutrino-driven collapsar model. The collapsing star determines the evolution of the mass accretion rate, black hole mass, and spin, all of which are important ingredients for determining the jet luminosity. We reveal that neutrino-driven jets in rapidly spinning Wolf-Rayet stars are capable of breaking out from the stellar envelope, while those propagating in slower rotating progenitors fail to break out due to insufficient kinetic power. For progenitor models with successful jet breakouts, the kinetic energy accumulated in the cocoonmore » could be as large as {approx}10{sup 51} erg and might significantly contribute to the luminosity of the afterglow emission or to the kinetic energy of the accompanying supernova if nickel production takes place. We further analyze the post-breakout phase using a simple analytical prescription and conclude that the relativistic jet component could produce events with an isotropic luminosity L {sub p(iso)} {approx} 10{sup 52} erg s{sup -1} and isotropic energy E {sub j(iso)} {approx} 10{sup 54} erg. Our findings support the idea of rapidly rotating Wolf-Rayet stars as plausible progenitors of GRBs, while slowly rotational ones could be responsible for low-luminosity or failed GRBs.« less

Jet-induced star formation in 3C 285 and Minkowski's Object

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Salomé, Q.; Salomé, P.; Combes, F.

2015-02-01

How efficiently star formation proceeds in galaxies is still an open question. Recent studies suggest that active galactic nucleus (AGN) can regulate the gas accretion and thus slow down star formation (negative feedback). However, evidence of AGN positive feedback has also been observed in a few radio galaxies (e.g. Centaurus A, Minkowski's Object, 3C 285, and the higher redshift 4C 41.17). Here we present CO observations of 3C 285 and Minkowski's Object, which are examples of jet-induced star formation. A spot (named 3C 285/09.6 in the present paper) aligned with the 3C 285 radio jet at a projected distance of ~70 kpc from the galaxy centre shows star formation that is detected in optical emission. Minkowski's Object is located along the jet of NGC 541 and also shows star formation. Knowing the distribution of molecular gas along the jets is a way to study the physical processes at play in the AGN interaction with the intergalactic medium. We observed CO lines in 3C 285, NGC 541, 3C 285/09.6, and Minkowski's Object with the IRAM 30 m telescope. In the central galaxies, the spectra present a double-horn profile, typical of a rotation pattern, from which we are able to estimate the molecular gas density profile of the galaxy. The molecular gas appears to be in a compact reservoir, which could be evidence of an early phase of the gas accretion after a recent merger event in 3C 285. No kinematic signature of a molecular outflow is detected by the 30 m telescope. Interestingly, 3C 285/09.6 and Minkowski's Object are not detected in CO. The cold gas mass upper limits are consistent with a star formation induced by the compression of dense ambient material by the jet. The depletion time scales in 3C 285/09.6 and Minkowski's Object are of the order of and even shorter than what is found in 3C 285, NGC 541, and local spiral galaxies (109 yr). The upper limit of the molecular gas surface density in 3C 285/09.6 at least follows a Schmidt-Kennicutt law if the emitting region

Consistency properties of chaotic systems driven by time-delayed feedback

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jüngling, T.; Soriano, M. C.; Oliver, N.; Porte, X.; Fischer, I.

2018-04-01

Consistency refers to the property of an externally driven dynamical system to respond in similar ways to similar inputs. In a delay system, the delayed feedback can be considered as an external drive to the undelayed subsystem. We analyze the degree of consistency in a generic chaotic system with delayed feedback by means of the auxiliary system approach. In this scheme an identical copy of the nonlinear node is driven by exactly the same signal as the original, allowing us to verify complete consistency via complete synchronization. In the past, the phenomenon of synchronization in delay-coupled chaotic systems has been widely studied using correlation functions. Here, we analytically derive relationships between characteristic signatures of the correlation functions in such systems and unequivocally relate them to the degree of consistency. The analytical framework is illustrated and supported by numerical calculations of the logistic map with delayed feedback for different replica configurations. We further apply the formalism to time series from an experiment based on a semiconductor laser with a double fiber-optical feedback loop. The experiment constitutes a high-quality replica scheme for studying consistency of the delay-driven laser and confirms the general theoretical results.

The small observed scale of AGN-driven outflows, and inside-out disc quenching

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zubovas, Kastytis; King, Andrew

2016-11-01

Observations of massive outflows with detectable central active galactic nuclei (AGN) typically find them within radii ≲10 kpc. We show that this apparent size restriction is a natural result of AGN driving if this process injects total energy only of the order of the gas binding energy to the outflow, and the AGN varies over time (`flickers') as suggested in recent work. After the end of all AGN activity, the outflow continues to expand to larger radii, powered by the thermal expansion of the remnant-shocked AGN wind. We suggest that on average, outflows should be detected further from the nucleus in more massive galaxies. In massive gas-rich galaxies, these could be several tens of kpc in radius. We also consider the effect that pressure of such outflows has on a galaxy disc. In moderately gas-rich discs, with gas-to-baryon fraction <0.2, the outflow may induce star formation significant enough to be distinguished from quiescent by an apparently different normalization of the Kennicutt-Schmidt law. The star formation enhancement is probably stronger in the outskirts of galaxy discs, so coasting outflows might be detected by their effects upon the disc even after the driving AGN has shut off. We compare our results to the recent inference of inside-out quenching of star formation in galaxy discs.

X-ray evidence for ultra-fast outflows in AGNs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tombesi, Francesco; Sambruna, Rita; Braito, Valentina; Reeves, James; Reynolds, Christopher; Cappi, Massimo

2012-07-01

X-ray evidence for massive, highly ionized, ultra-fast outflows (UFOs) has been recently reported in a number of AGNs through the detection of blue-shifted Fe XXV/XXVI absorption lines. We present the results of a comprehensive spectral analysis of a large sample of 42 local Seyferts and 5 radio galaxies observed with XMM-Newton and Suzaku. We assessed the global detection significance of the absorption lines and performed a detailed photo-ionization modeling. We find that UFOs are common phenomena, being present in >40% of the sources. Their outflow velocity distribution is in the range ˜0.03--0.3c, with mean value of ˜0.14c. The ionization parameter is very high, in the range logξ˜3--6 erg~s^{-1}~cm, and the associated column densities are also large, in the range ˜10^{22}--10^{24} cm^{-2}. Their location is constrained at ˜0.0003--0.03pc (˜10^2--10^4 r_s) from the central black hole, consistent with what is expected for accretion disk winds/outflows. The mass outflow rates are in the interval ˜0.01--1M_{⊙}~yr^{-1} and the associated mechanical power is high, in the range ˜10^{43}--10^{45} erg/s. Therefore, UFOs are capable to provide a significant contribution to the AGN cosmological feedback and their study can provide important clues on the connection between accretion disks, winds and jets.

The link between eddy-driven jet variability and weather regimes in the North Atlantic-European sector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Madonna, E.; Li, C.; Grams, C. M.; Woollings, T.

2017-12-01

Understanding the variability of the North Atlantic eddy-driven jet is key to unravelling the dynamics, predictability and climate change response of extratropical weather in the region. This study aims to 1) reconcile two perspectives on wintertime variability in the North Atlantic-European sector and 2) clarify their link to atmospheric blocking. Two common views of wintertime variability in the North Atlantic are the zonal-mean framework comprising three preferred locations of the eddy-driven jet (southern, central, northern), and the weather regime framework comprising four classical North Atlantic-European regimes (Atlantic ridge AR, zonal ZO, European/Scandinavian blocking BL, Greenland anticyclone GA). We use a k-means clustering algorithm to characterize the two-dimensional variability of the eddy-driven jet stream, defined by the lower tropospheric zonal wind in the ERA-Interim reanalysis. The first three clusters capture the central jet and northern jet, along with a new mixed jet configuration; a fourth cluster is needed to recover the southern jet. The mixed cluster represents a split or strongly tilted jet, neither of which is well described in the zonal-mean framework, and has a persistence of about one week, similar to the other clusters. Connections between the preferred jet locations and weather regimes are corroborated - southern to GA, central to ZO, and northern to AR. In addition, the new mixed cluster is found to be linked to European/Scandinavian blocking, whose relation to the eddy-driven jet was previously unclear. The results highlight the necessity of bridging from weather to climate scales for a deeper understanding of atmospheric circulation variability.

Characteristics of an actuator-driven pulsed water jet generator to dissecting soft tissue.

PubMed

Seto, Takeshi; Yamamoto, Hiroaki; Takayama, Kazuyoshi; Nakagawa, Atsuhiro; Tominaga, Teiji

2011-05-01

This paper reports characteristics of an actuator-driven pulsed water jet generator applied, in particular, to dissect soft tissues. Results of experiments, by making use of high speed recording of optical visualization and varying nozzle diameter, actuator time interval, and their effects on dissection performance are presented. Jet penetration characteristics are compared with continuous water jet and hence potential assessment of pulsed water jets to clinical applications is performed.

Why do Galaxies Stop Forming Stars? New Evidence for the Role of AGN-feedback in Driving Galaxy Bimodality

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bluck, Asa; Teimoorinia, Hossen; Ellison, Sara L.; Mendel, Trevor

2018-01-01

One of the most striking features of the population of local galaxies is that the distributions of several key galaxy properties are highly bimodal (e.g. color and star formation rate). In general, high mass galaxies in dense environments, with bulge-dominated morphologies and pressure supported kinematics are more frequently passive (non-star forming) than lower mass galaxies in low density environments, with disc-dominated morphologies and rotationally supported kinematics. Understanding which, if any, of these correlations is causally related to the ‘quenching’ of star formation in galaxies remains an active and hotly debated area of investigation in modern astrophysics.Theoretically, a wealth of physical processes have been evoked to account for central galaxy quenching, including halo mass quenching from virial shocks, feedback from active galactic nuclei (AGN; in either the quasar or radio mode), stabilizing torques from central mass concentrations, feedback from supernovae, or even magnetic fields interacting with the hot gas halo.I will present strong new statistical evidence which suggests that the quenched fraction of local central galaxies is primarily related to their central kinematics (Bluck et al. 2016; 2017 in prep.). I will show that this is broadly consistent with quenching from AGN feedback, through a detailed comparison with a semi-analytic model and a cosmological hydrodynamical simulation.Using a sample of over half a million local galaxies from the SDSS DR7, we go on to develop a number of sophisticated techniques, including machine learning with artificial neural networks, to rank the importance of galaxy properties to quenching (Teimoorinia, Bluck & Ellison 2016). We find that properties closely correlated with the central supermassive black hole are highly favoured statistically to predict whether a galaxy will be star forming or not. Perhaps surprisingly, stellar mass and halo mass have no impact on star formation activity in central

Fast Ionized X-Ray Absorbers in AGNs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fukumura, K.; Tombesi, F.; Kazanas, D.; Shrader, C.; Behar, E.; Contopoulos, I.

2016-01-01

We investigate the physics of the X-ray ionized absorbers often identified as warm absorbers (WAs) and ultra-fast outflows (UFOs) in Seyfert AGNs from spectroscopic studies in the context of magnetically-driven accretion-disk wind scenario. Launched and accelerated by the action of a global magnetic field anchored to an underlying accretion disk around a black hole, outflowing plasma is irradiated and ionized by an AGN radiation field characterized by its spectral energy density (SED). By numerically solving the Grad-Shafranov equation in the magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) framework, the physical property of the magnetized disk-wind is determined by a wind parameter set, which is then incorporated into radiative transfer calculations with xstar photoionization code under heating-cooling equilibrium state to compute the absorber's properties such as column density N(sub H), line-of-sight (LoS) velocity v, ionization parameter xi, among others. Assuming that the wind density scales as n varies as r(exp. -1), we calculate theoretical absorption measure distribution (AMD) for various ions seen in AGNs as well as line spectra especially for the Fe K alpha absorption feature by focusing on a bright quasar PG 1211+143 as a case study and show the model's plausibility. In this note we demonstrate that the proposed MHD-driven disk-wind scenario is not only consistent with the observed X-ray data, but also help better constrain the underlying nature of the AGN environment in a close proximity to a central engine.

Fast ionized X-ray absorbers in AGNs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fukumura, K.; Tombesi, F.; Kazanas, D.; Shrader, C.; Behar, E.; Contopoulos, I.

2016-05-01

We investigate the physics of the X-ray ionized absorbers often identified as warm absorbers (WAs) and ultra-fast outflows (UFOs) in Seyfert AGNs from spectroscopic studies in the context of magnetically-driven accretion-disk wind scenario. Launched and accelerated by the action of a global magnetic field anchored to an underlying accretion disk around a black hole, outflowing plasma is irradiated and ionized by an AGN radiation field characterized by its spectral energy density (SED). By numerically solving the Grad-Shafranov equation in the magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) framework, the physical property of the magnetized disk-wind is determined by a wind parameter set, which is then incorporated into radiative transfer calculations with xstar photoionization code under heating-cooling equilibrium state to compute the absorber's properties such as column density N_H, line-of-sight (LoS) velocity v, ionization parameter ξ, among others. Assuming that the wind density scales as n ∝ r-1, we calculate theoretical absorption measure distribution (AMD) for various ions seen in AGNs as well as line spectra especially for the Fe Kα absorption feature by focusing on a bright quasar PG 1211+143 as a case study and show the model's plausibility. In this note we demonstrate that the proposed MHD-driven disk-wind scenario is not only consistent with the observed X-ray data, but also help better constrain the underlying nature of the AGN environment in a close proximity to a central engine.

Quasar outflows and AGN feedback in the extreme UV: HST/COS observations of HE 0238-1904

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arav, Nahum; Borguet, Benoit; Chamberlain, Carter; Edmonds, Doug; Danforth, Charles

2013-12-01

Spectroscopic observations of quasar outflows at rest-frame 500-1000 Å have immense diagnostic power. We present analyses of such data, where absorption troughs from O IV and O IV* allow us to obtain the distance of the outflows from the AGN and troughs from Ne VIII and Mg X reveal the warm absorber phase of the outflow. Their inferred column densities, combined with those of O VI, N IV and H I, yield two important results. (1) The outflow shows two ionization phases, where the high-ionization phase carries the bulk of the material. This is similar to the situation seen in X-ray warm absorber studies. Furthermore, the low-ionization phase is inferred to have a volume filling factor of 10-5-10-6. (2) We determine a distance of 3000 pc from the outflow to the central source using the O IV*/O IV column density ratio and the knowledge of the ionization parameter. Since this is a typical high-ionization outflow, we can determine robust values for the outflow's mass flux and kinetic luminosity of 40 M⊙ yr-1 and 1045 erg s-1, respectively, where the latter is roughly equal to 1 per cent of the bolometric luminosity. Such a large kinetic luminosity and mass flow rate measured in a typical high-ionization wind suggest that quasar outflows are a major contributor to AGN feedback mechanisms.

XMM-Newton, powerful AGN winds and galaxy feedback

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pounds, K.; King, A.

2016-06-01

The discovery that ultra-fast ionized winds - sufficiently powerful to disrupt growth of the host galaxy - are a common feature of luminous AGN is major scientific breakthrough led by XMM-Newton. An extended observation in 2014 of the prototype UFO, PG1211+143, has revealed an unusually complex outflow, with distinct and persisting velocities detected in both hard and soft X-ray spectra. While the general properties of UFOs are consistent with being launched - at the local escape velocity - from the inner disc where the accretion rate is modestly super-Eddington (King and Pounds, Ann Rev Astron Astro- phys 2015), these more complex flows have raised questions about the outflow geometry and the importance of shocks and enhanced cooling. XMM-Newton seems likely to remain the best Observatory to study UFOs prior to Athena, and further extended observations, of PG1211+143 and other bright AGN, have the exciting potential to establish the typical wind dynamics, while providing new insights on the accretion geometry and continuum source structure. An emphasis on such large, coordinated observing programmes with XMM-Newton over the next decade will continue the successful philosophy pioneered by EXOSAT, while helping to inform the optimum planning for Athena

AGN Obscuration Through Dusty Infrared Dominated Flows. II. Multidimensional, Radiation-Hydrodynamics Modeling

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dorodnitsyn, Anton; Kallman, Tim; Bisno\\vatyiI-Kogan, Gennadyi

2011-01-01

We explore a detailed model in which the active galactic nucleus (AGN) obscuration results from the extinction of AGN radiation in a global ow driven by the pressure of infrared radiation on dust grains. We assume that external illumination by UV and soft X-rays of the dusty gas located at approximately 1pc away from the supermassive black hole is followed by a conversion of such radiation into IR. Using 2.5D, time-dependent radiation hydrodynamics simulations in a ux-limited di usion approximation we nd that the external illumination can support a geometrically thick obscuration via out ows driven by infrared radiation pressure in AGN with luminosities greater than 0:05 L(sub edd) and Compton optical depth, Tau(sub T) approx > & 1.

RELATIVISTIC DOPPLER BEAMING AND MISALIGNMENTS IN AGN JETS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Singal, Ashok K., E-mail: asingal@prl.res.in

Radio maps of active galactic nuclei often show linear features, called jets, on both parsec and kiloparsec scales. These jets supposedly possess relativistic motion and are oriented close to the line of sight of the observer, and accordingly the relativistic Doppler beaming makes them look much brighter than they really are in their respective rest frames. The flux boosting due to the relativistic beaming is a very sensitive function of the jet orientation angle, as seen by the observer. Sometimes, large bends are seen in these jets, with misalignments being 90° or more, which might imply a change in themore » orientation angle that should cause a large change in the relativistic beaming factor. Hence, if relativistic beaming does play an important role in these jets such large bends should usually show high contrast in the brightness of the jets before and after the bend. It needs to be kept in mind that sometimes a small intrinsic change in the jet angle might appear as a much larger misalignment due to the effects of geometrical projection, especially when seen close to the line of sight. What really matters are the initial and final orientation angles of the jet with respect to the observer’s line of sight. Taking the geometrical projection effects properly into account, we calculate the consequences of the presumed relativistic beaming and demonstrate that there ought to be large brightness ratios in jets before and after the observed misalignments.« less

Relativistic Doppler Beaming and Misalignments in AGN Jets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singal, Ashok K.

2016-08-01

Radio maps of active galactic nuclei often show linear features, called jets, on both parsec and kiloparsec scales. These jets supposedly possess relativistic motion and are oriented close to the line of sight of the observer, and accordingly the relativistic Doppler beaming makes them look much brighter than they really are in their respective rest frames. The flux boosting due to the relativistic beaming is a very sensitive function of the jet orientation angle, as seen by the observer. Sometimes, large bends are seen in these jets, with misalignments being 90° or more, which might imply a change in the orientation angle that should cause a large change in the relativistic beaming factor. Hence, if relativistic beaming does play an important role in these jets such large bends should usually show high contrast in the brightness of the jets before and after the bend. It needs to be kept in mind that sometimes a small intrinsic change in the jet angle might appear as a much larger misalignment due to the effects of geometrical projection, especially when seen close to the line of sight. What really matters are the initial and final orientation angles of the jet with respect to the observer’s line of sight. Taking the geometrical projection effects properly into account, we calculate the consequences of the presumed relativistic beaming and demonstrate that there ought to be large brightness ratios in jets before and after the observed misalignments.

On the Roles of Upper- versus Lower-level Thermal Forcing in Shifting the Eddy-Driven Jet

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Y.; Nie, Y.; Chen, G.; Yang, X. Q.

2017-12-01

One most drastic atmospheric change in the global warming scenario is the increase in temperature over tropical upper-troposphere and polar surface. The strong warming over those two area alters the spacial distributions of the baroclinicity in the upper-troposphere of subtropics and in the lower-level of subpolar region, with competing effects on the mid-latitude atmospheric circulation. The final destination of the eddy-driven jet in future climate could be "a tug of war" between the impacts of such upper- versus lower-level thermal forcing. In this study, the roles of upper- versus lower-level thermal forcing in shifting the eddy-driven jet are investigated using a nonlinear multi-level quasi-geostrophic channel model. All of our sensitivity experiments show that the latitudinal position of the eddy-driven jet is more sensitive to the upper-level thermal forcing. Such upper-level dominance over the lower-level forcing can be attributed to the different mechanisms through which eddy-driven jet responses to them. The upper-level thermal forcing induces a jet shift mainly by affecting the baroclinic generation of eddies, which supports the latitudinal shift of the eddy momentum flux convergence. The jet response to the lower-level thermal forcing, however, is strongly "eddy dissipation control". The lower-level forcing, by changing the baroclinicity in the lower troposphere, induces a direct thermal zonal wind response in the upper level thus modifies the nonlinear wave breaking and the resultant irreversible eddy mixing, which amplifies the latitudinal shift of the eddy-driven jet. Whether the eddy response is "generation control" or "dissipation control" may strongly depend on the eddy behavior in its baroclinic processes. Only the anomalous eddy generation that penetrates into the upper troposphere can have a striking impact on the eddy momentum flux, which pushes the jet shift more efficiently and dominates the eddy response.

The jet/wind outflow in Centaurus A: a local laboratory for AGN feedback

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McKinley, B.; Tingay, S. J.; Carretti, E.; Ellis, S.; Bland-Hawthorn, J.; Morganti, R.; Line, J.; McDonald, M.; Veilleux, S.; Wahl Olsen, R.; Sidonio, M.; Ekers, R.; Offringa, A. R.; Procopio, P.; Pindor, B.; Wayth, R. B.; Hurley-Walker, N.; Bernardi, G.; Gaensler, B. M.; Haverkorn, M.; Kesteven, M.; Poppi, S.; Staveley-Smith, L.

2018-03-01

We present new radio and optical images of the nearest radio galaxy Centaurus A and its host galaxy NGC 5128. We focus our investigation on the northern transition region, where energy is transported from the ˜5 kpc (˜5 arcmin) scales of the northern inner lobe (NIL) to the ˜30 kpc (˜30 arcmin) scales of the northern middle lobe (NML). Our Murchison Widefield Array observations at 154 MHz and our Parkes radio telescope observations at 2.3 GHz show diffuse radio emission connecting the NIL to the NML, in agreement with previous Australia Telescope Compact Array observations at 1.4 GHz. Comparison of these radio data with our wide-field optical emission-line images show the relationship between the NML radio emission and the ionized filaments that extend north from the NIL, and reveal a new ionized filament to the east, possibly associated with a galactic wind. Our deep optical images show clear evidence for a bipolar outflow from the central galaxy extending to intermediate scales, despite the non-detection of a southern radio counterpart to the NML. Thus, our observational overview of Centaurus A reveals a number of features proposed to be associated with active galactic nucleus feedback mechanisms, often cited as likely to have significant effects in galaxy evolution models. As one of the closest galaxies to us, Centaurus A therefore provides a unique laboratory to examine feedback mechanisms in detail.

Feedback-Driven Mode Rotation Control by Electro-Magnetic Torque

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Okabayashi, M.; Strait, E. J.; Garofalo, A. M.; La Haye, R. J.; in, Y.; Hanson, J. M.; Shiraki, D.; Volpe, F.

2013-10-01

The recent experimental discovery of feedback-driven mode rotation control, supported by modeling, opens new approaches for avoidance of locked tearing modes that otherwise lead to disruptions. This approach is an application of electro-magnetic (EM) torque using 3D fields, routinely maximized through a simple feedback system. In DIII-D, it is observed that a feedback-applied radial field can be synchronized in phase with the poloidal field component of a large amplitude tearing mode, producing the maximum EM torque input. The mode frequency can be maintained in the 10 Hz to 100 Hz range in a well controlled manner, sustaining the discharges. Presently, in the ITER internal coils designed for edge localized mode (ELM) control can only be varied at few Hz, yet, well below the inverse wall time constant. Hence, ELM control system could in principle be used for this feedback-driven mode control in various ways. For instance, the locking of MHD modes can be avoided during the controlled shut down of multi hundreds Mega Joule EM stored energy in case of emergency. Feedback could also be useful to minimize mechanical resonances at the disruption events by forcing the MHD frequency away from dangerous ranges. Work supported by the US DOE under DE-AC02-09CH11466, DE-FC-02-04ER54698, DE-FG02-08ER85195, and DE-FG02-04ER54761.

Confinement and diffusion time-scales of CR hadrons in AGN-inflated bubbles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prokhorov, D. A.; Churazov, E. M.

2017-09-01

While rich clusters are powerful sources of X-rays, γ-ray emission from these large cosmic structures has not been detected yet. X-ray radiative energy losses in the central regions of relaxed galaxy clusters are so strong that one needs to consider special sources of energy, likely active galactic nucleus (AGN) feedback, to suppress catastrophic cooling of the gas. We consider a model of AGN feedback that postulates that the AGN supplies the energy to the gas by inflating bubbles of relativistic plasma, whose energy content is dominated by cosmic-ray (CR) hadrons. If most of these hadrons can quickly escape the bubbles, then collisions of CRs with thermal protons in the intracluster medium (ICM) should lead to strong γ-ray emission, unless fast diffusion of CRs removes them from the cluster. Therefore, the lack of detections with modern γ-ray telescopes sets limits on the confinement time of CR hadrons in bubbles and CR diffusive propagation in the ICM.

A Local Laboratory for Studying Positive Feedback from Supermassive Black Holes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Croft, Steve

2016-10-01

AGN feedback is a critical regulator of galaxy growth. As well as curtailing star formation in diffuse, hot gas, it is increasingly understood to sometimes enhance star formation in the clumpy ISM through shock-induced collapse of clouds. Simulations have shown that such positive feedback may play a significant role in determining the stellar populations of galaxies. Minkowsi's Object (MO) provides an excellent local laboratory to probe this poorly-studied process in detail. The detection of a Type II supernova in MO (unexpected given the low mass of MO) suggests that jet-induced star formation may overproduce massive stars, and that models of the initial mass function in such systems may need to be revised. Recent results also suggest that star formation efficiency is enhanced in MO. Using WFC3, we will obtain morphologies, SEDs, H-a luminosities, equivalent widths, sizes, and population synthesis models of star forming regions across MO in order to address these questions, critical for understanding not just this single object, but the general process: 1. Does jet induced star formation change the luminosities and initial mass functions of star clusters? 2. What do the age gradients of the star clusters tell us about the process of conversion of gas (HI, CO) into stars as the radio jet progressed through the parent cloud? Does this match numerical simulations? 3. By using observations to refine simulations, what can we learn about intrinsic properties of these kinds of radio jets, such as propagation speed, age, pressure and jet energy flux?

RESOLVING THE GEOMETRY OF THE INNERMOST RELATIVISTIC JETS IN ACTIVE GALACTIC NUCLEI

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Algaba, J. C.; Lee, S. S.; Nakamura, M.

2017-01-01

In the current paradigm, it is believed that the compact VLBI radio core of radio-loud active galactic nuclei (AGNs) represents the innermost upstream regions of relativistic outflows. These regions of AGN jets have generally been modeled by a conical outflow with a roughly constant opening angle and flow speed. Nonetheless, some works suggest that a parabolic geometry would be more appropriate to fit the high energy spectral distribution properties and it has been recently found that, at least in some nearby radio galaxies, the geometry of the innermost regions of the jet is parabolic. We compile here multi-frequency core sizes of archivalmore » data to investigate the typically unresolved upstream regions of the jet geometry of a sample of 56 radio-loud AGNs. Data combined from the sources considered here are not consistent with the classic picture of a conical jet starting in the vicinity of the super-massive black hole (SMBH), and may exclude a pure parabolic outflow solution, but rather suggest an intermediate solution with quasi-parabolic streams, which are frequently seen in numerical simulations. Inspection of the large opening angles near the SMBH and the range of the Lorentz factors derived from our results support our analyses. Our result suggests that the conical jet paradigm in AGNs needs to be re-examined by millimeter/sub-millimeter VLBI observations.« less

Duty-cycle and energetics of remnant radio-loud AGN

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Turner, Ross J.

2018-05-01

Deriving the energetics of remnant and restarted active galactic nuclei (AGNs) is much more challenging than for active sources due to the complexity in accurately determining the time since the nucleus switched-off. I resolve this problem using a new approach that combines spectral ageing and dynamical models to tightly constrain the energetics and duty-cycles of dying sources. Fitting the shape of the integrated radio spectrum yields the fraction of the source age the nucleus is active; this, in addition to the flux density, source size, axis ratio, and properties of the host environment, provides a constraint on dynamical models describing the remnant radio source. This technique is used to derive the intrinsic properties of the well-studied remnant radio source B2 0924+30. This object is found to spend 50_{-12}^{+14} Myr in the active phase and a further 28_{-5}^{+6} Myr in the quiescent phase, have a jet kinetic power of 3.6_{-1.7}^{+3.0}× 10^{37} W, and a lobe magnetic field strength below equipartition at the 8σ level. The integrated spectra of restarted and intermittent radio sources are found to yield a `steep-shallow' shape when the previous outburst occurred within 100 Myr. The duty-cycle of B2 0924+30 is hence constrained to be δ < 0.15 by fitting the shortest time to the previous comparable outburst that does not appreciably modify the remnant spectrum. The time-averaged feedback energy imparted by AGNs into their host galaxy environments can in this manner be quantified.

Multi-phase outflows as probes of AGN accretion history

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nardini, Emanuele; Zubovas, Kastytis

2018-05-01

Powerful outflows with a broad range of properties (such as velocity, ionization, radial scale and mass loss rate) represent a key feature of active galactic nuclei (AGN), even more so since they have been simultaneously revealed also in individual objects. Here we revisit in a simple analytical framework the recent remarkable cases of two ultraluminous infrared quasars, IRAS F11119+3257 and Mrk 231, which allow us to investigate the physical connection between multi-phase AGN outflows across the ladder of distance from the central supermassive black hole (SMBH). We argue that any major deviations from the standard outflow propagation models might encode unique information on the past SMBH accretion history, and briefly discuss how this could help address some controversial aspects of the current picture of AGN feedback.

A Connection Between Corona and Jet

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kohler, Susanna

2017-03-01

The structure immediately around a supermassive black hole at the heart of an active galaxy can tell us about how material flows in and out of these monsters but this region is hard to observe! A new study provides us with clues of what might be going on in these active and energetic cores of galaxies.In- and OutflowsIn active galactic nuclei (AGN), matter flows both in and out. As material flows toward the black hole via its surrounding accretion disk, much of this gas and dust can then be expelled from the vicinity via highly collimated jets.Top: The fraction of X-rays that is reflected decreases as jet power increases. Bottom: the distance between the corona and the reflecting part of the disk increases as jet power increases. [Adapted from King et al. 2017]To better understand this symbiosis between accretion and outflows, we examine whats known as the corona the hot, X-ray-emitting gas thats located in the closest regions around the black hole. But because the active centers of galaxies are generally obscured by surrounding gas and dust, its difficult for us to learn about the structure of these inner regions near the black hole.Where are the X-rays of the corona produced: in the inner accretion flow, or at the base of the jet? How far away is this corona from the disk? And how does the coronas behavior relate to that of the jet?Reflected ObservationsTo address some of these questions, a group of scientists led by Ashley King (Einstein Fellow at Stanford University) has analyzed X-ray observations from NuSTAR and XMM-Newton of over 40 AGN. The team examined the reflections of the X-rays off of the accretion disk and used two measurements to learn about the structure around the black hole:the fraction of the coronas X-rays that are reflected by the disk, andthe time lag between the original and reflected X-rays, which reveals the distance from the corona to the reflecting part of the disk.A visualization of the authors model for an AGN. The accretion disk is

Laser interferometry of radiation driven gas jets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Swanson, Kyle James; Ivanov, Vladimir; Mancini, Roberto; Mayes, Daniel C.

2017-06-01

In a series of experiments performed at the 1MA Zebra pulsed power accelerator of the Nevada Terawatt Facility nitrogen gas jets were driven with the broadband x-ray flux produced during the collapse of a wire-array z-pinch implosion. The wire arrays were comprised of 4 and 8, 10μm-thick gold wires and 17μm-thick nickel wires, 2cm and 3cm tall, and 0.3cm in diameter. They radiated 12kJ to 16kJ of x-ray energy, most of it in soft x-ray photons of less than 1keV of energy, in a time interval of 30ns. This x-ray flux was used to drive a nitrogen gas jet located at 0.8cm from the axis of the z-pinch radiation source and produced with a supersonic nozzle. The x-ray flux ionizes the nitrogen gas thus turning it into a photoionized plasma. We used laser interferometry to probe the ionization of the plasma. To this end, a Mach-Zehnder interferometer at the wavelength of 266 nm was set up to extract the atom number density profile of the gas jet just before the Zebra shot, and air-wedge interferometers at 266 and 532 nm were used to determine the electron number density of the plasma right during the Zebra shot. The ratio of electron to atom number densities gives the distribution of average ionization state of the plasma. A python code was developed to perform the image data processing, extract phase shift spatial maps, and obtain the atom and electron number densities via Abel inversion. Preliminary results from the experiment are promising and do show that a plasma has been created in the gas jet driven by the x-ray flux, thus demonstrating the feasibility of a new experimental platform to study photoionized plasmas in the laboratory. These plasmas are found in astrophysical scenarios including x-ray binaries, active galactic nuclei, and the accretion disks surrounding black holes1. This work was sponsored in part by DOE Office of Science Grant DE-SC0014451.1R. C. Mancini et al, Phys. Plasmas 16, 041001 (2009)

Reconnection-Driven Magnetohydrodynamic Turbulence in a Simulated Coronal-Hole Jet

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Uritskiy, Vadim M.; Roberts, Merrill A.; DeVore, C. Richard; Karpen, Judith T.

2017-01-01

Extreme-ultraviolet and X-ray jets occur frequently in magnetically open coronal holes on the Sun, especially at high solar latitudes. Some of these jets are observed by white-light coronagraphs as they propagate through the outer corona toward the inner heliosphere, and it has been proposed that they give rise to microstreams and torsional Alfven waves detected in situ in the solar wind. To predict and understand the signatures of coronal-hole jets, we have performed a detailed statistical analysis of such a jet simulated with an adaptively refined magnetohydrodynamics model. The results confirm the generation and persistence of three-dimensional, reconnection-driven magnetic turbulence in the simulation. We calculate the spatial correlations of magnetic fluctuations within the jet and find that they agree best with the Meuller - Biskamp scaling model including intermittent current sheets of various sizes coupled via hydrodynamic turbulent cascade. The anisotropy of the magnetic fluctuations and the spatial orientation of the current sheets are consistent with an ensemble of nonlinear Alfven waves. These properties also reflect the overall collimated jet structure imposed by the geometry of the reconnecting magnetic field. A comparison with Ulysses observations shows that turbulence in the jet wake is in quantitative agreement with that in the fast solar wind.

Radio-Loud AGN: The Suzaku View

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sambruna, Rita

2009-01-01

We review our Suzaku observations of Broad-Line Radio Galaxies (BLRGs). The continuum above 2 approx.keV in BLRGs is dominated by emission from an accretion flow, with little or no trace of a jet, which is instead expected to emerge at GeV energies and be detected by Fermi. Concerning the physical conditions of the accretion disk, BLRGs are a mixed bag. In some sources the data suggest relatively high disk ionization, in others obscuration of the innermost regions, perhaps by the jet base. While at hard X-rays the distinction between BLRGs and Seyferts appears blurry, one of the cleanest observational differences between the two classes is at soft X-rays, where Seyferts exhibit warm absorbers related to disk winds while BLRGs do not. We discuss the possibility that jet formation inhibits disk winds, and thus is related to the remarkable dearth of absorption features at soft X-rays in BLRGs and other radio-loud AGN.

The Most Compact Bright Radio-loud AGNs. II. VLBA Observations of 10 Sources at 43 and 86 GHz

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheng, X.-P.; An, T.; Hong, X.-Y.; Yang, J.; Mohan, P.; Kellermann, K. I.; Lister, M. L.; Frey, S.; Zhao, W.; Zhang, Z.-L.; Wu, X.-C.; Li, X.-F.; Zhang, Y.-K.

2018-01-01

Radio-loud active galactic nuclei (AGNs), hosting powerful relativistic jet outflows, provide an excellent laboratory for studying jet physics. Very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) enables high-resolution imaging on milli-arcsecond (mas) and sub-mas scales, making it a powerful tool to explore the inner jet structure, shedding light on the formation, acceleration, and collimation of AGN jets. In this paper, we present Very Long Baseline Array observations of 10 radio-loud AGNs at 43 and 86 GHz that were selected from the Planck catalog of compact sources and are among the brightest in published VLBI images at and below 15 GHz. The image noise levels in our observations are typically 0.3 and 1.5 mJy beam‑1 at 43 and 86 GHz, respectively. Compared with the VLBI data observed at lower frequencies from the literature, our observations with higher resolutions (with the highest resolution being up to 0.07 mas at 86 GHz and 0.18 mas at 43 GHz) and at higher frequencies detected new jet components at sub-parsec scales, offering valuable data for studies of the physical properties of the innermost jets. These include the compactness factor of the radio structure (the ratio of core flux density to total flux density), and core brightness temperature ({T}{{b}}). In all these sources, the compact core accounts for a significant fraction (> 60 % ) of the total flux density. Their correlated flux density at the longest baselines is higher than 0.16 Jy. The compactness of these sources make them good phase calibrators of millimeter-wavelength ground-based and space VLBI.

Numerical Simulations of a Jet-Cloud Collision and Starburst: Application to Minkowski’s Object

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fragile, P. Chris; Anninos, Peter; Croft, Steve; Lacy, Mark; Witry, Jason W. L.

2017-12-01

We present results of three-dimensional, multi-physics simulations of an AGN jet colliding with an intergalactic cloud. The purpose of these simulations is to assess the degree of “positive feedback,” i.e., jet-induced star formation, that results. We have specifically tailored our simulation parameters to facilitate a comparison with recent observations of Minkowski’s Object (MO), a stellar nursery located at the termination point of a radio jet coming from galaxy NGC 541. As shown in our simulations, such a collision triggers shocks, which propagate around and through the cloud. These shocks condense the gas and under the right circumstances may trigger cooling instabilities, creating runaway increases in density, to the point that individual clumps can become Jeans unstable. Our simulations provide information about the expected star formation rate, total mass converted to H I, H2, and stars, and the relative velocity of the stars and gas. Our results confirm the possibility of jet-induced star formation, and agree well with the observations of MO.

Discovery of 21 New Changing-look AGNs: Study on Evolution of AGNs and AGN Host Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Qian; Wu, Xuebing; Fan, Xiaohui; Jiang, Linhua; McGreer, Ian; Shangguan, Jinyi; Yao, Su; Wang, Bingquan; Joshi, Ravi; Green, Richard F.; Wang, Feige; Feng, Xiaotong; Fu, Yuming; Yang, Jinyi; Liu, Yuanqi

2018-01-01

The rare case of changing-look (CL) AGNs, with the appearance or disappearance of broad Balmer emission lines within a few years, challenges our understanding of the AGN unified model. We present a sample of 21 new CL AGNs at 0.08 < z < 0.58. The new sample doubles the number of such objects known to date. These new CL AGNs were discovered by several ways, from repeat spectra in the SDSS, repeat spectra in the Large Sky Area Multi-Object Fiber Spectroscopic Telescope (LAMOST) and SDSS, and from photometric variability and new spectroscopic observations. The estimated upper limits of transition timescale of the CL AGNs in this sample span from 0.9 to 13 years in rest-frame. The continuum flux in the optical and mid-infrared becomes brighter when the CL AGNs turn on, or vice versa. Variations of more than 0.2 mag in the mid-infrared W1 band, from the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE), were detected in 15 CL AGNs during the transition. The optical and mid-infrared variability is not consistent with the scenario of variable obscuration in 10 CL AGNs at higher than 3σ confidence level. We confirm a bluer-when-brighter trend in the optical. However, the mid-infrared colors W1‑W2 become redder when the objects become brighter in the W1 band, possibly due to a stronger hot dust contribution in the W2 band when the AGN activity becomes stronger. The physical mechanism of type transition is important for understanding the evolution of AGNs. The rare CL AGNs provide exceptional cases for the black hole and host stellar velocity dispersion relation studies at higher redshift. The faint state spectrum can be used to obtain the host stellar velocity dispersion without contamination from AGN component, and the bright state spectrum can be used to calculate the black hole mass with broad Balmer emission lines. The images at the non-AGN phase of CL AGNs are useful for studies of AGN host galaxies avoiding contamination from the luminous central engines.

Kinematic evidence for feedback-driven star formation in NGC 1893

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lim, Beomdu; Sung, Hwankyung; Bessell, Michael S.; Lee, Sangwoo; Lee, Jae Joon; Oh, Heeyoung; Hwang, Narae; Park, Byeong-Gon; Hur, Hyeonoh; Hong, Kyeongsoo; Park, Sunkyung

2018-06-01

OB associations are the prevailing star-forming sites in the Galaxy. Up to now, the process of how OB associations were formed remained a mystery. A possible process is self-regulating star formation driven by feedback from massive stars. However, although a number of observational studies uncovered various signposts of feedback-driven star formation, the effectiveness of such feedback has been questioned. Stellar and gas kinematics is a promising tool to capture the relative motion of newborn stars and gas away from ionizing sources. We present high-resolution spectroscopy of stars and gas in the young open cluster NGC 1893. Our findings show that newborn stars and the tadpole nebula Sim 130 are moving away from the central cluster containing two O-type stars, and that the time-scale of sequential star formation is about 1 Myr within a 9 pc distance. The newborn stars formed by feedback from massive stars account for at least 18 per cent of the total stellar population in the cluster, suggesting that this process can play an important role in the formation of OB associations. These results support the self-regulating star formation model.

Corkscrew Structures and Precessing Jets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sahai, Raghvendra

2005-07-01

Collimated jets are one of the most intriguing, yet poorly understood phenomena in astrophysics. Jets have been found in a wide variety of object classes which include AGNs, YSOs, massive X-ray binaries {e.g. SS433}, black hole X-ray transients, symbiotic stars, supersoft X-ray sources, and finally, planetary and preplanetary nebulae {PNs & PPNs}. In the case of PNs and PPNs, we have propsoed that wobbling collimated jets are the universal mechanism which can shape the wide variety of bipolar and multipolar morphologies seen in these objects. Most of our knowledge of post-AGB jets is indirectly inferred from their effects on the circumstellar envelopes of the progenitor AGB stars and, for that reason, these jets remain very poorly understood. Thus the mechanism that powers and collimates these jet-like post-AGB outflows remains as one of the most important, unsolved issues in post-AGB evolution. We propose an archival study of two bipolar PPNs, motivated by two recent discoveries which indicate that precessing jets are likely to be operational in them, and that the properties of the jets and the bipolar lobes produced by them, may be directly measured. One of these is IRAS16342-3814 {IRAS1634}, previously imaged with WPFC2, in which new Adaptive Optics {AO} observations at near-IR wavelengths show a remarkable corkscrew-shaped structure, the tell-tale signature of a precessing jet. Inspection of WFPC2 images of another PPN, OH231.8+4.2 in which we have recently discovered a A-type companion to the central mass-losing star, shows a sinuous nebulosity in a broad-band continuum image, resembling a corkscrew structure. We will use the latter to constrain the phsyical properties of the jet {precession period, opening angle, jet beam diameter, temporal history} in OH231.8. Using the multi-wavelength data on both sources, we will build models of the density distribution of the lobes and their interiors. In the case of IRAS1634, these models will be used to investigate the

Active galactic nuclei feedback, quiescence and circumgalactic medium metal enrichment in early-type galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eisenreich, Maximilian; Naab, Thorsten; Choi, Ena; Ostriker, Jeremiah P.; Emsellem, Eric

2017-06-01

We present three-dimensional hydrodynamical simulations showing the effect of kinetic and radiative active galactic nuclei (AGN) feedback on a model galaxy representing a massive quiescent low-redshift early-type galaxy of M* = 8.41 × 1010 M⊙, harbouring an MBH = 4 × 108 M⊙ black hole surrounded by a cooling gaseous halo. We show that, for a total baryon fraction of ˜20 per cent of the cosmological value, feedback from the AGN can keep the galaxy quiescent for about 4.35 Gyr and with properties consistent with black hole mass and X-ray luminosity scaling relations. However, this can only be achieved if the AGN feedback model includes both kinetic and radiative feedback modes. The simulation with only kinetic feedback fails to keep the model galaxy fully quiescent, while one with only radiative feedback leads to excessive black hole growth. For higher baryon fractions (e.g. 50 per cent of the cosmological value), the X-ray luminosities exceed observed values by at least one order of magnitude, and rapid cooling results in a star-forming galaxy. The AGN plays a major role in keeping the circumgalactic gas at observed metallicities of Z/Z⊙ ≳ 0.3 within the central ˜30 kpc by venting nuclear gas enriched with metals from residual star formation activity. As indicated by previous cosmological simulations, our results are consistent with a model for which the black hole mass and the total baryon fraction are set at higher redshifts z > 1 and the AGN alone can keep the model galaxy on observed scaling relations. Models without AGN feedback violate both the quiescence criterion as well as circumgalactic medium metallicity constraints.

Merger-driven fueling of active galactic nuclei: Six dual and of AGNs discovered with Chandra and Hubble Space Telescope observations

DOE PAGES

Comerford, Julia M.; Pooley, David; Barrows, R. Scott; ...

2015-06-19

Dual active galactic nuclei (AGNs) and offset AGNs are kpc-scale separation supermassive black holes pairs created during galaxy mergers, where both or one of the black holes are AGNs, respectively. These dual and offset AGNs are valuable probes of the link between mergers and AGNs but are challenging to identify. Here we present Chandra/ACIS observations of 12 optically selected dual AGN candidates atmore » $$z\\lt 0.34$$, where we use the X-rays to identify AGNs. We also present Hubble Space Telescope/Wide Field Camera 3 observations of 10 of these candidates, which reveal any stellar bulges accompanying the AGNs. We discover a dual AGN system with separation $${\\rm \\Delta }x=2.2$$ kpc, where the two stellar bulges have coincident [O iii] λ5007 and X-ray sources. This system is an extremely minor merger (460:1) that may include a dwarf galaxy hosting an intermediate mass black hole. We also find six single AGNs, and five systems that are either dual or offset AGNs with separations $${\\rm \\Delta }x\\lt 10$$ kpc. Four of the six dual AGNs and dual/offset AGNs are in ongoing major mergers, and these AGNs are 10 times more luminous, on average, than the single AGNs in our sample. This hints that major mergers may preferentially trigger higher luminosity AGNs. Further, we find that confirmed dual AGNs have hard X-ray luminosities that are half of those of single AGNs at fixed [O III] λ5007 luminosity, on average. Lastly, this could be explained by high densities of gas funneled to galaxy centers during mergers, and emphasizes the need for deeper X-ray observations of dual AGN candidates.« less

Starburst or AGN dominance in submm-luminous candidate AGN

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Coppin, Kristen; Alexander, Dave; Aretxaga, Itziar; Blain, Andrew; Chapman, Scott; Clements, Dave; Dunlop, James; Dunne, Loretta; Dye, Simon; Farrah, Duncan; Hughes, David; Ivison, Rob; Kim, Sungeun; Menendez-Delmestre, Karin; Oliver, Sebastian; Page, Mat; Pope, Alexandra; Rowan-Robinson, Michael; Scott, Douglas; Smail, Ian; Swinbank, Mark; Vaccari, Mattia; van Kampen, Eelco

2008-03-01

It is widely believed that starbursts/ULIRGs and AGN activity are triggered by galaxy interactions and merging; and sub-mm selected galaxies (SMGs) seem to be simply high redshift ULIRGs, observed near the peak of activity. In this evolutionary picture every SMG would host an AGN, which would eventually grow a black hole strong enough to blow off all of the gas and dust leaving an optically luminous QSO. In order to probe this evolutionary sequence, a crucial sub-sample to focus on would be the 'missing link' sources, which demonstrate both strong starburst and AGN signatures and to determine if the starburst is the main power source even in SMGs when we have evidence that an AGN is present. The best way to determine if a dominant AGN is present is to look in the mid-IR for their signatures, since often even deep X-ray observations miss identifying the presence of AGN in heavily dust-obscured SMGs. We have selected a sample of SMGs which are good candidates for harboring powerful AGN on the basis of their IRAC colours (S8um/S4.5um>2). Once we confirm these SMGs are AGN-dominated, we can then perform an audit of the energy balance between star-formation and AGN within this special sub-population of SMGs where the BH has grown appreciably to begin heating the dust emission. The proposed observations with IRS will probe the physics of how SMGs evolve from a cold-dust starburst-dominated ULIRG to an AGN/QSO by measuring the level of the mid-IR continuum, PAH luminosity, and Si absorption in these intermediate `transitory' AGN/SMGs.

Hot Gas and AGN Feedback in Galaxies and Nearby Groups

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jones, Christine; Forman, William; Bogdan, Akos; Randall, Scott; Kraft, Ralph; Churazov, Eugene

2013-07-01

Massive galaxies harbor a supermassive black hole at their centers. At high redshifts, these galaxies experienced a very active quasar phase, when, as their black holes grew by accretion, they produced enormous amounts of energy. At the present epoch, these black holes still undergo occasional outbursts, although the mode of their energy release is primarily mechanical rather than radiative. The energy from these outbursts can reheat the cooling gas in the galaxy cores and maintain the red and dead nature of the early-type galaxies. These outbursts also can have dramatic effects on the galaxy-scale hot coronae found in the more massive galaxies. We describe research in three areas related to the hot gas around galaxies and their supermassive black holes. First we present examples of galaxies with AGN outbursts that have been studied in detail. Second, we show that X-ray emitting low-luminosity AGN are present in 80% of the galaxies studied. Third, we discuss the first examples of extensive hot gas and dark matter halos in optically faint galaxies.

Reconnection-driven Magnetohydrodynamic Turbulence in a Simulated Coronal-hole Jet

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Uritsky, Vadim M.; Roberts, Merrill A.; DeVore, C. Richard

Extreme-ultraviolet and X-ray jets occur frequently in magnetically open coronal holes on the Sun, especially at high solar latitudes. Some of these jets are observed by white-light coronagraphs as they propagate through the outer corona toward the inner heliosphere, and it has been proposed that they give rise to microstreams and torsional Alfvén waves detected in situ in the solar wind. To predict and understand the signatures of coronal-hole jets, we have performed a detailed statistical analysis of such a jet simulated by an adaptively refined magnetohydrodynamics model. The results confirm the generation and persistence of three-dimensional, reconnection-driven magnetic turbulencemore » in the simulation. We calculate the spatial correlations of magnetic fluctuations within the jet and find that they agree best with the Müller–Biskamp scaling model including intermittent current sheets of various sizes coupled via hydrodynamic turbulent cascade. The anisotropy of the magnetic fluctuations and the spatial orientation of the current sheets are consistent with an ensemble of nonlinear Alfvén waves. These properties also reflect the overall collimated jet structure imposed by the geometry of the reconnecting magnetic field. A comparison with Ulysses observations shows that turbulence in the jet wake is in quantitative agreement with that in the fast solar wind.« less

Reconnection-Driven Coronal-Hole Jets with Gravity and Solar Wind

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Karpen, J. T.; Devore, C. R.; Antiochos, S. K.; Pariat, E.

2017-01-01

Coronal-hole jets occur ubiquitously in the Sun's coronal holes, at EUV and X-ray bright points associated with intrusions of minority magnetic polarity. The embedded-bipole model for these jets posits that they are driven by explosive, fast reconnection between the stressed closed field of the embedded bipole and the open field of the surrounding coronal hole. Previous numerical studies in Cartesian geometry, assuming uniform ambient magnetic field and plasma while neglecting gravity and solar wind, demonstrated that the model is robust and can produce jet-like events in simple configurations. We have extended these investigations by including spherical geometry,gravity, and solar wind in a nonuniform, coronal hole-like ambient atmosphere. Our simulations confirm that the jet is initiated by the onset of a kink-like instability of the internal closed field, which induces a burst of reconnection between the closed and external open field, launching a helical jet. Our new results demonstrate that the jet propagation is sustained through the outer corona, in the form of a traveling nonlinear Alfven wave front trailed by slower-moving plasma density enhancements that are compressed and accelerated by the wave. This finding agrees well with observations of white-light coronal-hole jets, and can explain microstreams and torsional Alfven waves detected in situ in the solar wind. We also use our numerical results to deduce scaling relationships between properties of the coronal source region and the characteristics of the resulting jet, which can be tested against observations.

On the Jet Properties of γ-Ray-loud Active Galactic Nuclei

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Liang

2018-04-01

Based on broadband spectral energy distributions (SEDs), we estimate the jet physical parameters of 1392 γ-ray-loud active galactic nuclei (AGNs), the largest sample so far. The (SED) jet power and magnetization parameter are derived for these AGNs. Out of these sources, the accretion disk luminosity of 232 sources and (extended) kinetic jet powers of 159 sources are compiled from archived papers. We find the following. (1) Flat-spectrum radio quasars (FSRQs) and BL Lacs are well separated by {{Γ }}=-0.127{log}{L}γ +8.18 in the γ-ray luminosity versus photon index plane with a success rate of 88.6%. (2) Most FSRQs present a (SED) jet power larger than the accretion power, which suggests that the relativistic jet-launching mechanism is dominated by the Blandford–Znajek process. This result confirms previous findings. (3) There is a significant anticorrelation between jet magnetization and a ratio of the (SED) jet power to the (extended) kinetic jet power, which, for the first time, provides supporting evidence for the jet energy transportation theory: a high-magnetization jet may more easily transport energy to a large scale than a low-magnetization jet.

Quasar Outflows and AGN Feedback in the Extreme UV: HST/COS Observations of QSO HE0238-1904

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arav, Nahum; Borguet, B.; Chamberlain, C.; Edmonds, D.; Danforth, C.

2014-01-01

Spectroscopic observations of quasar outflows at rest-frame 500-1000 Angstrom have immense diagnostic power. We present analyses of such data, where absorption troughs from three important ions are measured: first, O IV and O IV* that allow us to obtain the distance of high ionization outflows from the AGN; second, Ne VIII and Mg X that are sensitive to the very high ionization phase of the outflow. Their inferred column densities, combined with those of troughs from O VI, N IV, and H I, yield two important results: 1) The outflow shows two ionization phases, where the high ionization phase carries the bulk of the material. This is similar to the situation seen in x-ray warm absorber studies. Furthermore, the low ionization phase is inferred to have a volume filling factor of 10^(-5)-10^(-6). 2) From the O IV to O IV* column density ratio, and the knowledge of the ionization parameter, we determine a distance of 3000 pc. from the outflow to the central source. Since this is a typical high ionization outflow, we can determine robust values for the mass flux and kinetic luminosity of the outflow: 40 solar masses per year and 10^45 ergs/s, respectively, where the latter is roughly equal to 1% of the bolometric luminosity. Such a large kinetic luminosity and mass flow rate measured in a typical high ionization wind suggests that quasar outflows are a major contributor to AGN feedback mechanisms.

Testing the Merger Paradigm: X-ray Observations of Radio-Selected Sub-Galactic-Scale Binary AGNs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fu, Hai

2016-09-01

Interactions play an important role in galaxy evolution. Strong gas inflows are expected in the process of gas-rich mergers, which may fuel intense black hole accretion and star formation. Sub-galactic-scale binary/dual AGNs thus offer elegant laboratories to study the merger-driven co-evolution phase. However, previous samples of kpc-scale binaries are small and heterogeneous. We have identified a flux-limited sample of kpc-scale binary AGNs uniformly from a wide-area high-resolution radio survey conducted by the VLA. Here we propose Chandra X-ray characterization of a subset of four radio-confirmed binary AGNs at z 0.1. Our goal is to compare their X-ray properties with those of matched control samples to test the merger-driven co-evolution paradigm.

An X-ray/SDSS sample. I. Multi-phase outflow incidence and dependence on AGN luminosity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Perna, M.; Lanzuisi, G.; Brusa, M.; Mignoli, M.; Cresci, G.

2017-07-01

Aims: The connection between the growth of super-massive black holes (SMBHs) and the evolution of their host galaxies is nowadays well established, although the underlying mechanisms explaining their mutual relations are still debated. Multi-phase fast, massive outflows have been postulated to play a crucial role in this process. The aim of this work is to constrain the nature and the fraction of outflowing gas in active galactic nuclei (AGNs) as well as the nuclear conditions possibly at the origin of such phenomena. Methods: We present a large spectroscopic sample of X-ray detected SDSS AGNs at z< 0.8 with a high signal-to-noise ratio in the [O III]λ5007 line to unveil the faint wings of the emission profile associated with AGN-driven outflows. We used X-ray and optical flux ratio diagnostics to select the sample. We derived physical and kinematic characterization by re-analysing optical (and X-ray) spectra. Results: We derive the incidence of ionized ( 40%) and atomic (<1%) outflows covering a wide range of AGN bolometric luminosity from 1042 to 1046 erg/s. We also derive bolometric luminosities and X-ray bolometric corrections to test whether the presence of outflows is associated with an X-ray loudness, as suggested by our recent results obtained by studying high-z QSOs. Conclusions: We study the relations between the outflow velocity inferred from [O III] kinematic analysis and different AGN power tracers, such as black hole mass (MBH), [O III], and X-ray luminosity. We show a well-defined positive trend between outflow velocity and LX, for the first time, over a range of 5 order of magnitudes. Overall, we find that in the QSO-luminosity regime and at MBH> 108M⊙ the fraction of AGNs with outflows becomes >50%. Finally, we discuss our results about X-ray bolometric corrections and outflow incidence in cold and ionized phases in the context of an evolutionary sequence allowing two distinct stages for the feedback phase: first, an initial stage characterized

UNIFYING THE ZOO OF JET-DRIVEN STELLAR EXPLOSIONS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lazzati, Davide; Blackwell, Christopher H.; Morsony, Brian J.

We present a set of numerical simulations of stellar explosions induced by relativistic jets emanating from a central engine sitting at the center of compact, dying stars. We explore a wide range of durations of the central engine activity, two candidate stellar progenitors, and two possible values of the total energy release. We find that even if the jets are narrowly collimated, their interaction with the star unbinds the stellar material, producing a stellar explosion. We also find that the outcome of the explosion can be very different depending on the duration of the engine activity. Only the longest-lasting enginesmore » result in successful gamma-ray bursts. Engines that power jets only for a short time result in relativistic supernova (SN) explosions, akin to observed engine-driven SNe such as SN2009bb. Engines with intermediate durations produce weak gamma-ray bursts, with properties similar to nearby bursts such as GRB 980425. Finally, we find that the engines with the shortest durations, if they exist in nature, produce stellar explosions that lack sizable amounts of relativistic ejecta and are therefore dynamically indistinguishable from ordinary core-collapse SNe.« less

RECONNECTION-DRIVEN CORONAL-HOLE JETS WITH GRAVITY AND SOLAR WIND

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Karpen, J. T.; DeVore, C. R.; Antiochos, S. K.

Coronal-hole jets occur ubiquitously in the Sun's coronal holes, at EUV and X-ray bright points associated with intrusions of minority magnetic polarity. The embedded-bipole model for these jets posits that they are driven by explosive, fast reconnection between the stressed closed field of the embedded bipole and the open field of the surrounding coronal hole. Previous numerical studies in Cartesian geometry, assuming uniform ambient magnetic field and plasma while neglecting gravity and solar wind, demonstrated that the model is robust and can produce jet-like events in simple configurations. We have extended these investigations by including spherical geometry, gravity, and solarmore » wind in a nonuniform, coronal hole-like ambient atmosphere. Our simulations confirm that the jet is initiated by the onset of a kink-like instability of the internal closed field, which induces a burst of reconnection between the closed and external open field, launching a helical jet. Our new results demonstrate that the jet propagation is sustained through the outer corona, in the form of a traveling nonlinear Alfvén wave front trailed by slower-moving plasma density enhancements that are compressed and accelerated by the wave. This finding agrees well with observations of white-light coronal-hole jets, and can explain microstreams and torsional Alfvén waves detected in situ in the solar wind. We also use our numerical results to deduce scaling relationships between properties of the coronal source region and the characteristics of the resulting jet, which can be tested against observations.« less

Analysis of the variability of the North Atlantic eddy-driven jet stream in CMIP5

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Iqbal, Waheed; Leung, Wai-Nang; Hannachi, Abdel

2017-09-01

The North Atlantic eddy-driven jet is a dominant feature of extratropical climate and its variability is associated with the large-scale changes in the surface climate of midlatitudes. Variability of this jet is analysed in a set of General Circulation Models (GCMs) from the Coupled Model Inter-comparison Project phase-5 (CMIP5) over the North Atlantic region. The CMIP5 simulations for the 20th century climate (Historical) are compared with the ERA40 reanalysis data. The jet latitude index, wind speed and jet persistence are analysed in order to evaluate 11 CMIP5 GCMs and to compare them with those from CMIP3 integrations. The phase of mean seasonal cycle of jet latitude and wind speed from historical runs of CMIP5 GCMs are comparable to ERA40. The wind speed mean seasonal cycle by CMIP5 GCMs is overestimated in winter months. A positive (negative) jet latitude anomaly in historical simulations relative to ERA40 is observed in summer (winter). The ensemble mean of jet latitude biases in historical simulations of CMIP3 and CMIP5 with respect to ERA40 are -2.43° and -1.79° respectively. Thus indicating improvements in CMIP5 in comparison to the CMIP3 GCMs. The comparison of historical and future simulations of CMIP5 under RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 for the period 2076-2099, shows positive anomalies in the jet latitude implying a poleward shifted jet. The results from the analysed models offer no specific improvements in simulating the trimodality of the eddy-driven jet.

The host galaxies of ultra hard X-ray selected AGN

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koss, Michael J.

One of the great mysteries surrounding active galactic nuclei (AGN) is their triggering mechanism. Since the discovery that almost all massive galaxies host nuclear supermassive black holes, it has become clear that a trigger mechanism is required to 'turn on' and continue to fuel the central black hole. While it is established that accretion processes are responsible for the energy emitted, the source of the accreting material is still controversial. Furthermore, the energy input from phases of black hole growth is thought to be a key regulator in the formation of galaxies and the establishment of various scaling relations. Theorists often invoke galaxy mergers as the violent mechanism to drive gas into the central regions and ignite luminous quasars, but among more common moderate luminosity AGN, there has been great controversy whether secular processes or mergers dominate AGN fueling. A survey in the ultra hard X-ray band (14--195 keV) is an important new way to answer the fundamental question of AGN fueling. This method is independent of selection effects such as dust extinction and obscuration that plague surveys at other wavelengths because of the ability of the primary continuum to easily pass through large columns of obscuring gas and dust (<10 24 cm-2). In this PhD, we have assembled the largest sample of ultra hard X-ray selected AGN with host galaxy optical data to date, with 185 nearby (z<0.05), moderate luminosity AGN from the Swift BAT sample. We find that these AGN show much higher rates of both mergers and massive spirals suggesting both mergers and accretion of cold gas in late type systems are important in AGN fueling. We also find that the most common AGN survey technique, optical line diagnostics, is heavily biased against finding AGN in mergers or spirals. Finally, in agreement with the merger driven AGN link, we find that dual AGN systems may be more common than current observation suggest since some of them are only detected using high

The Compton-thick AGN fraction from the deepest X-ray spectroscopy in the CDF-S

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Corral, A.; Georgantopoulos, I.; Akylas, A.; Ranalli, P.

2017-10-01

Highly obscured AGN, especially Compton-thick (CT) AGN, likely play a key role in the galaxy-AGN co-evolution scenario. They would comprise the early stages of AGN activity, preceding the AGN-feedback/star-formation quenching phase, during which most of both the SMBH and galaxy growth take place. However, the actual CT fraction among the AGN population is still largely unconstrained. The most reliable way of confirming the obscured nature of an AGN by X-ray spectroscopy, but very deep observations are needed to extend local analyses to larger distances. We will present the X-ray spectral analysis of the deepest X-ray data obtained to date, the almost 7Ms observation of the Chandra Deep Field South. The unprecedented depth of this survey allow us to carry out reliable spectral analyses down to a flux limit of 10^{-16} erg cm^{-2} s^{-1} in the hard 2-8 keV band. Besides the new deeper X-ray data, our approach also includes the implementation of Bayesian inference in the determination of the CT fraction. Our results favor X-ray background synthesis models which postulate a moderate fraction (25%) of CT objects among the obscured AGN population.

Imaging Extended Emission-Line Regions of Obscured AGN with the Subaru Hyper Suprime-Cam Survey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Ai-Lei; Greene, Jenny E.; Zakamska, Nadia L.; Goulding, Andy; Strauss, Michael A.; Huang, Song; Johnson, Sean; Kawaguchi, Toshihiro; Matsuoka, Yoshiki; Marsteller, Alisabeth A.; Nagao, Tohru; Toba, Yoshiki

2018-05-01

Narrow-line regions excited by active galactic nuclei (AGN) are important for studying AGN photoionization and feedback. Their strong [O III] lines can be detected with broadband images, allowing morphological studies of these systems with large-area imaging surveys. We develop a new broad-band imaging technique to reconstruct the images of the [O III] line using the Subaru Hyper Suprime-Cam (HSC) Survey aided with spectra from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS). The technique involves a careful subtraction of the galactic continuum to isolate emission from the [O III]λ5007 and [O III]λ4959 lines. Compared to traditional targeted observations, this technique is more efficient at covering larger samples without dedicated observational resources. We apply this technique to an SDSS spectroscopically selected sample of 300 obscured AGN at redshifts 0.1 - 0.7, uncovering extended emission-line region candidates with sizes up to tens of kpc. With the largest sample of uniformly derived narrow-line region sizes, we revisit the narrow-line region size - luminosity relation. The area and radii of the [O III] emission-line regions are strongly correlated with the AGN luminosity inferred from the mid-infrared (15 μm rest-frame) with a power-law slope of 0.62^{+0.05}_{-0.06}± 0.10 (statistical and systematic errors), consistent with previous spectroscopic findings. We discuss the implications for the physics of AGN emission-line regions and future applications of this technique, which should be useful for current and next-generation imaging surveys to study AGN photoionization and feedback with large statistical samples.

Experimental Investigation of Unsteady Thrust Augmentation Using a Speaker-Driven Jet

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Paxson, Daniel E.; Wernet, Mark P.; John, Wentworth T.

2007-01-01

An experimental investigation is described in which a simple speaker-driven jet was used as a pulsed thrust source (driver) for an ejector configuration. The objectives of the investigation were twofold. The first was to expand the experimental body of evidence showing that an unsteady thrust source, combined with a properly sized ejector generally yields higher thrust augmentation values than a similarly sized, steady driver of equivalent thrust. The second objective was to identify characteristics of the unsteady driver that may be useful for sizing ejectors, and for predicting the thrust augmentation levels that may be achieved. The speaker-driven jet provided a convenient source for the investigation because it is entirely unsteady (i.e., it has no mean velocity component) and because relevant parameters such as frequency, time-averaged thrust, and diameter are easily variable. The experimental setup will be described, as will the two main measurements techniques employed. These are thrust and digital particle imaging velocimetry of the driver. It will be shown that thrust augmentation values as high as 1.8 were obtained, that the diameter of the best ejector scaled with the dimensions of the emitted vortex, and that the so-called formation time serves as a useful dimensionless parameter by which to characterize the jet and predict performance.

Fossil shell emission in dying radio loud AGNs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kino, M.; Ito, H.; Kawakatu, N.; Orienti, M.; Nagai, H.; Wajima, K.; Itoh, R.

2016-02-01

We investigate shell emission associated with dying radio loud AGNs. First, based on our recent work by Ito et al. (2015), we describe the dynamical and spectral evolution of shells after stopping the jet energy injection. We find that the shell emission overwhelms that of the radio lobes soon after stopping the jet energy injection because fresh electrons are continuously supplied into the shell via the forward shock, while the radio lobes rapidly fade out without jet energy injection. We find that such fossil shells can be a new class of target sources for SKA telescope. Next, we apply the model to the nearby radio source 3C84. Then, we find that the fossil shell emission in 3C84 is less luminous in the radio band while it is bright in the TeV γ-ray band and can be detectable by CTA. Data from STELLA

Data-Driven User Feedback: An Improved Neurofeedback Strategy considering the Interindividual Variability of EEG Features.

PubMed

Han, Chang-Hee; Lim, Jeong-Hwan; Lee, Jun-Hak; Kim, Kangsan; Im, Chang-Hwan

2016-01-01

It has frequently been reported that some users of conventional neurofeedback systems can experience only a small portion of the total feedback range due to the large interindividual variability of EEG features. In this study, we proposed a data-driven neurofeedback strategy considering the individual variability of electroencephalography (EEG) features to permit users of the neurofeedback system to experience a wider range of auditory or visual feedback without a customization process. The main idea of the proposed strategy is to adjust the ranges of each feedback level using the density in the offline EEG database acquired from a group of individuals. Twenty-two healthy subjects participated in offline experiments to construct an EEG database, and five subjects participated in online experiments to validate the performance of the proposed data-driven user feedback strategy. Using the optimized bin sizes, the number of feedback levels that each individual experienced was significantly increased to 139% and 144% of the original results with uniform bin sizes in the offline and online experiments, respectively. Our results demonstrated that the use of our data-driven neurofeedback strategy could effectively increase the overall range of feedback levels that each individual experienced during neurofeedback training.

Data-Driven User Feedback: An Improved Neurofeedback Strategy considering the Interindividual Variability of EEG Features

PubMed Central

Lim, Jeong-Hwan; Lee, Jun-Hak; Kim, Kangsan

2016-01-01

It has frequently been reported that some users of conventional neurofeedback systems can experience only a small portion of the total feedback range due to the large interindividual variability of EEG features. In this study, we proposed a data-driven neurofeedback strategy considering the individual variability of electroencephalography (EEG) features to permit users of the neurofeedback system to experience a wider range of auditory or visual feedback without a customization process. The main idea of the proposed strategy is to adjust the ranges of each feedback level using the density in the offline EEG database acquired from a group of individuals. Twenty-two healthy subjects participated in offline experiments to construct an EEG database, and five subjects participated in online experiments to validate the performance of the proposed data-driven user feedback strategy. Using the optimized bin sizes, the number of feedback levels that each individual experienced was significantly increased to 139% and 144% of the original results with uniform bin sizes in the offline and online experiments, respectively. Our results demonstrated that the use of our data-driven neurofeedback strategy could effectively increase the overall range of feedback levels that each individual experienced during neurofeedback training. PMID:27631005

Review of Space VLBI RadioAstron studies of AGN

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gurvits, Leonid; Kovalev, Yuri

2016-07-01

Space VLBI offers an unrivalled resolution in studies of the AGN phenomena. Since 2011, the Russia-led SVLBI mission RadioAstron conducts observations at 92, 18, 6 and 1.3 cm with baselines an order of magnitude longer than the Earth diameter, therefore offering an order of magnitude "sharper" view at the brightest radio sources than achieved with Earth-based VLBI systems. In our presentation we will review the current status of the RadioAstron's scientific programme. Over the first 4.5 years of the in-orbit operations, the mission achieved successful VLBI detections of extragalactic continuum radio sources at all four observing bands. To date, detections on SVLBI baselines have been obtained for more than 150 AGN's at projected baselines up to 350 000 km (about 28 Earth diameters, ED). The highest resolution achieved is 14 microarcscends from 1.3 cm observations. RadioAstron is an international project; it conducts observations with up to 30 Earth-based radio telescopes located on different continents. We will review results of total intensity and polarisation imaging with extreme angular resolution of blazars and nearby active galaxies. We will also discuss typical and maximum brightness temperatures of blazar cores from the AGN Survey obtained with RadioAstron. Physical implications for the AGN jets formation, magnetic field and emission mechanism will be discussed on the basis of the results obtained to date.

AGN Feedback And Evolution of Radio Sources: Discovery of An X-Ray Cluster Associated With Z=1 Quasar

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Siemiginowska, Aneta; /Harvard-Smithsonian Ctr. Astrophys.; Cheung, C.C.

2006-01-11

We report the first significant detection of an X-ray cluster associated with a powerful (L{sub bol} {approx} 10{sup 47} erg sec{sup -1}) radio-loud quasar at high redshift (z=1.06). Diffuse X-ray emission is detected out to {approx} 120 kpc from the CSS quasar 3C 186. A strong Fe-line emission at the z{sub rest} = 1.06 confirms its thermal nature. We find that the CSS radio source is highly overpressured with respect to the thermal cluster medium by 2-3 orders of magnitude. This provides direct observational evidence that the radio source is not thermally confined as posited in the ''frustrated'' scenario formore » CSS sources. Instead, the radio source may be young and at an early stage of its evolution. This source provides the first detection of the AGN in outburst in the center of a cooling flow cluster. Powerful radio sources are thought to be triggered by the cooling flows. The evidence for the AGN activity and intermittent outbursts comes from the X-ray morphology of low redshift clusters, which usually do not harbour quasars. 3C186 is a young active radio source which can supply the energy into the cluster and potentially prevent its cooling. We discuss energetics related to the quasar activity and the cluster cooling flow, and possible feedback between the evolving radio source and the cluster.« less

Gas Accretion onto a Supermassive Black Hole: A Step to Model AGN Feedback

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nagamine, K.; Barai, P.; Proga, D.

2012-08-01

We study gas accretion onto a supermassive black hole (SMBH) using the 3D SPH code GADGET-3 on scales of 0.1-200 pc. First we test our code with the spherically symmetric, adiabatic Bondi accretion problem. We find that our simulation can reproduce the expected Bondi accretion flow very well for a limited amount of time until the effect of the outer boundary starts to be visible. We also find artificial heating of gas near the inner accretion boundary due to the artificial viscosity of SPH. Second, we implement radiative cooling and heating due to X-rays, and examine the impact of thermal feedback by the central X-ray source. The accretion flow roughly follows the Bondi solution for low central X-ray luminosities; however, the flow starts to exhibit non-spherical fragmentation due to the thermal instability for a certain range of central LX, and a strong overall outflow develops for greater LX. The cold gas develops filamentary structures that fall into the central SMBH, whereas the hot gas tries to escape through the channels in between the cold filaments. Such fragmentation of accreting gas can assist in the formation of clouds around AGN, induce star-formation, and contribute to the observed variability of narrow-line regions.

HOMOLOGOUS JET-DRIVEN CORONAL MASS EJECTIONS FROM SOLAR ACTIVE REGION 12192

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Panesar, Navdeep K.; Sterling, Alphonse C.; Moore, Ronald L., E-mail: navdeep.k.panesar@nasa.gov

We report observations of homologous coronal jets and their coronal mass ejections (CMEs) observed by instruments onboard the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) and the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) spacecraft. The homologous jets originated from a location with emerging and canceling magnetic field at the southeastern edge of the giant active region (AR) of 2014 October, NOAA 12192. This AR produced in its interior many non-jet major flare eruptions (X- and M- class) that made no CME. During October 20 to 27, in contrast to the major flare eruptions in the interior, six of the homologous jets from the edgemore » resulted in CMEs. Each jet-driven CME (∼200–300 km s{sup −1}) was slower-moving than most CMEs, with angular widths (20°–50°) comparable to that of the base of a coronal streamer straddling the AR and were of the “streamer-puff” variety, whereby the preexisting streamer was transiently inflated but not destroyed by the passage of the CME. Much of the transition-region-temperature plasma in the CME-producing jets escaped from the Sun, whereas relatively more of the transition-region plasma in non-CME-producing jets fell back to the solar surface. Also, the CME-producing jets tended to be faster and longer-lasting than the non-CME-producing jets. Our observations imply that each jet and CME resulted from reconnection opening of twisted field that erupted from the jet base and that the erupting field did not become a plasmoid as previously envisioned for streamer-puff CMEs, but instead the jet-guiding streamer-base loop was blown out by the loop’s twist from the reconnection.« less

Behavior of a wave-driven buoyant surface jet on a coral reef

USGS Publications Warehouse

Herdman, Liv; Hench, James L.; Fringer, Oliver; Monismith, Stephen G.

2017-01-01

A wave-driven surface buoyant jet exiting a coral reef was studied in order to quantify the amount of water re-entrained over the reef crest. Both moored observations and Lagrangian drifters were used to study the fate of the buoyant jet. To investigate in detail the effects of buoyancy and along-shore flow variations, we developed an idealized numerical model of the system. Consistent with previous work, the ratio of along-shore velocity to jet-velocity and the jet internal Froude number were found to be important determinants of the fate of the jet. In the absence of buoyancy, the entrainment of fluid at the reef crest, creates a significant amount of retention, keeping 60% of water in the reef system. However, when the jet is lighter than the ambient ocean-water, the net effect of buoyancy is to enhance the separation of the jet from shore, leading to a greater export of reef water. Matching observations, our modeling predicts that buoyancy limits retention to 30% of the jet flow for conditions existing on the Moorea reef. Overall, the combination of observations and modeling we present here shows that reef-ocean temperature gradients can play an important role in reef-ocean exchanges.

Behavior of a wave-driven buoyant surface jet on a coral reef

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Herdman, Liv M. M.; Hench, James L.; Fringer, Oliver; Monismith, Stephen G.

2017-05-01

A wave-driven surface-buoyant jet exiting a coral reef was studied in order to quantify the amount of water reentrained over the reef crest. Both moored observations and Lagrangian drifters were used to study the fate of the buoyant jet. To investigate in detail the effects of buoyancy and alongshore flow variations, we developed an idealized numerical model of the system. Consistent with previous work, the ratio of alongshore velocity to jet velocity and the jet internal Froude number were found to be important determinants of the fate of the jet. In the absence of buoyancy, the entrainment of fluid at the reef crest creates a significant amount of retention, keeping 60% of water in the reef system. However, when the jet is lighter than the ambient ocean water, the net effect of buoyancy is to enhance the separation of the jet from shore, leading to a greater export of reef water. Matching observations, our modeling predicts that buoyancy limits retention to 30% of the jet flow for conditions existing on the Moorea reef. Overall, the combination of observations and modeling we present here shows that reef-ocean temperature gradients can play an important role in reef-ocean exchanges.

Starburst or AGN Dominance in Submillimetre-Luminous Candidate AGN?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Coppin, Kristen; Pope, Alexandra; Menéndez-Delmestre, Karín; Alexander, David M.; Dunlop, James

2010-06-01

It is widely believed that ultraluminous infrared (IR) galaxies and active galactic nuclei (AGN) activity are triggered by galaxy interactions and merging, with the peak of activity occurring at z~2, where submillimetre galaxies are thousands of times more numerous than local ULIRGs. In this evolutionary picture, submillimetre galaxies (SMGs) would host an AGN, which would eventually grow a black hole (BH) strong enough to blow off all of the gas and dust leaving an optically luminous QSO. To probe this evolutionary sequence we have focussed on the `missing link' sources, which demonstrate both strong starburst (SB) and AGN signatures, in order to determine if the SB is the main power source even in SMGs when we have evidence that an AGN is present from their IRAC colours. The best way to determine if a dominant AGN is present is to look for their signatures in the mid-infrared with the Spitzer IRS, since often even deep X-ray observations miss identifying the presence of AGN in heavily dust-obscured SMGs. We present the results of our audit of the energy balance between star-formation and AGN within this special sub-population of SMGs-where the BH has grown appreciably to begin heating the dust emission.

Misaligned Accretion and Jet Production

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

King, Andrew; Nixon, Chris

2018-04-01

Disk accretion onto a black hole is often misaligned from its spin axis. If the disk maintains a significant magnetic field normal to its local plane, we show that dipole radiation from Lense–Thirring precessing disk annuli can extract a significant fraction of the accretion energy, sharply peaked toward small disk radii R (as R ‑17/2 for fields with constant equipartition ratio). This low-frequency emission is immediately absorbed by surrounding matter or refracted toward the regions of lowest density. The resultant mechanical pressure, dipole angular pattern, and much lower matter density toward the rotational poles create a strong tendency to drive jets along the black hole spin axis, similar to the spin-axis jets of radio pulsars, also strong dipole emitters. The coherent primary emission may explain the high brightness temperatures seen in jets. The intrinsic disk emission is modulated at Lense–Thirring frequencies near the inner edge, providing a physical mechanism for low-frequency quasi-periodic oscillations (QPOs). Dipole emission requires nonzero hole spin, but uses only disk accretion energy. No spin energy is extracted, unlike the Blandford–Znajek process. Magnetohydrodynamic/general-relativistic magnetohydrodynamic (MHD/GRMHD) formulations do not directly give radiation fields, but can be checked post-process for dipole emission and therefore self-consistency, given sufficient resolution. Jets driven by dipole radiation should be more common in active galactic nuclei (AGN) than in X-ray binaries, and in low accretion-rate states than high, agreeing with observation. In non-black hole accretion, misaligned disk annuli precess because of the accretor’s mass quadrupole moment, similarly producing jets and QPOs.

Evidence for Ultra-Fast Outflows in Radio-Quiet AGNs. 2; Detailed Photoionization Modeling of Fe K-Shell Absorption Lines

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tombesi, Francesco; Clapp, M.; Reeves, J. N.; Palumbo, G. G. C.; Braito, V.; Dadina, M.

2011-01-01

X-ray absorption line spectroscopy has recently shown evidence for previously unknown Ultra-fast Outflows (UFOs) in radio-quiet AGNs. In the previous paper of this series we defined UFOs as those absorbers with an outflow velocity higher than 10,000km/s and assessed the statistical significance of the associated blue shifted FeK absorption lines in a large sample of 42 local radio-quiet AGNs observed with XMM-Newton. In the present paper we report a detailed curve of growth analysis and directly model the FeK absorbers with the Xstar photo-ionization code. We confirm that the frequency of sources in the radio-quiet sample showing UFOs is >35%. The outflow velocity distribution spans from \\sim10,000km/s (\\sim0.03c) up to \\siml00,000kmis (\\sim0.3c), with a peak and mean value of\\sim42,000km/s (\\sim0.14c). The ionization parameter is very high and in the range log\\xi 3-6 erg s/cm, with a mean value of log\\xi 4.2 erg s/cm. The associated column densities are also large, in the range N_H\\siml0(exp 22)-10(exp 24)/sq cm, with a mean value of N_H\\siml0(exp23)/sq cm. We discuss and estimate how selection effects, such as those related to the limited instrumental sensitivity at energies above 7keV, may hamper the detection of even higher velocities and higher ionization absorbers. We argue that, overall, these results point to the presence of extremely ionized and possibly almost Compton thick outflowing material in the innermost regions of AGNs. This also suggests that UFOs may potentially play a significant role in the expected cosmological feedback from AGNs and their study can provide important clues on the connection between accretion disks, winds and jets.

Identifying Distant AGNs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Trouille, Laura; Barger, Amy; Tremonti, Christy

2014-07-01

The Baldwin, Phillips, and Terlevich emission-line ratio diagnostic ([OIII]/Hβ versus [NII]/Hα, hereafter BPT diagram) efficiently separates galaxies whose signal is dominated by star formation (BPT-SF) from those dominated by AGN activity (BPT-AGN). Yet the BPT diagram is limited to z<0.5, the redshift at which [NII]λ6584 leaves the optical spectral window. Using the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS), we construct a new diagnostic, or TBT diagram, that is based on rest-frame g-z color, [NeIII]λ3869, and [OII]λλ3726+3729 and can be used for galaxies out to z<1.4. The TBT diagram identifies 98.7% of the SDSS BPT-AGN as TBT-AGN and 97% of the SDSS BPT-SF as TBT-SF. Furthermore, it identifies 97% of the OPTX Chandra X-ray selected AGNs as TBT-AGN. This is in contrast to the BPT diagram, which misidentifies 20% of X-ray selected AGNs as BPT-SF.

Extragalactic gamma-ray background from AGN winds and star-forming galaxies in cosmological galaxy-formation models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lamastra, A.; Menci, N.; Fiore, F.; Antonelli, L. A.; Colafrancesco, S.; Guetta, D.; Stamerra, A.

2017-10-01

We derive the contribution to the extragalactic gamma-ray background (EGB) from active galactic nuclei (AGN) winds and star-forming galaxies by including a physical model for the γ-ray emission produced by relativistic protons accelerated by AGN-driven and supernova-driven shocks into a state-of-the-art semi-analytic model of galaxy formation. This is based on galaxy interactions as triggers of AGN accretion and starburst activity and on expanding blast waves as the mechanism to communicate outwards the energy injected into the interstellar medium by the active nucleus. We compare the model predictions with the latest measurement of the EGB spectrum performed by the Large Area Telescope (LAT) on board the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope (Fermi) in the range between 100 MeV and 820 GeV. We find that AGN winds can provide 35 ± 15% of the observed EGB in the energy interval Eγ = 0.1-1 GeV, for 73 ± 15% at Eγ = 1-10 GeV, and for 60 ± 20% at Eγ ≳10 GeV. The AGN wind contribution to the EGB is predicted to be larger by a factor of 3-5 than that provided by star-forming galaxies (quiescent plus starburst) in the hierarchical clustering scenario. The cumulative γ-ray emission from AGN winds and blazars can account for the amplitude and spectral shape of the EGB, assuming the standard acceleration theory, and AGN wind parameters that agree with observations. We also compare the model prediction for the cumulative neutrino background from AGN winds with the most recent IceCube data. We find that for AGN winds with accelerated proton spectral index p = 2.2-2.3, and taking into account internal absorption of γ-rays, the Fermi-LAT and IceCube data could be reproduced simultaneously.

Obscured and powerful AGN and starburst activities at z ~ 3.5

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Polletta, M.; Omont, A.; Berta, S.; Bergeron, J.; Stalin, C. S.; Petitjean, P.; Giorgetti, M.; Trinchieri, G.; Srianand, R.; McCracken, H. J.; Pei, Y.; Dannerbauer, H.

2008-12-01

vicinity of the nucleus. Evidence of moderate, AGN-driven radio activity is also found in both sources. Based on the estimated stellar and black hole masses, the two sources lie on the local M_BH{-}M_bulge relation. To remain on this relation as they evolve, their star formation rate has to decrease or stop. Our results support evolutionary models that invoke radio feedback such as the star formation quenching mechanism, and suggest that such a mechanism might play a major role also in powerful AGNs. This paper makes use of observations collected at the European Southern Observatory, Chile, ESO program No. 079.A-0522(A), and at the IRAM 30 m-Telescope. IRAM is funded by the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (France), the Max-Planck Gesellschaft (Germany), and the Instituto Geografico Nacional (Spain). Based on observations obtained with MegaPrime/MegaCam, a joint project of CFHT and CEA/DAPNIA, at the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope (CFHT) which is operated by the National Research Council (NRC) of Canada, the Institut National des Sciences de l'Univers of the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) of France, and the University of Hawaii. This work is based in part on data products produced at TERAPIX and the Canadian Astronomy Data Centre as part of the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope Legacy Survey, a collaborative project of NRC and CNRS.

Diagnostics of an AC driven atmospheric pressure non-thermal plasma jet and its use for radially directed jet array

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, W.; Wang, R.

2017-08-01

An alternating current atmospheric pressure plasma jet is generated with noble gas or noble gas/oxygen admixture as working gas. A "core plasma filament" is observed at the center of the dielectric tube and extends to the plasma jet at higher peak-to-peak voltages. This type of plasma jet is believed to be of the same nature with the reported plasma bullet driven by pulsed DC power sources. Double current probes are used to assess the speed of the plasma bullet and show that the speed is around 104-105 m/s. The time dependence of the downstream bullet speed is attributed to the gas heating and in turn the increase of the reduced electric field E/N. Optical emission spectra show the dependence of helium and oxygen emission intensities on the concentration of oxygen additive in the carrier gas, with peak values found at 0.5% O2. Multiple radial jets are realized on dielectric tubes of different sizes. As a case study, one of these multi-jet devices is used to treat B. aureus on the inner surface of a plastic beaker and is shown to be more effective than a single jet.

Fast Ionized X-ray Absorbers in AGNs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fukumura, K.; Tombesi, F.; Kazanas, D.; Shrader, C.; Behar, E.; Contopoulos, I.

2015-07-01

We present a study of X-ray ionization of MHD accretion-disk wind models in an effort to explain the highly-ionized ultra-fast outflows (UFOs) identified as X-ray absorbers recently detected in various sub-classes of Seyfert AGNs. Our primary focus is to show that magnetically-driven outflows are physically plausible candidates to account for the AGN X-ray spectroscopic observations. We calculate its X-ray ionization and the ensuing X-ray absorption line spectra in comparison with an XXM-Newton/EPIC spectrum of the narrow-line Seyfert AGN, PG 1211+143. We find, through identifying the detected features with Fe Kα transitions, that the absorber has a characteristic ionization parameter of log(xi[erg cm/s]) = 5-6 and a hydrogen-equivalent column density on the order of 1e23 cm-2, outflowing at a sub-relativistic velocity of v/c = 0.1-0.2. The best-fit model favors its radial location at R = 200 Rs (Rs is the Schwarzschild radius), with a disk inner truncation radius at Rt = 30Rs. The overall K-shell feature in data is suggested to be dominated by Fe XXV with very little contribution from Fe XXVI and weakly-ionized iron, which is in a good agreement with a series of earlier analysis of the UFOs in various AGNs including PG 1211+143.

Active Galactic Nucleus Feedback in an Isolated Elliptical Galaxy: The Effect of Strong Radiative Feedback in the Kinetic Mode

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gan, Zhaoming; Yuan, Feng; Ostriker, Jeremiah P.; Ciotti, Luca; Novak, Gregory S.

2014-07-01

Based on two-dimensional high-resolution hydrodynamic numerical simulation, we study the mechanical and radiative feedback effects from the central active galactic nucleus (AGN) on the cosmological evolution of an isolated elliptical galaxy. The inner boundary of the simulation domain is carefully chosen so that the fiducial Bondi radius is resolved and the accretion rate of the black hole is determined self-consistently. It is well known that when the accretion rates are high and low, the central AGNs will be in cold and hot accretion modes, which correspond to the radiative and kinetic feedback modes, respectively. The emitted spectrum from the hot accretion flows is harder than that from the cold accretion flows, which could result in a higher Compton temperature accompanied by a more efficient radiative heating, according to previous theoretical works. Such a difference of the Compton temperature between the two feedback modes, the focus of this study, has been neglected in previous works. Significant differences in the kinetic feedback mode are found as a result of the stronger Compton heating. More importantly, if we constrain models to correctly predict black hole growth and AGN duty cycle after cosmological evolution, we find that the favored model parameters are constrained: mechanical feedback efficiency diminishes with decreasing luminosity (the maximum efficiency being ~= 10-3.5), and X-ray Compton temperature increases with decreasing luminosity, although models with fixed mechanical efficiency and Compton temperature can be found that are satisfactory as well. We conclude that radiative feedback in the kinetic mode is much more important than previously thought.

The Keck OSIRIS Nearby AGN Survey: Tracing Inflow within the Central 200 pc of Seyfert Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hicks, Erin K. S.; Müller-Sánchez, Francisco; Malkan, Matthew A.; Yu, Po-Chieh

2016-08-01

In an effort to identify the fundamental processes driving feeding and feedback in AGN we turn to local Seyfert galaxies and rely on a multi-wavelength approach. With the integral field unit OSIRIS and adaptive optics we characterize the nuclear stars and gas down to scales of 5-30 parsecs in a sample of 40 Seyfert galaxies with the Keck OSIRIS Nearby AGN (KONA) survey. The complex gas kinematics in these near-IR data are interpreted using an integrative approach through comparison with data available at a range of wavelengths. We present first results from the survey with a focus on work aimed at constraining the mechanism(s) driving inflow of material within the central 200 pc. Particularly useful in the identification of inflow mechanisms (e.g. nuclear spiral, external accretion) is spatial correlation of the molecular gas distribution and kinematics with dust features revealed in HST imaging (optical and near-IR). Also informative is comparison with X-ray emission to identify locations likely influenced by interactions with outflows. The stellar kinematics in the sample galaxies (traced by CO bandheads at 2.3 microns) indicate a stellar population within the central few 100 parsecs in circular rotation, and in the majority of the galaxies the molecular gas (traced by H2 emission at 2.1218 microns) is found to have a rotating component co-spatial with the stellar disk. A significant fraction of the galaxies also exhibit kinematic signatures of inflow superimposed on this disk rotation, with inflow driven by secular and non-secular processes identified. We explore statistical trends of the nuclear stellar and molecular gas properties, including primary fueling mechanism, with Seyfert type, AGN luminosity, and host environment with the goal of disentangling which properties are fundamental to the nature of the AGN.

Dusty Feedback from Massive Black Holes in Two Elliptical Galaxies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Temi, P.; Brighenti, F.; Mathews, W. G.; Amblard, A.; Riguccini, L.

2013-01-01

Far-infrared dust emission from elliptical galaxies informs us about galaxy mergers, feedback energy outbursts from supermassive black holes and the age of galactic stars. We report on the role of AGN feedback observationally by looking for its signatures in elliptical galaxies at recent epochs in the nearby universe. We present Herschel observations of two elliptical galaxies with strong and spatially extended FIR emission from colder grains 5-10 kpc distant from the galaxy cores. Extended excess cold dust emission is interpreted as evidence of recent feedback-generated AGN energy outbursts in these galaxies, visible only in the FIR, from buoyant gaseous outflows from the galaxy cores.

Extracting information from AGN variability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kasliwal, Vishal P.; Vogeley, Michael S.; Richards, Gordon T.

2017-09-01

Active galactic nuclei (AGNs) exhibit rapid, high-amplitude stochastic flux variations across the entire electromagnetic spectrum on time-scales ranging from hours to years. The cause of this variability is poorly understood. We present a Green's function-based method for using variability to (1) measure the time-scales on which flux perturbations evolve and (2) characterize the driving flux perturbations. We model the observed light curve of an AGN as a linear differential equation driven by stochastic impulses. We analyse the light curve of the Kepler AGN Zw 229-15 and find that the observed variability behaviour can be modelled as a damped harmonic oscillator perturbed by a coloured noise process. The model power spectrum turns over on time-scale 385 d. On shorter time-scales, the log-power-spectrum slope varies between 2 and 4, explaining the behaviour noted by previous studies. We recover and identify both the 5.6 and 67 d time-scales reported by previous work using the Green's function of the Continuous-time AutoRegressive Moving Average equation rather than by directly fitting the power spectrum of the light curve. These are the time-scales on which flux perturbations grow, and on which flux perturbations decay back to the steady-state flux level, respectively. We make the software package kālī used to study light curves using our method available to the community.

Modeling Reconnection-Driven Solar Polar Jets with Gravity and Wind

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karpen, Judith T.; DeVore, C. R.; Antiochos, S. K.

2013-07-01

Solar polar jets are dynamic, narrow, radially extended structures observed in EUV emission. They have been found to originate within the open magnetic field of coronal holes in “anemone” regions, which are generally accepted to be intrusions of opposite polarity. The associated embedded-dipole topology consists of a spine line emanating from a null point atop a dome-shaped fan surface. Previous work (Pariat et al. 2009, 2010) has validated the idea that magnetic free energy stored on twisted closed field lines within the fan surface can be released explosively by the onset of fast reconnection between the highly stressed closed field inside the null and the unstressed open field outside (Antiochos 1996). The simulations showed that a dense jet comprising a nonlinear, torsional Alfven wave is ejected into the outer corona on the newly reconnected open field lines. While proving the principle of the basic model, those simulations neglected the important effects of gravity, the solar wind, and an expanding spherical geometry. We introduce those additional physical processes in new simulations of reconnection-driven jets, to determine whether the model remains robust in the resulting more realistic setting, and to begin establishing the signatures of the jets in the inner heliosphere for comparison with observations. Initial results demonstrate explosive energy release and a jet in the low corona very much like that in the earlier Cartesian, gravity-free, static-atmosphere runs. We report our analysis of the results, their comparison with previous work, and their implications for observations. This work was supported by NASA’s LWS TR&T program.Abstract (2,250 Maximum Characters): Solar polar jets are dynamic, narrow, radially extended structures observed in EUV emission. They have been found to originate within the open magnetic field of coronal holes in “anemone” regions, which are generally accepted to be intrusions of opposite polarity. The associated

Evidence for ultrafast outflows in radio-quiet AGNs - III. Location and energetics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tombesi, F.; Cappi, M.; Reeves, J. N.; Braito, V.

2012-05-01

Using the results of a previous X-ray photoionization modelling of blueshifted Fe K absorption lines on a sample of 42 local radio-quiet AGNs observed with XMM-Newton, in this Letter we estimate the location and energetics of the associated ultrafast outflows (UFOs). Due to significant uncertainties, we are essentially able to place only lower/upper limits. On average, their location is in the interval ˜0.0003-0.03 pc (˜ 102-104rs) from the central black hole, consistent with what is expected for accretion disc winds/outflows. The mass outflow rates are constrained between ˜0.01 and 1 M⊙ yr-1, corresponding to >rsim5-10 per cent of the accretion rates. The average lower/upper limits on the mechanical power are log? 42.6-44.6 erg s-1. However, the minimum possible value of the ratio between the mechanical power and bolometric luminosity is constrained to be comparable or higher than the minimum required by simulations of feedback induced by winds/outflows. Therefore, this work demonstrates that UFOs are indeed capable to provide a significant contribution to the AGN cosmological feedback, in agreement with theoretical expectations and the recent observation of interactions between AGN outflows and the interstellar medium in several Seyfert galaxies.

An Experimental Investigation of Unsteady Thrust Augmentation Using a Speaker-Driven Jet

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Paxson, Daniel E.; Wernet, Mark P.; John, Wentworth T.

2004-01-01

An experimental investigation is described in which a simple speaker-driven jet was used as a pulsed thrust source (driver) for an ejector configuration. The objectives of the investigation were twofold: first, to add to the experimental body of evidence showing that an unsteady thrust source, combined with a properly sized ejector generally yields higher thrust augmentation values than a similarly sized, steady driver of equivalent thrust. Second, to identify characteristics of the unsteady driver that may be useful for sizing ejectors, and predicting what thrust augmentation values may be achieved. The speaker-driven jet provided a convenient source for the investigation because it is entirely unsteady (having no mean component) and because relevant parameters such as frequency, time-averaged thrust, and diameter are easily variable. The experimental setup will be described, as will the various measurements made. These include both thrust and Digital Particle Imaging Velocimetry of the driver. It will be shown that thrust augmentation values as high as 1.8 were obtained, that the diameter of the best ejector scaled with the dimensions of the emitted vortex, and that the so-called Formation Number serves as a useful dimensionless number by which to characterize the jet and predict performance.

Correlating The Star Formation Histories Of MaNGA Galaxies With Their Past AGN Activity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gonzalez Ortiz, Andrea

2017-01-01

We investigate active galactic nuclei (AGN) as a primary mechanism affecting star formation in MaNGA galaxies. Using the Pipe3D code, we modeled the stellar population from MaNGA spectra and derived the star formation histories of 53 AGN host galaxies. We seek to compare the star formation histories of the host galaxies of AGN with the ages of their radio lobes to better understand the role of AGN feedback in the star formation histories of MaNGA galaxies. MaNGA (Mapping Nearby Galaxies at APO) is one of the three core programs in the fourth generation Sloan Digital Sky Survey(SDSS). MaNGA will investigate the internal kinematics of nearly 10,000 local galaxies through dithered observations using fiber integral field units (IFUs) that vary in diameter from 12" (19 fibers) to 32" (127 fibers). In this poster, we present initial results on the star formation histories of MaNGA AGN host galaxies. This work was supported by the SDSS Research Experience for Undergraduates program, which is funded by a grant from Sloan Foundation to the Astrophysical Research Consortium.

The magnetically driven plasma jet produces a pressure of 33 GPa on PTS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Qiang; Dan, Jiakun; Wang, Guilin; Guo, Shuai; Zhang, Siqun; Cai, Hongchun; Ren, Xiao; Wang, Kunlun; Zhou, Shaotong; Zhang, Zhaohui; Huang, Xianbin

2017-01-01

We report on experiments in which a magnetically driven plasma jet was used to hit a 500 μm thick planar aluminum target. The plasma jet was produced by using a 50 μm thick aluminum radial foil, which was subjected to 4 MA, 90 ns rising time current on the primary test stand pulsed power facility. The subsequent magnetic bubbles propagate with radial velocity reaching 200 km/s and an axial velocity of 230 km/s. After the plasma knocks onto the target, a shock forms in the target. When the shock gets to the backside of the target, we measure the velocity of the moving surface using dual laser heterodyne velocimetry. By using the Hugoniot relations, we know that the plasma jet produced a pressure of 33 GPa. According to the measured pressure and the velocity of the plasma jet, the density of the jet can be also roughly estimated.

Active Galactic Nucleus Feedback with the Square Kilometre Array and Implications for Cluster Physics and Cosmology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Iqbal, Asif; Kale, Ruta; Majumdar, Subhabrata; Nath, Biman B.; Pandge, Mahadev; Sharma, Prateek; Malik, Manzoor A.; Raychaudhury, Somak

2017-12-01

Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) feedback is regarded as an important non-gravitational process in galaxy clusters, providing useful constraints on large-scale structure formation. It modifies the structure and energetics of the intra-cluster medium (ICM) and hence its understanding is crucially needed in order to use clusters as high precision cosmological probes. In this context, particularly keeping in mind the upcoming high quality radio data expected from radio surveys like Square Kilometre Array (SKA) with its higher sensitivity, high spatial and spectral resolutions, we review our current understanding of AGN feedback, its cosmological implications and the impact that SKA can have in revolutionizing our understanding of AGN feedback in large-scale structures. Recent developments regarding the AGN outbursts and its possible contribution to excess entropy in the hot atmospheres of groups and clusters, its correlation with the feedback energy in ICM, quenching of cooling flows and the possible connection between cool core clusters and radio mini-halos, are discussed. We describe current major issues regarding modeling of AGN feedback and its impact on the surrounding medium. With regard to the future of AGN feedback studies, we examine the possible breakthroughs that can be expected from SKA observations. In the context of cluster cosmology, for example, we point out the importance of SKA observations for cluster mass calibration by noting that most of z>1 clusters discovered by eROSITA X-ray mission can be expected to be followed up through a 1000 hour SKA1-mid programme. Moreover, approximately 1000 radio mini halos and ˜ 2500 radio halos at z<0.6 can be potentially detected by SKA1 and SKA2 and used as tracers of galaxy clusters and determination of cluster selection function.

Probing AGN Accretion Physics through AGN Variability: Insights from Kepler

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kasliwal, Vishal Pramod

Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) exhibit large luminosity variations over the entire electromagnetic spectrum on timescales ranging from hours to years. The variations in luminosity are devoid of any periodic character and appear stochastic. While complex correlations exist between the variability observed in different parts of the electromagnetic spectrum, no frequency band appears to be completely dominant, suggesting that the physical processes producing the variability are exceedingly rich and complex. In the absence of a clear theoretical explanation of the variability, phenomenological models are used to study AGN variability. The stochastic behavior of AGN variability makes formulating such models difficult and connecting them to the underlying physics exceedingly hard. We study AGN light curves serendipitously observed by the NASA Kepler planet-finding mission. Compared to previous ground-based observations, Kepler offers higher precision and a smaller sampling interval resulting in potentially higher quality light curves. Using structure functions, we demonstrate that (1) the simplest statistical model of AGN variability, the damped random walk (DRW), is insufficient to characterize the observed behavior of AGN light curves; and (2) variability begins to occur in AGN on time-scales as short as hours. Of the 20 light curves studied by us, only 3-8 may be consistent with the DRW. The structure functions of the AGN in our sample exhibit complex behavior with pronounced dips on time-scales of 10-100 d suggesting that AGN variability can be very complex and merits further analysis. We examine the accuracy of the Kepler pipeline-generated light curves and find that the publicly available light curves may require re-processing to reduce contamination from field sources. We show that while the re-processing changes the exact PSD power law slopes inferred by us, it is unlikely to change the conclusion of our structure function study-Kepler AGN light curves indicate

Jet Interactions in a Feedback-Free Fluidic Oscillator in the Transition Region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tomac, Mehmet; Gregory, James

2013-11-01

The details of the jet interactions and oscillation mechanism of a feedback-free type fluidic oscillator are studied in this work. Flow rate-frequency measurements indicate the existence of three distinct operating regimes: low flow rate, transition, and high flow rate regions. This study presents results from the transition regime, extracted by using refractive index-matched particle image velocimetry (PIV). A newly-developed sensor configuration for frequency measurements in the refractive index-matched fluid and a phase-averaging method that minimizes jitter will be discussed. Experimental results indicate that the interactions of the two jets create three main vortices in the mixing chamber. One vortex vanishes and forms depending on the oscillation phase and plays a key role in the oscillation mechanism. The other two vortices sustain their existence throughout the oscillation cycle; however, both continuously change their size and strength. The resulting complex flow field with self-sustained oscillations is a result of the combination of many interesting phenomena such as jet interactions and bifurcations, viscous effects, vortex-shear layer interactions, vortex-wall interactions, instabilities, and saddle point creations.

The origin of ultrafast outflows in AGN: Monte Carlo simulations of the wind in PDS 456

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hagino, Kouichi; Odaka, Hirokazu; Done, Chris; Gandhi, Poshak; Watanabe, Shin; Sako, Masao; Takahashi, Tadayuki

2015-01-01

Ultrafast outflows (UFOs) are seen in many AGN, giving a possible mode for AGN feedback on to the host galaxy. However, the mechanism(s) for the launch and acceleration of these outflows are currently unknown, with UV line driving apparently strongly disfavoured as the material along the line of sight is so highly ionized that it has no UV transitions. We revisit this issue using the Suzaku X-ray data from PDS 456, an AGN with the most powerful UFO seen in the local Universe. We explore conditions in the wind by developing a new 3D Monte Carlo code for radiation transport. The code only handles highly ionized ions, but the data show the ionization state of the wind is high enough that this is appropriate, and this restriction makes it fast enough to explore parameter space. We reproduce the results of earlier work, confirming that the mass-loss rate in the wind is around 30 per cent of the inferred inflow rate through the outer disc. We show for the first time that UV line driving is likely to be a major contribution to the wind acceleration. The mass-loss rate in the wind matches that predicted from a purely line driven system, and this UV absorption can take place out of the line of sight. Continuum driving should also play a role as the source is close to Eddington. This predicts that the most extreme outflows will be produced from the highest mass accretion rate flows on to high-mass black holes, as observed.

Active galactic nucleus feedback in an isolated elliptical galaxy: The effect of strong radiative feedback in the kinetic mode

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gan, Zhaoming; Yuan, Feng; Ostriker, Jeremiah P.

2014-07-10

Based on two-dimensional high-resolution hydrodynamic numerical simulation, we study the mechanical and radiative feedback effects from the central active galactic nucleus (AGN) on the cosmological evolution of an isolated elliptical galaxy. The inner boundary of the simulation domain is carefully chosen so that the fiducial Bondi radius is resolved and the accretion rate of the black hole is determined self-consistently. It is well known that when the accretion rates are high and low, the central AGNs will be in cold and hot accretion modes, which correspond to the radiative and kinetic feedback modes, respectively. The emitted spectrum from the hotmore » accretion flows is harder than that from the cold accretion flows, which could result in a higher Compton temperature accompanied by a more efficient radiative heating, according to previous theoretical works. Such a difference of the Compton temperature between the two feedback modes, the focus of this study, has been neglected in previous works. Significant differences in the kinetic feedback mode are found as a result of the stronger Compton heating. More importantly, if we constrain models to correctly predict black hole growth and AGN duty cycle after cosmological evolution, we find that the favored model parameters are constrained: mechanical feedback efficiency diminishes with decreasing luminosity (the maximum efficiency being ≅ 10{sup –3.5}), and X-ray Compton temperature increases with decreasing luminosity, although models with fixed mechanical efficiency and Compton temperature can be found that are satisfactory as well. We conclude that radiative feedback in the kinetic mode is much more important than previously thought.« less

SPH Simulations of Spherical Bondi Accretion: First Step of Implementing AGN Feedback in Galaxy Formation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barai, Paramita; Proga, D.; Nagamine, K.

2011-01-01

Our motivation is to numerically test the assumption of Black Hole (BH) accretion (that the central massive BH of a galaxy accretes mass at the Bondi-Hoyle accretion rate, with ad-hoc choice of parameters), made in many previous galaxy formation studies including AGN feedback. We perform simulations of a spherical distribution of gas, within the radius range 0.1 - 200 pc, accreting onto a central supermassive black hole (the Bondi problem), using the 3D Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics code Gadget. In our simulations we study the radial distribution of various gas properties (density, velocity, temperature, Mach number). We compute the central mass inflow rate at the inner boundary (0.1 pc), and investigate how different gas properties (initial density and velocity profiles) and computational parameters (simulation outer boundary, particle number) affect the central inflow. Radiative processes (namely heating by a central X-ray corona and gas cooling) have been included in our simulations. We study the thermal history of accreting gas, and identify the contribution of radiative and adiabatic terms in shaping the gas properties. We find that the current implementation of artificial viscosity in the Gadget code causes unwanted extra heating near the inner radius.

Theoretical Re-evaluations of Scaling Relations between SMBHs and Their Host Galaxies - 2. Importance of AGN Feedback Suggested by Stellar Age - Velocity Dispersion Relation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shirakata, Hikari; Kawaguchi, Toshihiro; Okamoto, Takashi; Ishiyama, Tomoaki

2017-09-01

We present the galactic stellar age - velocity dispersion relation obtained from a semi-analytic model of galaxy formation. We divide galaxies into two populations: galaxies which have over-massive/under-massive black holes (BHs) against the best-fitting BH mass - velocity dispersion relation. We find that galaxies with larger velocity dispersion have older stellar ages. We also find that galaxies with over-massive BHs have older stellar ages. These results are consistent with observational results obtained from Martin-Navarro et al. (2016). We tested the model with weak AGN feedback and find that galaxies with larger velocity dispersion have a younger stellar age.

Nonradial and nonpolytropic astrophysical outflows. X. Relativistic MHD rotating spine jets in Kerr metric

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chantry, L.; Cayatte, V.; Sauty, C.; Vlahakis, N.; Tsinganos, K.

2018-04-01

Context. High-resolution radio imaging of active galactic nuclei (AGN) has revealed that the jets of some sources present superluminal knots and transverse stratification. Recent observational projects, such as ALMA and γ-ray telescopes, such as HESS and HESS2 have provided new observational constraints on the central regions of rotating black holes in AGN, suggesting that there is an inner- or spine-jet surrounded by a disk wind. This relativistic spine-jet is likely to be composed of electron-positron pairs extracting energy from the black hole and will be explored by the future γ-ray telescope CTA. Aims: In this article we present an extension to and generalization of relativistic jets in Kerr metric of the Newtonian meridional self-similar mechanism. We aim at modeling the inner spine-jet of AGN as a relativistic light outflow emerging from a spherical corona surrounding a Kerr black hole and its inner accretion disk. Methods: The model is built by expanding the metric and the forces with colatitude to first order in the magnetic flux function. As a result of the expansion, all colatitudinal variations of the physical quantities are quantified by a unique parameter. Unlike previous models, effects of the light cylinder are not neglected. Results: Solutions with high Lorentz factors are obtained and provide spine-jet models up to the polar axis. As in previous publications, we calculate the magnetic collimation efficiency parameter, which measures the variation of the available energy across the field lines. This collimation efficiency is an integral part of the model, generalizing the classical magnetic rotator efficiency criterion to Kerr metric. We study the variation of the magnetic efficiency and acceleration with the spin of the black hole and show their high sensitivity to this integral. Conclusions: These new solutions model collimated or radial, relativistic or ultra-relativistic outflows in AGN or γ-ray bursts. In particular, we discuss the

Quantifying the AGN-driven outflows in ULIRGs (QUADROS) III: Measurements of the radii and kinetic powers of 8 near-nuclear outflows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Spence, R. A. W.; Tadhunter, C. N.; Rose, M.; Rodríguez Zaurín, J.

2018-05-01

As part of the QUADROS project to quantify the impact of AGN-driven outflows in rapidly evolving galaxies in the local universe, we present observations of 8 nearby ULIRGs (0.04 < z < 0.2) taken with the ISIS spectrograph on the William Herschel Telescope (WHT), and also summarize the results of the project as a whole. Consistent with Rose et al. (2018), we find that the outflow regions are compact (0.08 < R_{[O III]} < 1.5 kpc), and the electron densities measured using the [S II], [O II] trans-auroral emission-line ratios are relatively high (2.5 < log ne (cm-3) < 4.5, median log ne (cm-3) ˜ 3.1). Many of the outflow regions are also significantly reddened (median E(B - V) ˜ 0.5). Assuming that the de-projected outflow velocities are represented by the 5^{th} percentile velocities (v05) of the broad, blueshifted components of [O III] λ5007, we calculate relatively modest mass outflow rates (0.1 < \\dot{M} < 20 M⊙ yr-1, median \\dot{M} ˜ 2 M⊙ yr-1), and find kinetic powers as a fraction of the AGN bolometric luminosity (\\dot{F} = \\dot{E}/L_bol) in the range 0.02 < \\dot{F} < 3 per cent, median \\dot{F} ˜ 0.3 per cent). The latter estimates are in line with the predictions of multi-stage outflow models, or single-stage models in which only a modest fraction of the initial kinetic power of the inner disk winds is transferred to the larger-scale outflows. Considering the QUADROS sample as a whole, we find no clear evidence for correlations between the properties of the outflows and the bolometric luminosities of the AGN, albeit based on a sample that covers a relatively small range in Lbol. Overall, our results suggest that there is a significant intrinsic scatter in outflow properties of ULIRGs for a given AGN luminosity.

Tracing Supermassive Black Hole Growth with Offset and Dual AGN

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Comerford, Julia

The growth of supermassive black holes is tied to the evolution of their host galaxies, but we are still missing a fundamental understanding of how and when supermassive black holes build up their mass. Black hole mass growth can be traced when the black holes are powered as active galactic nuclei (AGN), and AGN activity can be triggered by the stochastic accretion of gas or by gas inflows driven by galaxy mergers. Galaxy merger simulations make a series of predictions about the AGN that are triggered by mergers: (1) major mergers preferentially trigger higher-luminosity AGN, (2) minor mergers more often trigger AGN activity in one supermassive black hole while major mergers more often trigger AGN activity in both black holes in a merger, and (3) black hole mass growth peaks when the black holes approach the center (<10 kpc separations) of the merger-remnant galaxy. Observational tests of these predictions from theory have been limited by the difficulty in defining a clean observational sample of AGN in galaxy mergers and the observational challenge of spatially resolving two AGN with small (<10kpc) separations. Here we present offset and dual AGN as a new observational tool that can be used to address how and when supermassive black hole mass growth occurs. A merger of two galaxies brings two supermassive black holes together, and the two black holes exist at kpc-scale separations for 100 Myr before ultimately merging. While the black holes are at kpc-scale separations, they are known as dual AGN when both of them are fueled as AGN and offset AGN when only one is fueled as an AGN. Since offset and dual AGN only occur in galaxy mergers, by their very definition, they provide a clean observational sample of black hole mass growth in galaxy mergers. The small, kpc-scale separations of offset and dual AGN also enable an observational test of black hole fueling near the centers of merger-remnant galaxies. The full potential of offset and dual AGN for such studies of

Intrinsic physical conditions and structure of relativistic jets in active galactic nuclei

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nokhrina, E. E.; Beskin, V. S.; Kovalev, Y. Y.; Zheltoukhov, A. A.

2015-03-01

The analysis of the frequency dependence of the observed shift of the cores of relativistic jets in active galactic nuclei (AGNs) allows us to evaluate the number density of the outflowing plasma ne and, hence, the multiplicity parameter λ = ne/nGJ, where nGJ is the Goldreich-Julian number density. We have obtained the median value for λmed = 3 × 1013 and the median value for the Michel magnetization parameter σM, med = 8 from an analysis of 97 sources. Since the magnetization parameter can be interpreted as the maximum possible Lorentz factor Γ of the bulk motion which can be obtained for relativistic magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) flow, this estimate is in agreement with the observed superluminal motion of bright features in AGN jets. Moreover, knowing these key parameters, one can determine the transverse structure of the flow. We show that the poloidal magnetic field and particle number density are much larger in the centre of the jet than near the jet boundary. The MHD model can also explain the typical observed level of jet acceleration. Finally, casual connectivity of strongly collimated jets is discussed.

[Transfer of the AGnES concept to the regular German health-care system: legal evaluation, reimbursement, qualification].

PubMed

van den Berg, N; Kleinke, S; Heymann, R; Oppermann, R F; Jakobi, B; Hoffmann, W

2010-05-01

According to an amendment of German social security legislation, the AGnES concept of delegation of certain tasks of medical care, especially house calls, by general practitioners (GPs) to qualified practice employees (AGnES employees), will be transferred into the regular German health care system from January 2009 onward. The concept was developed to support GPs in regions with imminent gaps in primary care. Patient data, the specifically delegated and all other activities carried out by the AGnES employees in the AGnES projects were digitally documented. Additionally, the participating GPs, AGnES employees and patients underwent a set of standardised interviews. A curriculum to qualify the AGnES employees and to define the requirements needed was developed. A legal assessment of all delegated activities was carried out, and an economical model to calculate the necessary allowance was calculated. In seven model projects in four federal states in Germany, 11,228 house calls were carried out involving 1,424, mostly multimorbid, patients (mean age: 78.6 years). A modular structured curriculum, considering the basic education and acquired competences, was developed. It allows for an individual qualification of the AGnES employees. The result of the legal assessment was the central relevance of the qualification of the practice employees according to the AGnES curriculum as the essential condition for carrying out the entire range of activities of the AGnES concept. The economic model revealed euro 21.58 for a house call by an AGnES employee. The underlying model referred to underserved regions. A successful transfer of the AGnES concept with a high standard of quality into regular health-care depends on several factors. Of particular importance is the specific qualification of the practice employees, which is a central legal condition for the delegation of medical tasks from GPs to AGnEs employees. A second determining factor is also an adequate reimbursement within

Xray cavities in a sample of 83 SPT-selected clusters galaxies. Tracing the evolution of AGN feedback in clusters of galaxies out to z=1.2

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hlavacek-Larrondo, J.; McDonald, M.; Benson, B. A.

2015-05-18

X-ray cavities are key tracers of mechanical (or radio mode) heating arising from the active galactic nuclei (AGNs) in brightest cluster galaxies (BCGs). We report on a survey for X-ray cavities in 83 massive, high-redshift (more » $$0.4\\lt z\\lt 1.2$$) clusters of galaxies selected by their Sunyaev-Zel’dovich signature in the South Pole Telescope data. Based on Chandra X-ray images, we find a total of six clusters having symmetric pairs of surface brightness depressions consistent with the picture of radio jets inflating X-ray cavities in the intracluster medium (ICM). The majority of these detections are of relatively low significance and require deeper follow-up data in order to be confirmed. Further, this search will miss small (<10 kpc) X-ray cavities that are unresolved by Chandra at high ($$z\\gtrsim 0.5$$) redshift. Despite these limitations, our results suggest that the power generated by AGN feedback in BCGs has remained unchanged for over half of the age of the universe ($$\\gt 7$$ Gyr at $$z\\sim 0.8$$). On average, the detected X-ray cavities have powers of $$(0.8-5)\\times {{10}^{45}}\\ {\\rm erg}\\ {{{\\rm s}}^{-1}}$$, enthalpies of $$(3-6)\\times {{10}^{59}}\\ {\\rm erg}$$, and radii of ~17 kpc. Integrating over 7 Gyr, we find that the supermassive black holes in BCGs may have accreted 10(8) to several $${{10}^{9}}\\,{{M}_{\\odot }}$$ of material to power these outflows. This level of accretion indicates that significant supermassive black hole growth may occur not only at early times, in the quasar era, but at late times as well. We also find that X-ray cavities at high redshift may inject an excess heat of 0.1–1.0 keV per particle into the hot ICM above and beyond the energy needed to offset cooling. Although this result needs to be confirmed, we note that the magnitude of excess heating is similar to the energy needed to preheat clusters, break self-similarity, and explain the excess entropy in hot atmospheres.« less

NEW CLASS OF VERY HIGH ENERGY {gamma}-RAY EMITTERS: RADIO-DARK MINI SHELLS SURROUNDING ACTIVE GALACTIC NUCLEUS JETS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kino, Motoki; Ito, Hirotaka; Kawakatu, Nozomu

We explore non-thermal emission from a shocked interstellar medium, which is identified as an expanding shell, driven by a relativistic jet in active galactic nuclei (AGNs). In this work, we particularly focus on parsec-scale size mini shells surrounding mini radio lobes. From the radio to X-ray band, the mini radio lobe emission dominates the faint emission from the mini shell. On the other hand, we find that inverse-Compton (IC) emission from the shell can overwhelm the associated lobe emission at the very high energy (VHE; E > 100 GeV) {gamma}-ray range, because energy densities of synchrotron photons from the lobemore » and/or soft photons from the AGN nucleus are large and IC scattering works effectively. The predicted IC emission from nearby mini shells can be detected with the Cherenkov Telescope Array and they are potentially a new class of VHE {gamma}-ray emitters.« less

VizieR Online Data Catalog: MOJAVE XV. VLBA 15GHz obs. of AGN jets 1996-2016 (Lister+, 2018)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lister, M. L.; Aller, M. F.; Aller, H. D.; Hodge, M. A.; Homan, D. C.; Kovalev, Y. Y.; Pushkarev, A. B.; Savolainen, T.

2018-03-01

The VLBA maps in this paper are of 437 compact, radio-loud AGNs observed as part of the MOJAVE program. The data consist of 5321 observations of 437 AGNs in the 15GHz band, obtained between 1996 January 19 and 2016 December 26 with the VLBA in full polarization mode (Table 2). Most of the VLBA observations (86%) were carried out as part of the MOJAVE program (Paper V; Lister+ 2009, J/AJ/137/3718), while the remainder were downloaded from the NRAO archive. Most of the AGNs have between 5 and 15 VLBA observation epochs, although a substantial number have considerably more epochs. (3 data files).

Which way will the circulation shift in a changing climate? Possible nonlinearity of extratropical cloud feedbacks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tandon, Neil F.; Cane, Mark A.

2017-06-01

In a suite of idealized experiments with the Community Atmospheric Model version 3 coupled to a slab ocean, we show that the atmospheric circulation response to CO2 increase is sensitive to extratropical cloud feedback that is potentially nonlinear. Doubling CO2 produces a poleward shift of the Southern Hemisphere (SH) midlatitude jet that is driven primarily by cloud shortwave feedback and modulated by ice albedo feedback, in agreement with earlier studies. More surprisingly, for CO2 increases smaller than 25 %, the SH jet shifts equatorward. Nonlinearities are also apparent in the Northern Hemisphere, but with less zonal symmetry. Baroclinic instability theory and climate feedback analysis suggest that as the CO2 forcing amplitude is reduced, there is a transition from a regime in which cloud and circulation changes are largely decoupled to a regime in which they are highly coupled. In the dynamically coupled regime, there is an apparent cancellation between cloud feedback due to warming and cloud feedback due to the shifting jet, and this allows the ice albedo feedback to dominate in the high latitudes. The extent to which dynamical coupling effects exceed thermodynamic forcing effects is strongly influenced by cloud microphysics: an alternate model configuration with slightly increased cloud liquid (LIQ) produces poleward jet shifts regardless of the amplitude of CO2 forcing. Altering the cloud microphysics also produces substantial spread in the circulation response to CO2 doubling: the LIQ configuration produces a poleward SH jet shift approximately twice that produced under the default configuration. Analysis of large ensembles of the Canadian Earth System Model version 2 demonstrates that nonlinear, cloud-coupled jet shifts are also possible in comprehensive models. We still expect a poleward trend in SH jet latitude for timescales on which CO2 increases by more than 25 %. But on shorter timescales, our results give good reason to expect significant

LEM Characterization of Synthetic Jet Actuators Driven by Piezoelectric Element: A Review

PubMed Central

Chiatto, Matteo; Capuano, Francesco; Coppola, Gennaro; de Luca, Luigi

2017-01-01

In the last decades, Synthetic jet actuators have gained much interest among the flow control techniques due to their short response time, high jet velocity and absence of traditional piping, which matches the requirements of reduced size and low weight. A synthetic jet is generated by the diaphragm oscillation (generally driven by a piezoelectric element) in a relatively small cavity, producing periodic cavity pressure variations associated with cavity volume changes. The pressured air exhausts through an orifice, converting diaphragm electrodynamic energy into jet kinetic energy. This review paper considers the development of various Lumped-Element Models (LEMs) as practical tools to design and manufacture the actuators. LEMs can quickly predict device performances such as the frequency response in terms of diaphragm displacement, cavity pressure and jet velocity, as well as the efficiency of energy conversion of input Joule power into useful kinetic power of air jet. The actuator performance is also analyzed by varying typical geometric parameters such as cavity height and orifice diameter and length, through a suited dimensionless form of the governing equations. A comprehensive and detailed physical modeling aimed to evaluate the device efficiency is introduced, shedding light on the different stages involved in the process. Overall, the influence of the coupling degree of the two oscillators, the diaphragm and the Helmholtz frequency, on the device performance is discussed throughout the paper. PMID:28587141

Measuring Galactic Feedback with the Origins Space Telescope

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Armus, Lee; Bolatto, Alberto; Pope, Alexandra; Bradford, Charles Matt; Origins Space Telescope Science and Technology Definition Team

2018-01-01

Since a significant fraction of star formation and black hole growth occurs behind dust, our understanding of how and why galaxies evolve will remain incomplete until deep, wide area spectroscopic surveys in the FIRcan be carried out from space. The Origins Space Telescope (OST), a mission concept being studied for presentation to the 2020 Decadal Survey, represents an enormous leap over any existing infrared mission, and will uniquely measure black hole growth and star formation in dusty galaxies over more than 95% of cosmic history. Energetic feedback from AGN, young stars, and supernovae can regulate galaxy growth over a wide range in mass and be important for the enrichment of the interstellar and circumgalactic medium, yet the existence and type of feedback as a function of redshift, luminosity, and environment is poorly constrained. With wide wavelength coverage (5-600 microns), a large primary mirror actively cooled to ~4K, and a capable suite of imagers and spectrometers, OST will be an extremely sensitive probe of the effects of feedback on the multi-phase ISM in galaxies, through measurement of key feedback tracers such as OH and H2O absorption lines, fine structure emission lines, and PAH dust features. With OST we can directly observe the role of feedback in quenching galaxies, derive the wind kinetic energy and mass outflow rates, and correlate these with key galaxy properties (AGN or starburst power, environment, mass, age). In this poster we will explain how blind and targeted surveys with OST will have an enormous impact on our understanding of the duty cycle and basic physical properties of feedback in AGN and starburst galaxies over the last 12 Gyr.

EUV Waves Driven by the Sudden Expansion of Transequatorial Loops Caused by Coronal Jets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shen, Yuandeng; Tang, Zehao; Miao, Yuhu; Su, Jiangtao; Liu, Yu

2018-06-01

We present two events to study the driving mechanism of extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) waves that are not associated with coronal mass ejections (CMEs), by using high-resolution observations taken by the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly on board the Solar Dynamics Observatory. Observational results indicate that the observed EUV waves were accompanied by flares and coronal jets, but not the CMEs that were regarded as drivers of most EUV waves in previous studies. In the first case, it is observed that a coronal jet is ejected along a transequatorial loop system at a plane-of-the-sky (POS) speed of 335 ± 22 km s{}-1; in the meantime, an arc-shaped EUV wave appeared on the eastern side of the loop system. In addition, the EUV wave further interacted with another interconnecting loop system and launched a fast propagating (QFP) magnetosonic wave along the loop system, which had a period of 200 s and a speed of 388 ± 65 km s{}-1, respectively. In the second case, we observed a coronal jet that ejected at a POS speed of 282 ± 44 km s{}-1 along a transequatorial loop system as well as the generation of bright EUV waves on the eastern side of the loop system. Based on the observational results, we propose that the observed EUV waves on the eastern side of the transequatorial loop systems are fast-mode magnetosonic waves and that they are driven by the sudden lateral expansion of the transequatorial loop systems due to the direct impingement of the associated coronal jets, while the QFP wave in the fist case formed due to the dispersive evolution of the disturbance caused by the interaction between the EUV wave and the interconnecting coronal loops. It is noted that EUV waves driven by sudden loop expansions have shorter lifetimes than those driven by CMEs.

Investigating the host galaxies of luminous AGN in the local universe with integral field spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McElroy, Rebecca; Croom, Scott; Husemann, Bernd; Close AGN Reference Survey; SAMI Galaxy Survey

2017-01-01

This thesis investigates how galaxies and their super massive black holes coevolve. We use integral field spectroscopy to search for evidence of AGN feedback and triggering. We demonstrate that outflows are ubiquitous among luminous local type 2 AGN using observations from the AAT's SPIRAL instrument. Using multiple component Gaussian emission line decomposition we are able to disentangle the kinematic and ionisation properties of these winds. This allows us to argue that the outflows from these AGN are directly impacting the surrounding ISM within the galaxies. We search for evidence of AGN triggering using data from The Close AGN Reference Survey (CARS). CARS aims to provide a detailed multi-wavelength view of 40 nearby (0.01 < z < 0.06) unobscured AGN to study the link between AGN and their host galaxies. The primary CARS observations come from the MUSE integral field unit on the VLT, and complementary multi-wavelength observations have been approved from SOFIA, Chandra, VLA, HST, and others. We compare the stellar kinematics of active galaxies from CARS to similar inactive galaxies. We then use kinemetry to estimate the degree of dynamical disturbance, to determine whether active nuclei are preferentially hosted in dynamically disturbed or merging systems. Finally, we highlight the discovery of an AGN that has changed spectral type not once, but twice. So called ‘changing look’ AGN are an uncommon phenomenon, but twice changed AGN are much rarer. This AGN first transitioned from a narrow line AGN (type 2) to a broad line AGN (type 1) in the 1980s. It was recently observed as part of CARS. Examination of the MUSE data for this particular source showed that it no longer had the spectral features typical of a type 1 AGN. The continuum emission from the accretion disk was no longer visible and the broad lines were dramatically diminished. In this talk we describe the possible reasons for this change, supported by analysis of multi-epoch optical photometry and

Tori, Discs, and Winds: The First Ten Years of AGN Interferometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hönig, Sebastian F.

Infrared (IR) interferometry has made significant progress over the last 10 years to a level that active galactic nuclei (AGN) are now routine targets for long-baseline interferometers. Almost 50 different objects have been studied today in the near-IR and mid-IR. This allowed for detailed characterisation of the dusty environment of the actively growing black holes. It was possible to show directly that the dust must be arranged in clumps, as had been indirectly inferred from theory and unresolved observations. The dust composition seems to undergo significant evolution from galactic scales to the AGN environment, with the hottest dust close to the sublimation front being dominated by large graphite grains. While the overall distribution of the dusty mass is quite diverse from object to object, indications have been found that the dust distribution may depend on AGN luminosity, with more powerful AGN potentially showing more compact dust structures. Arguably the most exciting discovery was the fact that the bulk of the mid-IR emission in Seyfert galaxies emerges from the polar region of the AGN, which is difficult to reconcile with classical torus models. An alternative model is currently being debated that consists of a dusty disc plus a dusty wind driven by radiation pressure from the central source. This finding has major implications for our understanding of AGN unification and will become a focus of the upcoming generation of instruments at the VLTI. More recently, an application of interferometry to cosmology was proposed to measure precise geometric distances to AGN in the Hubble flow. Further exploration of this method may open up interferometry to a new scientific community.

Intracluster medium cooling, AGN feedback, and brightest cluster galaxy properties of galaxy groups. Five properties where groups differ from clusters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bharadwaj, V.; Reiprich, T. H.; Schellenberger, G.; Eckmiller, H. J.; Mittal, R.; Israel, H.

2014-12-01

Aims: We aim to investigate cool-core and non-cool-core properties of galaxy groups through X-ray data and compare them to the AGN radio output to understand the network of intracluster medium (ICM) cooling and feedback by supermassive black holes. We also aim to investigate the brightest cluster galaxies (BCGs) to see how they are affected by cooling and heating processes, and compare the properties of groups to those of clusters. Methods: Using Chandra data for a sample of 26 galaxy groups, we constrained the central cooling times (CCTs) of the ICM and classified the groups as strong cool-core (SCC), weak cool-core (WCC), and non-cool-core (NCC) based on their CCTs. The total radio luminosity of the BCG was obtained using radio catalogue data and/or literature, which in turn was compared to the cooling time of the ICM to understand the link between gas cooling and radio output. We determined K-band luminosities of the BCG with 2MASS data, and used a scaling relation to constrain the masses of the supermassive black holes, which were then compared to the radio output. We also tested for correlations between the BCG luminosity and the overall X-ray luminosity and mass of the group. The results obtained for the group sample were also compared to previous results for clusters. Results: The observed cool-core/non-cool-core fractions for groups are comparable to those of clusters. However, notable differences are seen: 1) for clusters, all SCCs have a central temperature drop, but for groups this is not the case as some have centrally rising temperature profiles despite very short cooling times; 2) while for the cluster sample, all SCC clusters have a central radio source as opposed to only 45% of the NCCs, for the group sample, all NCC groups have a central radio source as opposed to 77% of the SCC groups; 3) for clusters, there are indications of an anticorrelation trend between radio luminosity and CCT. However, for groups this trend is absent; 4) the indication of

Laser-driven proton and deuteron acceleration from a pure solid-density H2/D2 cryogenic jet

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Jongjin; Gauthier, Maxence; Aurand, Bastian; Curry, Chandra; Goede, Sebastian; Goyon, Clement; Williams, Jackson; Kerr, Shaun; Ruby, John; Propp, Adrienne; Ramakrishna, Bhuvanesh; Pak, Art; Hazi, Andy; Glenzer, Siegfried; Roedel, Christian

2015-11-01

Laser-driven proton acceleration has become of tremendous interest for the fundamental science and the potential applications in tumor therapy and proton radiography. We have developed a cryogenic liquid hydrogen jet, which can deliver a self-replenishing target of pure solid-density hydrogen or deuterium. This allows for a target compatible with high-repetition-rate experiments and results in a pure hydrogen plasma, facilitating comparison with simulations. A new modification has allowed for the formation of jets with rectangular profiles, facilitating comparison with foil targets. This jet was installed at the Titan laser and driven by laser pulses of 40-60 J of 527 nm laser light in 1 ps. The resulting proton and deuteron spectra were measured in multiple directions with Thomson parabola spectrometers and RCF stacks. The spectral and angular information suggest contribution from both the TNSA and RPA acceleration mechanisms.

Radiation from Relativistic Jets

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nishikawa, K.-I.; Mizuno, Y.; Hardee, P.; Sol, H.; Medvedev, M.; Zhang, B.; Nordlund, A.; Frederiksen, J. T.; Fishman, G. J.; Preece, R.

2008-01-01

Nonthermal radiation observed from astrophysical systems containing relativistic jets and shocks, e.g., gamma-ray bursts (GRBs), active galactic nuclei (AGNs), and Galactic microquasar systems usually have power-law emission spectra. Recent PIC simulations of relativistic electron-ion (electron-positron) jets injected into a stationary medium show that particle acceleration occurs within the downstream jet. In the presence of relativistic jets, instabilities such as the Buneman instability, other two-streaming instability, and the Weibel (filamentation) instability create collisionless shocks, which are responsible for particle (electron, positron, and ion) acceleration. The simulation results show that the Weibel instability is responsible for generating and amplifying highly nonuniform, small-scale magnetic fields. These magnetic fields contribute to the electron's transverse deflection behind the jet head. The 'jitter' radiation from deflected electrons in small-scale magnetic fields has different properties than synchrotron radiation which is calculated in a uniform magnetic field. This jitter radiation, a case of diffusive synchrotron radiation, may be important to understand the complex time evolution and/or spectral structure in gamma-ray bursts, relativistic jets, and supernova remnants.

Feeding, Feedback and the Growth of Galaxies - Molecules as Tools for Probing Galaxy Evolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aalto, Susanne

2017-06-01

Cold gas plays a central role in feeding and regulating star formation and growth of supermassive black holes (SMBH) in galaxy nuclei. Particularly powerful activity occurs when interactions of gas-rich galaxies funnel large amounts of gas and dust into nuclei of luminous and ultra luminous infrared galaxies (LIRGs/ULIRGs). These dusty objects are of key importance to galaxy mass assembly over cosmic time. Some (U)LIRGS have deeply embedded galaxy nuclei that harbour a very active evolutionary stage of AGNs and/or starbursts. The nuclear activity will often drive mechanical feedback in the form of molecular winds, jets and outflows. This feedback can for example remove baryons from low-mass galaxies, prevent overgrowth of galaxies, be linked to the M_{BH}-σ relation, and explain "red-and dead" properties of local ellipticals. With the ALMA and NOEMA telescopes we can use molecules as diagnostic tools to probe the properties of dust-enshrouded galaxy nuclei and their associated cold winds and outflows. Their morphology, velocity structure, physical conditions and even chemistry can be studied at unprecedented sensitivity and resolution, opening new avenues to further our understanding of the growth of galaxies. I will give a brief review of the ALMA/NOEMA view of AGN and starburst radiative and mechanical feedback, and how it is linked to the properties of the nuclear power source. I will discuss the use of molecules (e.g. H_2O, H_3O^{+}, HCN, HCO^+, H_2S) for studying dusty nuclei and the nature of the embedded activity. We can, for example, investigate ionization rates and the impact of cosmic ray-, X-ray- and PDR-chemistry and the onset of outflows and winds. Interestingly, in some deeply obscured nuclei the chemistry shows strong similarities to that of Galactic hot cores. Finally I will show peculiar molecular jets and very recent ALMA observations at resolutions of tens of milli-arcseconds (few pc) of vibrationally excited HCN in opaque nuclei. These regions

Magnetically driven jets and winds

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lovelace, R. V. E.; Berk, H. L.; Contopoulos, J.

1991-01-01

Four equations for the origin and propagation of nonrelativistic jets and winds are derived from the basic conservation laws of ideal MHD. The axial current density is negative in the vicinity of the axis and positive at larger radii; there is no net current because this is energetically favored. The magnetic field is essential for the jet solutions in that the zz-component of the magnetic stress acts, in opposition to gravity, to drive matter through the slow magnetosonic critical point. For a representative self-consistent disk/jet solution relevant to a protostellar system, the reaction of the accreted mass expelled in the jets is 0.1, the ratio of the power carried by the jets to the disk luminosity is 0.66, and the ratio of the boundary layer to disk luminosities is less than about 0.13. The star's rotation rate decreases with time even for rotation rates much less than the breakup rate.

Modeling X-ray Absorbers in AGNs with MHD-Driven Accretion-Disk Winds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fukumura, Keigo; Kazanas, D.; Shrader, C. R.; Tombesi, F.; Contopoulos, J.; Behar, E.

2013-04-01

We have proposed a systematic view of the observed X-ray absorbers, namely warm absorbers (WAs) in soft X-ray and highly-ionized ultra-fast outflows (UFOs), in the context of magnetically-driven accretion-disk wind models. While potentially complicated by variability and thermal instability in these energetic outflows, in this simplistic model we have calculated 2D kinematic field as well as density and ionization structure of the wind with density profile of 1/r corresponding to a constant column distribution per decade of ionization parameter. In particular we show semi-analytically that the inner layer of the disk-wind manifests itself as the strongly-ionized fast outflows while the outer layer is identified as the moderately-ionized absorbers. The computed characteristics of these two apparently distinct absorbers are consistent with X-ray data (i.e. a factor of ~100 difference in column and ionization parameters as well as low wind velocity vs. near-relativistic flow). With the predicted contour curves for these wind parameters one can constrain allowed regions for the presence of WAs and UFOs.The model further implies that the UFO's gas pressure is comparable to that of the observed radio jet in 3C111 suggesting that the magnetized disk-wind with density profile of 1/r is a viable agent to help sustain such a self-collimated jet at small radii.

The Physics of AGN Feedback During Galaxy Formation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Quataert, Eliot

A key lesson in our modern understanding of how galaxies form is that the release of energy by newly formed stars and accreting black holes -- in the form of both radiation and powerful outflows -- has a dramatic effect on the process of star formation and black hole growth itself. As a result, developing more realistic treatments of these stellar and black hole feedback processes is one of the primary challenges facing predictive models of galaxy formation. This proposal centers on understanding the dynamics of gas in galactic nuclei, with an emphasis on how black holes at the centers of galaxies grow and the resulting effects of black hole feedback on the scale of individual galaxies. Some of the calculations we propose will also have direct application to feedback by star formation. Our proposed work consists of two interrelated sets of projects. In the first, we will study in detail the mechanisms by which radiation and outflows from an accreting black hole interact with surrounding gas: this is the key science question at the heart of understanding black hole feedback. It is also important, however, to place this understanding of the key feedback processes in the broader context of gas dynamics in galaxies. With this in mind, we will carry out numerical simulations of gas in galactic nuclei and study, for the first time, the competition between gas inflow, star formation, and stellar and black hole feedback at the radii that the accretion rate onto a central black hole is determined and that galaxy-scale outflows of gas are likely initiated. Our work bears directly on, and will be applied to, observations by current NASA missions such as HST, Chandra, GALEX, Xmm-Newton, Herschel, and NuSTAR, and future missions such as JWST.

A statistical study of H i gas in nearby narrow-line AGN-hosting galaxies

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zhu, Yi-Nan; Wu, Hong, E-mail: zyn@bao.ac.cn, E-mail: hwu@bao.ac.cn

As a quenching mechanism, active galactic nucleus (AGN) feedback could suppress on going star formation in host galaxies. On the basis of a sample of galaxies selected from the Arecibo Legacy Fast ALFA (ALFALFA) H i survey, the dependence of the H i mass (M{sub H} {sub i}), stellar mass (M{sub *}), and H i-to-stellar mass ratio (M{sub H} {sub i}/M{sub *}) on various tracers of AGN activity are presented and analyzed in this paper. Almost all the AGN hostings in this sample are gas-rich galaxies, and there is not any evidence to indicate that the AGN activity could increasemore » or decrease either M{sub H} {sub i} or M{sub H} {sub i}/M{sub *}. The position of the cold neutral gas cannot be fixed accurately based only on available H i data, due to the large beam size of ALFALFA survey. In addition, even though AGN hostings are more easily detected by an H i survey compared with absorption line galaxies, these two types of galaxies show similar star formation history. If an AGN hosting would ultimately evolve into an old red galaxy with low cold gas, then when and how the gas has been exhausted must be solved by future hypotheses and observations.« less

The physics of galactic winds driven by active galactic nuclei

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Faucher-Giguère, Claude-André; Quataert, Eliot

2012-09-01

Active galactic nuclei (AGN) drive fast winds in the interstellar medium of their host galaxies. It is commonly assumed that the high ambient densities and intense radiation fields in galactic nuclei imply short cooling times, thus making the outflows momentum conserving. We show that cooling of high-velocity shocked winds in AGN is in fact inefficient in a wide range of circumstances, including conditions relevant to ultraluminous infrared galaxies (ULIRGs), resulting in energy-conserving outflows. We further show that fast energy-conserving outflows can tolerate a large amount of mixing with cooler gas before radiative losses become important. For winds with initial velocity vin ≳ 10 000 km s-1, as observed in ultraviolet and X-ray absorption, the shocked wind develops a two-temperature structure. While most of the thermal pressure support is provided by the protons, the cooling processes operate directly only on the electrons. This significantly slows down inverse Compton cooling, while free-free cooling is negligible. Slower winds with vin ˜ 1000 km s-1, such as may be driven by radiation pressure on dust, can also experience energy-conserving phases but under more restrictive conditions. During the energy-conserving phase, the momentum flux of an outflow is boosted by a factor ˜vin/2vs by work done by the hot post-shock gas, where vs is the velocity of the swept-up material. Energy-conserving outflows driven by fast AGN winds (vin ˜ 0.1c) may therefore explain the momentum fluxes Ṗ≫LAGN/c of galaxy-scale outflows recently measured in luminous quasars and ULIRGs. Shocked wind bubbles expanding normal to galactic discs may also explain the large-scale bipolar structures observed in some systems, including around the Galactic Centre, and can produce significant radio, X-ray and γ-ray emission. The analytic solutions presented here will inform implementations of AGN feedback in numerical simulations, which typically do not include all the important

Mapping the Extended Hard (>3 keV) Continuum and Fluorescent 6.4 keV Iron Emission of the CT AGN NGC7212

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fabbiano, Giuseppina

2017-09-01

Recent Chandra studies of Compton thick (CT) AGNs have led to the discovery of 1-2 kpc-scale extended hard (>3 keV) continuum and Fe Kα components, showing that these emissions are not confined to the immediate vicinity of the AGN (the CT torus ). This is an important discovery as it changes our perception of CT AGNs and their interaction with their host galaxies. It may provide a unique probe of the host ISM, and/or the interaction of a radio jet or wind, including ultra-fast outflows (UFOs), with a dense ISM. Suitable CT AGNs close enough to resolve this region are rare, but a Chandra archival investigation has identified NGC7212 as an optimal target. We propose 130ks with ACIS-S to provide the deep data needed for this investigation.

Thermal and Non-thermal emission in the Jets and Lobes of Cygnus A

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

De Vries, Martijn; Wise, Michael; Huppenkothen, Daniela; Nulsen, Paul; Snios, Bradford; Hardcastle, Martin

2017-08-01

We present a spatially-resolved, spectral analysis aimed at detecting and characterizing the non-thermal X-ray emission from the jets and lobes in the powerful radio galaxy Cygnus A based on a new, deep 1 Msec Chandra exposure. These jets and lobes are believed to be a primary means by which energy liberated by accretion onto the central supermassive black hole is transported into the outer galaxy and are integral to understanding the mechanisms that drive AGN feedback. Despite being well-studied over the years, we still do not understand how this energy is transported, the connection between the X-ray and radio structures, and the underlying emission mechanisms that produce them. The X-ray jets in Cygnus A show a clear misalignment with the radio and it has been proposed that they are either inverse Compton-emitting relics or a separate electron population emitting X-ray synchrotron emission. Previous X-ray studies of the jets and lobes have been unsuccessful in distinguishing between these possibilities largely due to the difficulty of separating any non-thermal components from thermal emission in the surrounding hot ICM at CCD spectral resolutions.In this presentation, we report on a new statistical analysis using MCMC sampling and Bayesian model selection to characterize the X-ray emission in the jets and lobes of Cygnus A. The model includes a mixture of thermal ICM emission and distinct non-thermal components from both the eastern and western jets and lobes. Our analysis clearly favors the presence of non-thermal emission and we find a distinct asymmetry with the western lobe roughly 20% fainter and with a much steeper photon index. Combining existing radio data with our X-ray fluxes and photon indices, we determine the energy densities and pressures for both synchrotron and inverse Compton (IC) emission models. For the IC model, we derive energy densities in the lobes consistent with the external pressure; however, both the eastern and western jets would be

The 60-month all-sky BAT Survey of AGN and the Anisotropy of Nearby AGN

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ajello, M.; /KIPAC, Menlo Park; Alexander, D.M.

2012-04-02

Surveys above 10 keV represent one of the the best resources to provide an unbiased census of the population of Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN). We present the results of 60 months of observation of the hard X-ray sky with Swift/BAT. In this timeframe, BAT detected (in the 15-55 keV band) 720 sources in an all-sky survey of which 428 are associated with AGN, most of which are nearby. Our sample has negligible incompleteness and statistics a factor of {approx}2 larger over similarly complete sets of AGN. Our sample contains (at least) 15 bona-fide Compton-thick AGN and 3 likely candidates. Compton-thickmore » AGN represent a {approx}5% of AGN samples detected above 15 keV. We use the BAT dataset to refine the determination of the LogN-LogS of AGN which is extremely important, now that NuSTAR prepares for launch, towards assessing the AGN contribution to the cosmic X-ray background. We show that the LogN-LogS of AGN selected above 10 keV is now established to a {approx}10% precision. We derive the luminosity function of Compton-thick AGN and measure a space density of 7.9{sub -2.9}{sup +4.1} x 10{sup -5} Mpc{sup -3} for objects with a de-absorbed luminosity larger than 2 x 10{sup 42} erg s{sup -1}. As the BAT AGN are all mostly local, they allow us to investigate the spatial distribution of AGN in the nearby Universe regardless of absorption. We find concentrations of AGN that coincide spatially with the largest congregations of matter in the local ({le} 85 Mpc) Universe. There is some evidence that the fraction of Seyfert 2 objects is larger than average in the direction of these dense regions.« less

Making Sense of Black Holes: Modeling the Galactic Center and Other Low-power AGN

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Falcke, Heino; Moscibrodzka, Monika

2018-06-01

The Galactic center host a well-known flat-spectrum radio source, Sgr A*, that is akin to the radio nuclei of quasars and radio galaxies. It is the main target of the Event Horizon Telescope to image the shadow of the black hole. There is, however, still considerable discussion on where the near-horizon emission originates from. Does it come from an accretion flow or is it produced in a relativistic jet-like outflow? Using advanced three-dimensional general relativistic magnetohydrodynamics simulations coupled to general relativistic ray tracing simulations, we now model the dynamics and emission of the plasma around starving black holes in great detail out to several thousand Schwarzschild radii. Jets appear almost naturally in theses simulations. A crucial parameter is the heating of radiating electrons and we argue that electron-proton coupling is low in the accretion flow and high in the magnetized region of the jets, making the jet an important ingredient for the overall appearance of the source. This comprehensive model is able to predict the radio size and appearance, the spectral energy distribution from radio to X-rays, the variability, and the time lags of Sgr A* surprisingly well. Interestingly, the same model can be easily generalized to other low-power AGN like M87, suggesting that GRMHD models for AGN are finally becoming predictive. With upcoming submm-VLBI experiment on the ground and in space, we will be able to further test these models in great detail and see black holes in action.

Active galactic nucleus outflows in galaxy discs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hartwig, Tilman; Volonteri, Marta; Dashyan, Gohar

2018-05-01

Galactic outflows, driven by active galactic nuclei (AGNs), play a crucial role in galaxy formation and in the self-regulated growth of supermassive black holes (BHs). AGN feedback couples to and affects gas, rather than stars, and in many, if not most, gas-rich galaxies cold gas is rotationally supported and settles in a disc. We present a 2D analytical model for AGN-driven outflows in a gaseous disc and demonstrate the main improvements, compared to existing 1D solutions. We find significant differences for the outflow dynamics and wind efficiency. The outflow is energy-driven due to inefficient cooling up to a certain AGN luminosity (˜1043 erg s-1 in our fiducial model), above which the outflow remains momentum-driven in the disc up to galactic scales. We reproduce results of 3D simulations that gas is preferentially ejected perpendicular to the disc and find that the fraction of ejected interstellar medium is lower than in 1D models. The recovery time of gas in the disc, defined as the free-fall time from the radius to which the AGN pushes the ISM at most, is remarkably short, of the order 1 Myr. This indicates that AGN-driven winds cannot suppress BH growth for long. Without the inclusion of supernova feedback, we find a scaling of the BH mass with the halo velocity dispersion of MBH ∝ σ4.8.

The Spectacular Radio-Near-IR-X-Ray Jet of 3C 111: the X-Ray Emission Mechanism and Jet Kinematics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Clautice, Devon; Perlman, Eric S.; Georganopoulos, Markos; Lister, Matthew L.; Tombesi, Francesco; Cara, Mihai; Marshall, Herman L.; Hogan, Brandon M.; Kazanas, Demos

2016-01-01

Relativistic jets are the most energetic manifestation of the active galactic nucleus (AGN) phenomenon. AGN jets are observed from the radio through gamma-rays and carry copious amounts of matter and energy from the subparsec central regions out to the kiloparsec and often megaparsec scale galaxy and cluster environs. While most spatially resolved jets are seen in the radio, an increasing number have been discovered to emit in the optical/near- IR and/or X-ray bands. Here we discuss a spectacular example of this class, the 3C 111 jet, housed in one of the nearest, double-lobed FR II radio galaxies known. We discuss new, deep Chandra and Hubble Space Telescope (HST) observations that reveal both near-IR and X-ray emission from several components of the 3C 111 jet, as well as both the northern and southern hotspots. Important differences are seen between the morphologies in the radio, X-ray, and near-IR bands. The long (over 100 kpc on each side), straight nature of this jet makes it an excellent prototype for future, deep observations, as it is one of the longest such features seen in the radio, near-IR/optical, and X-ray bands. Several independent lines of evidence, including the X-ray and broadband spectral shape as well as the implied velocity of the approaching hotspot, lead us to strongly disfavor the EC/CMB model and instead favor a two-component synchrotron model to explain the observed X-ray emission for several jet components. Future observations with NuSTAR, HST, and Chandra will allow us to further constrain the emission mechanisms.

THE SPECTACULAR RADIO-NEAR-IR-X-RAY JET OF 3C 111: THE X-RAY EMISSION MECHANISM AND JET KINEMATICS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Clautice, Devon; Perlman, Eric S.; Georganopoulos, Markos

2016-08-01

Relativistic jets are the most energetic manifestation of the active galactic nucleus (AGN) phenomenon. AGN jets are observed from the radio through gamma-rays and carry copious amounts of matter and energy from the sub-parsec central regions out to the kiloparsec and often megaparsec scale galaxy and cluster environs. While most spatially resolved jets are seen in the radio, an increasing number have been discovered to emit in the optical/near-IR and/or X-ray bands. Here we discuss a spectacular example of this class, the 3C 111 jet, housed in one of the nearest, double-lobed FR II radio galaxies known. We discuss new,more » deep Chandra and Hubble Space Telescope ( HST ) observations that reveal both near-IR and X-ray emission from several components of the 3C 111 jet, as well as both the northern and southern hotspots. Important differences are seen between the morphologies in the radio, X-ray, and near-IR bands. The long (over 100 kpc on each side), straight nature of this jet makes it an excellent prototype for future, deep observations, as it is one of the longest such features seen in the radio, near-IR/optical, and X-ray bands. Several independent lines of evidence, including the X-ray and broadband spectral shape as well as the implied velocity of the approaching hotspot, lead us to strongly disfavor the EC/CMB model and instead favor a two-component synchrotron model to explain the observed X-ray emission for several jet components. Future observations with NuSTAR , HST , and Chandra will allow us to further constrain the emission mechanisms.« less

Coronal and Heliospheric Impacts of Reconnection-driven Coronal-Hole Jets, and Implications for Plume Formation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karpen, J. T.; DeVore, C. R.; Antiochos, S. K.

2016-12-01

Jets from coronal holes on the Sun have been observed for decades, but the physical mechanism responsible for these events is still debated. An important clue about their origin lies in their association with small intrusions of minority polarity within the large-scale open magnetic field, strongly suggesting that these jets are powered by interchange reconnection between embedded bipoles (closed flux) and the surrounding open flux (Antiochos 1996). Through computational investigations of this embedded-bipole paradigm, we have demonstrated that energetic, collimated, Alfvénic flows can be driven by explosive reconnection between twisted closed flux of the minority polarity and the unstressed external field (e.g., Pariat et al. 2009, 2010, 2015, 2016). Our recent numerical study (Karpen et al. 2016) explored the dynamics and energetics of this process under the more realistic conditions of spherical geometry, solar gravity, and an isothermal solar wind out to 9 Rsun. We present results of an extension of this simulation to 30 Rsun, which allows us to predict observable signatures within the orbit of Solar Probe Plus (see Roberts et al. 2016, this meeting). Coronal-hole jets also have been implicated in the formation and maintenance of plumes (e.g., Raouafi & Stenborg 2014), but the physical relationship between the transient, narrow jets and the diffuse, longer-lived plumes is far from understood. To address this question, we analyze the mass density enhancements and fluctuations from the Sun to the inner heliosphere, driven by both slow and explosive reconnection in the embedded-bipole scenario and the associated nonlinear Alfvén wave. Our preliminary results indicate that a substantial ( 20%) density increase over background appears at the moving location of the wave front as far as 12 Rsun. We present the full spatial extent and temporal evolution of mass and momentum after reconnection onset, as well as synthetic coronagraph images of the perturbed corona and

Evidence for Ultra-Fast Outflows in Radio-Quiet AGNs: III - Location and Energetics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tombesi, F.; Cappi, M.; Reeves, J. N.; Braito, V.

2012-01-01

Using the results of a previous X-ray photo-ionization modelling of blue-shifted Fe K absorption lines on a sample of 42 local radio-quiet AGNs observed with XMM-Newton, in this letter we estimate the location and energetics of the associated ultrafast outflows (UFOs). Due to significant uncertainties, we are essentially able to place only lower/upper limits. On average, their location is in the interval approx.0.0003-0.03pc (approx.10(exp 2)-10(exp 4)tau(sub s) from the central black hole, consistent with what is expected for accretion disk winds/outflows. The mass outflow rates are constrained between approx.0.01- 1 Stellar Mass/y, corresponding to approx. or >5-10% of the accretion rates. The average lower-upper limits on the mechanical power are logE(sub K) approx. or = 42.6-44.6 erg/s. However, the minimum possible value of the ratio between the mechanical power and bolometric luminosity is constrained to be comparable or higher than the minimum required by simulations of feedback induced by winds/outflows. Therefore, this work demonstrates that UFOs are indeed capable to provide a significant contribution to the AGN r.osmological feedback, in agreement with theoretical expectations and the recent observation of interactions between AGN outflows and the interstellar medium in several Seyferts galaxies .

Is there a relationship between AGN and star formation in IR-bright AGNs?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dai, Y. Sophia; Wilkes, Belinda J.; Bergeron, Jacqueline; Kuraszkiewicz, Joanna; Omont, Alain; Atanas, Adam; Teplitz, Harry I.

2018-05-01

We report the relationship between the luminosities of active galactic nuclei (AGNs) and the rates of star formation (SF) for a sample of 323 far-infrared (FIR)-detected AGNs. This sample has a redshift range of 0.2 AGN hosts, the total IR luminosity (8-1000 μm) has a significant AGN contribution (average˜20%), and we suggest using the FIR luminosity (30-1000 μm) as a more reliable star formation rate (SFR) estimator. We also conclude that monochromatic luminosities at 60 and 100 μ m are also good SFR indicators with negligible AGN contributions, and are less sensitive than integrated infrared luminosities to the shape of the AGN SED, which is uncertain at λ >100 μm. Significant bivariate LX-LIR correlations are found, which remain significant in the combined sample when using residual partial correlation analysis to account for the inherent redshift dependence. No redshift or mass dependence is found for the ratio between SFR and black hole accretion rate (BHAR), which has a mean and scatter of log (SFR/BHAR) =3.1 ± 0.5, agreeing with the local mass ratio between supermassive black hole and host galaxies. The large scatter in this ratio and the strong AGN-SF correlation found in these IR-bright AGNs are consistent with the scenario of an AGN-SF dependence on a common gas supply, regardless of the evolutionary model.

Efficient laser-driven proton acceleration from cylindrical and planar cryogenic hydrogen jets

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Obst, Lieselotte; Gode, Sebastian; Rehwald, Martin

We report on recent experimental results deploying a continuous cryogenic hydrogen jet as a debris-free, renewable laser-driven source of pure proton beams generated at the 150 TW ultrashort pulse laser Draco. Efficient proton acceleration reaching cut-off energies of up to 20 MeV with particle numbers exceeding 109 particles per MeV per steradian is demonstrated, showing for the first time that the acceleration performance is comparable to solid foil targets with thicknesses in the micrometer range. Two different target geometries are presented and their proton beam deliverance characterized: cylindrical (Ø 5 μm) and planar (20 μm × 2 μm). In bothmore » cases typical Target Normal Sheath Acceleration emission patterns with exponential proton energy spectra are detected. Significantly higher proton numbers in laser-forward direction are observed when deploying the planar jet as compared to the cylindrical jet case. As a result, this is confirmed by two-dimensional Particle-in-Cell (2D3V PIC) simulations, which demonstrate that the planar jet proves favorable as its geometry leads to more optimized acceleration conditions.« less

Efficient laser-driven proton acceleration from cylindrical and planar cryogenic hydrogen jets

DOE PAGES

Obst, Lieselotte; Gode, Sebastian; Rehwald, Martin; ...

2017-08-31

We report on recent experimental results deploying a continuous cryogenic hydrogen jet as a debris-free, renewable laser-driven source of pure proton beams generated at the 150 TW ultrashort pulse laser Draco. Efficient proton acceleration reaching cut-off energies of up to 20 MeV with particle numbers exceeding 109 particles per MeV per steradian is demonstrated, showing for the first time that the acceleration performance is comparable to solid foil targets with thicknesses in the micrometer range. Two different target geometries are presented and their proton beam deliverance characterized: cylindrical (Ø 5 μm) and planar (20 μm × 2 μm). In bothmore » cases typical Target Normal Sheath Acceleration emission patterns with exponential proton energy spectra are detected. Significantly higher proton numbers in laser-forward direction are observed when deploying the planar jet as compared to the cylindrical jet case. As a result, this is confirmed by two-dimensional Particle-in-Cell (2D3V PIC) simulations, which demonstrate that the planar jet proves favorable as its geometry leads to more optimized acceleration conditions.« less

Detection of helicoidal motion in the optical jet of PKS 0521-365

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiménez-Andrade, E. F.; Chavushyan, V.; León-Tavares, J.; Patiño-Álvarez, V. M.; Olguín-Iglesias, A.; Kotilainen, J.; Falomo, R.; Hyvönen, T.

2017-09-01

The jet activity of active galactic nuclei (AGNs), and its interaction with the interstellar medium, may play a pivotal role in the processes that regulate the growth and star formation of its host galaxy. Observational evidence that pinpoints the conditions of such interaction is paramount to unveil the physical processes involved. We report on the discovery of extended emission-line regions exhibiting an S-shaped morphology along the optical jet of the radio-loud AGN PKS 0521-365 (z = 0.055), by using long-slit spectroscopic observations obtained with FOcal Reducer/low dispersion Spectrograph 2 on the Very Large Telescope. The velocity pattern derived from the [O II] λ3727 Å, H β λ4861 Å and [O III] λλ4959, 5007 Å emission lines is well fitted by a sinusoidal function of the form: v(r) = αr1/2sin(βr1/2 + γ), suggesting helicoidal motions along the jet up to distances of 20 kpc. We estimate a lower limit for the mass of the outflowing ionized gas along the jet of ˜104 M⊙. Helical magnetic fields and jet precession have been proposed to explain helicoidal paths along the jet at pc scales; nevertheless, it is not clear yet whether these hypotheses may hold at kpc scales.

Highly variable AGN from the XMM-Newton slew survey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Strotjohann, N. L.; Saxton, R. D.; Starling, R. L. C.; Esquej, P.; Read, A. M.; Evans, P. A.; Miniutti, G.

2016-07-01

Aims: We investigate the properties of a variability-selected complete sample of active galactic nuclei (AGN) in order to identify the mechanisms which cause large amplitude X-ray variability on timescales of years. Methods: A complete sample of 24 sources was constructed, from AGN which changed their soft X-ray luminosity by more than one order of magnitude over 5-20 years between ROSAT observations and the XMM-Newton slew survey. Follow-up observations were obtained with the Swift satellite. We analysed the spectra of these AGN at the Swift and XMM observation epochs, where six sources had continued to display extreme variability. Multiwavelength data are used to calculate black hole masses and the relative X-ray brightness αOX. Results: After removal of two probable spurious sources, we find that the sample has global properties which differ little from a non-varying control sample drawn from the wider XMM-slew/ROSAT/Veron sample of all secure AGN detections. A wide range of AGN types are represented in the varying sample. The black hole mass distributions for the varying and non-varying sample are not significantly different. This suggests that long timescale variability is not strongly affected by black hole mass. There is marginal evidence that the variable sources have a lower redshift (2σ) and X-ray luminosity (1.7σ). Apart from two radio-loud sources, the sample sources have normal optical-X-ray ratios (αOX) when at their peak but are X-ray weak during their lowest flux measurements. Conclusions: Drawing on our results and other studies, we are able to identify a variety of variability mechanisms at play: tidal disruption events, jet activity, changes in absorption, thermal emission from the inner accretion disc, and variable accretion disc reflection. Little evidence for strong absorption is seen in the majority of the sample and single-component absorption can be excluded as the mechanism for most sources.

Retesting the Limits of Data-Driven Learning: Feedback and Error Correction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Crosthwaite, Peter

2017-01-01

An increasing number of studies have looked at the value of corpus-based data-driven learning (DDL) for second language (L2) written error correction, with generally positive results. However, a potential conundrum for language teachers involved in the process is how to provide feedback on students' written production for DDL. The study looks at…

Radiatively-driven general relativistic jets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vyas, Mukesh K.; Chattopadhyay, Indranil

2018-02-01

We use moment formalism of relativistic radiation hydrodynamics to obtain equations of motion of radial jets and solve them using polytropic equation of state of the relativistic gas. We consider curved space-time around black holes and obtain jets with moderately relativistic terminal speeds. In addition, the radiation field from the accretion disc, is able to induce internal shocks in the jet close to the horizon. Under combined effect of thermal as well as radiative driving, terminal speeds up to 0.75 (units of light speed) are obtained.

X-ray cavities in a sample of 83 SPT-selected clusters of galaxies: Tracing the evolution of AGN feedback in clusters of galaxies out to z = 1.2

DOE PAGES

Hlavacek-Larrondo, J.; McDonald, M.; Benson, B. A.; ...

2015-05-18

X-ray cavities are key tracers of mechanical (or radio mode) heating arising from the active galactic nuclei (AGNs) in brightest cluster galaxies (BCGs). Here, we report on a survey for X-ray cavities in 83 massive, high-redshift (more » $$0.4\\lt z\\lt 1.2$$) clusters of galaxies selected by their Sunyaev-Zel'dovich signature in the South Pole Telescope data. Based on Chandra X-ray images, we find a total of six clusters having symmetric pairs of surface brightness depressions consistent with the picture of radio jets inflating X-ray cavities in the intracluster medium (ICM). Furthermore, the majority of these detections are of relatively low significance and require deeper follow-up data in order to be confirmed. Further, this search will miss small (<10 kpc) X-ray cavities that are unresolved by Chandra at high ($$z\\gtrsim 0.5$$) redshift. Despite these limitations, our results suggest that the power generated by AGN feedback in BCGs has remained unchanged for over half of the age of the universe ($$\\gt 7$$ Gyr at $$z\\sim 0.8$$). On average, the detected X-ray cavities have powers of $$(0.8-5)\\times {{10}^{45}}\\ {\\rm erg}\\ {{{\\rm s}}^{-1}}$$, enthalpies of $$(3-6)\\times {{10}^{59}}\\ {\\rm erg}$$, and radii of ~17 kpc. Integrating over 7 Gyr, we find that the supermassive black holes in BCGs may have accreted 108 to several $${{10}^{9}}\\;{{M}_{\\odot }}$$ of material to power these outflows. This level of accretion indicates that significant supermassive black hole growth may occur not only at early times, in the quasar era, but at late times as well. We also find that X-ray cavities at high redshift may inject an excess heat of 0.1–1.0 keV per particle into the hot ICM above and beyond the energy needed to offset cooling. Though our result needs to be confirmed, we note that the magnitude of excess heating is similar to the energy needed to preheat clusters, break self-similarity, and explain the excess entropy in hot atmospheres.« less

Formation and spatial distribution of hypervelocity stars in AGN outflows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Xiawei; Loeb, Abraham

2018-05-01

We study star formation within outflows driven by active galactic nuclei (AGN) as a new source of hypervelocity stars (HVSs). Recent observations revealed active star formation inside a galactic outflow at a rate of ∼ 15M⊙yr-1 . We verify that the shells swept up by an AGN outflow are capable of cooling and fragmentation into cold clumps embedded in a hot tenuous gas via thermal instabilities. We show that cold clumps of ∼ 103 M⊙ are formed within ∼ 105 yrs. As a result, stars are produced along outflow's path, endowed with the outflow speed at their formation site. These HVSs travel through the galactic halo and eventually escape into the intergalactic medium. The expected instantaneous rate of star formation inside the outflow is ∼ 4 - 5 orders of magnitude greater than the average rate associated with previously proposed mechanisms for producing HVSs, such as the Hills mechanism and three-body interaction between a star and a black hole binary. We predict the spatial distribution of HVSs formed in AGN outflows for future observational probe.

The evolution of obscured AGN

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brightman, Murray

2012-09-01

We present results on the evolution of Compton thick AGN with redshift, and the nature of this obscuration, important for understanding the accretion history of the universe and for AGN unification schemes. We use lessons learned from spectral complexity of local AGN (Brightman & Nandra 2012) and up to date spectral models of heavily absorbed AGN, which take into account Compton scattering, self consistent Fe Ka modeling and the geometry of the circumnuclear material (Brightman & Nandra 2011), to optimise our identification of Compton thick AGN and understanding of the obscuring material. Results from the Chandra Deep Field South are presented (Brightman & Ueda, 2012), which show an increasing fraction of CTAGN with redshift and that most heavily obscured AGN are geometrically deeply buried in material, as well as new results from and extension of this study to AEGIS-XD and Chandra-COSMOS survey, which aim to fully characterise the dependence of heavy AGN obscuration on redshift and luminosity.

The Cosmological Impact of AGN Outflows: Measuring Absolute Abundances and Kinetic Luminosities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arav, Nahum

2009-07-01

AGN outflows are increasingly invoked as a major contributor to the formation and evolution of supermassive black holes, their host galaxies, the surrounding IGM, and cluster cooling flows. Our HST/COS proposal will determine reliable absolute chemical abundances in six AGN outflows, which influences several of the processes mentioned above. To date there is only one such determination, done by our team on Mrk 279 using 16 HST/STIS orbits and 100 ksec of FUSE time. The advent of COS and its high sensitivity allows us to choose among fainter objects at redshifts high enough to preclude the need for FUSE. This will allow us to determine the absolute abundances for six AGN {all fainter than Mrk 279} using only 40 HST COS orbits. This will put abundances studies in AGN on a firm footing, an elusive goal for the past four decades. In addition, prior FUSE observations of four of these targets indicate that it is probable that the COS observations will detect troughs from excited levels of C III. These will allow us to measure the distances of the outflows and thereby determine their kinetic luminosity, a major goal in AGN feedback research. We will use our state of the art column density extraction methods and velocity-dependent photoionization models to determine the abundances and kinetic luminosity. Previous AGN outflow projects suffered from the constraints of deciding what science we could do using ONE of the handful of bright targets that were observable. With COS we can choose the best sample for our experiment. As an added bonus, most of the spectral range of our targets has not been observed previously, greatly increasing the discovery phase space.

Active galaxies. A strong magnetic field in the jet base of a supermassive black hole.

PubMed

Martí-Vidal, Ivan; Muller, Sébastien; Vlemmings, Wouter; Horellou, Cathy; Aalto, Susanne

2015-04-17

Active galactic nuclei (AGN) host some of the most energetic phenomena in the universe. AGN are thought to be powered by accretion of matter onto a rotating disk that surrounds a supermassive black hole. Jet streams can be boosted in energy near the event horizon of the black hole and then flow outward along the rotation axis of the disk. The mechanism that forms such a jet and guides it over scales from a few light-days up to millions of light-years remains uncertain, but magnetic fields are thought to play a critical role. Using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), we have detected a polarization signal (Faraday rotation) related to the strong magnetic field at the jet base of a distant AGN, PKS 1830-211. The amount of Faraday rotation (rotation measure) is proportional to the integral of the magnetic field strength along the line of sight times the density of electrons. The high rotation measures derived suggest magnetic fields of at least tens of Gauss (and possibly considerably higher) on scales of the order of light-days (0.01 parsec) from the black hole. Copyright © 2015, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

The impact of feedback and the hot halo on the rates of gas accretion onto galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Correa, Camila A.; Schaye, Joop; van de Voort, Freeke; Duffy, Alan R.; Wyithe, J. Stuart B.

2018-04-01

We investigate the physics that drives the gas accretion rates onto galaxies at the centers of dark matter haloes using the EAGLE suite of hydrodynamical cosmological simulations. We find that at redshifts z ≤ 2 the accretion rate onto the galaxy increases with halo mass in the halo mass range 1010 - 1011.7 M⊙, flattens between the halo masses 1011.7 - 1012.7 M⊙, and increases again for higher-mass haloes. However, the galaxy gas accretion does not flatten at intermediate halo masses when AGN feedback is switched off. To better understand these trends, we develop a physically motivated semi-analytic model of galaxy gas accretion. We show that the flattening is produced by the rate of gas cooling from the hot halo. The ratio of the cooling radius and the virial radius does not decrease continuously with increasing halo mass as generally thought. While it decreases up to ˜1013 M⊙ haloes, it increases for higher halo masses, causing an upturn in the galaxy gas accretion rate. This may indicate that in high-mass haloes AGN feedback is not sufficiently efficient. When there is no AGN feedback, the density of the hot halo is higher, the ratio of the cooling and virial radii does not decrease as much and the cooling rate is higher. Changes in the efficiency of stellar feedback can also increase or decrease the accretion rates onto galaxies. The trends can plausibly be explained by the re-accretion of gas ejected by progenitor galaxies and by the suppression of black hole growth, and hence AGN feedback, by stellar feedback.

AGN-enhanced outflows of low-ionization gas in star-forming galaxies at 1.7 < z < 4.6*

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Talia, M.; Brusa, M.; Cimatti, A.; Lemaux, B. C.; Amorin, R.; Bardelli, S.; Cassarà, L. P.; Cucciati, O.; Garilli, B.; Grazian, A.; Guaita, L.; Hathi, N. P.; Koekemoer, A.; Le Fèvre, O.; Maccagni, D.; Nakajima, K.; Pentericci, L.; Pforr, J.; Schaerer, D.; Vanzella, E.; Vergani, D.; Zamorani, G.; Zucca, E.

2017-11-01

Fast and energetic winds are invoked by galaxy formation models as essential processes in the evolution of galaxies. These outflows can be powered either by star formation (SF) and/or active galactic nucleus (AGN) activity, but the relative dominance of the two mechanisms is still under debate. We use spectroscopic stacking analysis to study the properties of the low-ionization phase of the outflow in a sample of 1330 star-forming galaxies (SFGs) and 79 X-ray-detected (1042 < LX < 1045 erg s-1) Type 2 AGN at 1.7 < z < 4.6 selected from a compilation of deep optical spectroscopic surveys, mostly zCOSMOS-Deep and VIMOS Ultra Deep Survey (VUDS). We measure mean velocity offsets of ˜- 150 km s-1 in the SFGs, while in the AGN sample the velocity is much higher (˜- 950 km s-1), suggesting that the AGN is boosting the outflow up to velocities that could not be reached only with the SF contribution. The sample of X-ray AGN has on average a lower SF rate than non-AGN SFGs of similar mass: this, combined with the enhanced outflow velocity in AGN hosts, is consistent with AGN feedback in action. We further divide our sample of AGN into two X-ray luminosity bins: we measure the same velocity offsets in both stacked spectra, at odds with results reported for the highly ionized phase in local AGN, suggesting that the two phases of the outflow may be mixed only up to relatively low velocities, while the highest velocities can be reached only by the highly ionized phase.

Fermi-LAT observation of nonblazar AGNs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sahakyan, N.; Baghmanyan, V.; Zargaryan, D.

2018-06-01

Context. Fermi Large Area Telescope (Fermi-LAT) has recently detected γ-ray emission from active galactic nuclei (AGN) that do not show clear evidence for optical blazar characteristics or have jets pointing away from the observer (nonblazar AGNs). These are interesting γ-ray emitters providing an alternative approach to studying high energy emission processes. Aims: This paper investigates the spectral and temporal properties of γ-ray emission from nonblazar AGNs using the recent Fermi-LAT observational data. Methods: The data collected by Fermi-LAT during 2008-2015, from the observations of 26 nonblazar AGNs, including 11 Fanaroff-Riley Type I (FRI) and ten FRII radio galaxies and steep spectrum radio quasars (SSRQs) and five narrow line seyfert 1s (NLSy1s) are analysed using the new PASS 8 event selection and instrument response function. Possible spectral changes above GeV energies are investigated with a detailed spectral analysis. Light curves generated with normal and adaptive time bins are used to study the γ-ray flux variability. Results: Non-blazar AGNs have a γ-ray photon index in the range of 1.84-2.86 and a flux varying from a few times 10-9 photon cm-2 s-1 to 10-7 photon cm-2 s-1. Over long time periods, the power law provides an adequate description of the γ-ray spectra of almost all sources. Significant curvature is observed in the γ-ray spectra of NGC 1275, NGC 6251, SBS 0846 + 513, and PMN J0948 + 0022 and their spectra are better described by log parabola or by the power law with exponential cut-off models. The γ-ray spectra of PKS 0625-25 and 3C 380 show a possible deviation from a simple power-law shape, indicating a spectral cut-off around the observed photon energy of Ecut = 131.2 ± 88.04 GeV and Ecut = 55.57 ± 50.74 GeV, respectively. Our analysis confirms the previous finding of an unusual spectral turnover in the γ-ray spectrum of Cen A: the photon index changes from Γ = 2.75 ± 0.02 to 2.31 ± 0.1 at 2.35 ± 0.08 GeV. In the �

BAT AGN Spectroscopic Survey. I. Spectral Measurements, Derived Quantities, and AGN Demographics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koss, Michael; Trakhtenbrot, Benny; Ricci, Claudio; Lamperti, Isabella; Oh, Kyuseok; Berney, Simon; Schawinski, Kevin; Baloković, Mislav; Baronchelli, Linda; Crenshaw, D. Michael; Fischer, Travis; Gehrels, Neil; Harrison, Fiona; Hashimoto, Yasuhiro; Hogg, Drew; Ichikawa, Kohei; Masetti, Nicola; Mushotzky, Richard; Sartori, Lia; Stern, Daniel; Treister, Ezequiel; Ueda, Yoshihiro; Veilleux, Sylvain; Winter, Lisa

2017-11-01

We present the first catalog and data release of the Swift-BAT AGN Spectroscopic Survey. We analyze optical spectra of the majority of the detected AGNs (77%, 642/836)based on their 14-195 keV emission in the 70-month Swift-BAT all-sky catalog. This includes redshift determination, absorption and emission-line measurements, and black hole mass and accretion rate estimates for the majority of obscured and unobscured AGNs (74%, 473/642), with 340 measured for the first time. With ˜90% of sources at z< 0.2, the survey represents a significant advance in the census of hard X-ray-selected AGNs in the local universe. In this first catalog paper, we describe the spectroscopic observations and data sets, and our initial spectral analysis. The FWHMs of the emission lines show broad agreement with the X-ray obscuration (˜94%), such that Sy 1-1.8 have {N}{{H}}< {10}21.9 cm-2, and Seyfert 2 have {N}{{H}}> {10}21.9 cm-2. Seyfert 1.9, however, show a range of column densities. Compared to narrow-line AGNs in the SDSS, the X-ray-selected AGNs have a larger fraction of dusty host galaxies ({{H}}α /{{H}}β > 5), suggesting that these types of AGN are missed in optical surveys. Using the [O III] λ5007/Hβ and [N II] λ6583/Hα emission-line diagnostic, about half of the sources are classified as Seyferts; ˜15% reside in dusty galaxies that lack an Hβ detection, but for which the upper limits on line emission imply either a Seyfert or LINER, ˜ 15 % are in galaxies with weak or no emission lines despite high-quality spectra, and a few percent each are LINERS, composite galaxies, H II regions, or in known beamed AGNs.

Probing the innermost regions of AGN jets and their magnetic fields with RadioAstron. II. Observations of 3C 273 at minimum activity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bruni, G.; Gómez, J. L.; Casadio, C.; Lobanov, A.; Kovalev, Y. Y.; Sokolovsky, K. V.; Lisakov, M. M.; Bach, U.; Marscher, A.; Jorstad, S.; Anderson, J. M.; Krichbaum, T. P.; Savolainen, T.; Vega-García, L.; Fuentes, A.; Zensus, J. A.; Alberdi, A.; Lee, S.-S.; Lu, R.-S.; Pérez-Torres, M.; Ros, E.

2017-08-01

Context. RadioAstron is a 10 m orbiting radio telescope mounted on the Spektr-R satellite, launched in 2011, performing Space Very Long Baseline Interferometry (SVLBI) observations supported by a global ground array of radio telescopes. With an apogee of 350 000 km, it is offering for the first time the possibility to perform μas-resolution imaging in the cm-band. Aims: The RadioAstron active galactic nuclei (AGN) polarization Key Science Project (KSP) aims at exploiting the unprecedented angular resolution provided by RadioAstron to study jet launching/collimation and magnetic-field configuration in AGN jets. The targets of our KSP are some of the most powerful blazars in the sky. Methods: We present observations at 22 GHz of 3C 273, performed in 2014, designed to reach a maximum baseline of approximately nine Earth diameters. Reaching an angular resolution of 0.3 mas, we study a particularly low-activity state of the source, and estimate the nuclear region brightness temperature, comparing with the extreme one detected one year before during the RadioAstron early science period. We also make use of the VLBA-BU-BLAZAR survey data, at 43 GHz, to study the kinematics of the jet in a 1.5-yr time window. Results: We find that the nuclear brightness temperature is two orders of magnitude lower than the exceptionally high value detected in 2013 with RadioAstron at the same frequency (1.4 × 1013 K, source-frame), and even one order of magnitude lower than the equipartition value. The kinematics analysis at 43 GHz shows that a new component was ejected 2 months after the 2013 epoch, visible also in our 22 GHz map presented here. Consequently this was located upstream of the core during the brightness temperature peak. Fermi-LAT observations for the period 2010-2014 do not show any γ-ray flare in conjunction with the passage of the new component by the core at 43 GHz. Conclusions: These observations confirm that the previously detected extreme brightness temperature in

Long-Term Variability of AGN at Hard X-Rays

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Soldi, S.; Beckmann, V.; Baumgartner W. H.; Ponti, G.; Shrader, C. R.; Lubinski, P.; Krimm, H. A.; Mattana, F.; Tueller, J.

2013-01-01

Variability at all observed wavelengths is a distinctive property of active galactic nuclei (AGN). Hard X-rays provide us with a view of the innermost regions of AGN, mostly unbiased by absorption along the line of sight. Characterizing the intrinsic hard X-ray variability of a large AGN sample and comparing it to the results obtained at lower X-ray energies can significantly contribute to our understanding of the mechanisms underlying the high-energy radiation. Methods. Swift/BAT provides us with the unique opportunity to follow, on time scales of days to years and with a regular sampling, the 14-195 keV emission of the largest AGN sample available up to date for this kind of investigation. As a continuation of an early work on the first 9 months of BAT data, we study the amplitude of the variations, and their dependence on sub-class and on energy, for a sample of 110 radio quiet and radio loud AGN selected from the BAT 58-month survey. About 80 of the AGN in the sample are found to exhibit significant variability on months to years time scales, radio loud sources being the most variable. The amplitude of the variations and their energy dependence are incompatible with variability being driven at hard X-rays by changes of the absorption column density. In general, the variations in the 14-24 and 35-100 keV bands are well correlated, suggesting a common origin of the variability across the BAT energy band. However, radio quiet AGN display on average 10 larger variations at 14-24 keV than at 35-100 keV and a softer-when-brighter behavior for most of the Seyfert galaxies with detectable spectral variability on month time scale. In addition, sources with harder spectra are found to be more variable than softer ones. These properties are generally consistent with a variable power law continuum, in flux and shape, pivoting at energies 50 keV, to which a constant reflection component is superposed. When the same time scales are considered, the timing properties of AGN at

Clusters in Formation - The Case of 3C61.1 and A Luminous AGN in a Merging Cluster

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kraft, Ralph

2017-09-01

We propose a Chandra investigation of the serendipitously detected cluster, X-CLASS 1835, that hosts the classical FRII radio source 3C61.1 as well as a radiatively efficient, X-ray bright AGN. The cluster exhibits a prominent surface brightness edge which suggests a merger and/or a major AGN outburst. The radio emission from 3C61.1 shows interaction with the hot cluster plasma. We will characterize the merger/outburst by measuring the properties of the surface brightness edge, study the interaction of the FRII radio source (its hotspots, jet, and cocoon) with the ICM, measure spectra of 3C61.1 (nucleus and hotspots) and the AGN to explore their physical properties, and measure the PV work from any detected cavities around 3C61.1 to compare to the radio power.

Stability of a jet in confined pressure-driven biphasic flows at low reynolds numbers.

PubMed

Guillot, Pierre; Colin, Annie; Utada, Andrew S; Ajdari, Armand

2007-09-07

Motivated by its importance for microfluidic applications, we study the stability of jets formed by pressure-driven concentric biphasic flows in cylindrical capillaries. The specificity of this variant of the classical Rayleigh-Plateau instability is the role of the geometry which imposes confinement and Poiseuille flow profiles. We experimentally evidence a transition between situations where the flow takes the form of a jet and regimes where drops are produced. We describe this as the transition from convective to absolute instability, within a simple linear analysis using lubrication theory for flows at low Reynolds number, and reach remarkable agreement with the data.

Massive outflow properties suggest AGN fade slowly

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zubovas, Kastytis

2018-01-01

Massive large-scale active galactic nucleus (AGN) outflows are an important element of galaxy evolution, being a way through which the AGN can affect most of the host galaxy. However, outflows evolve on time-scales much longer than typical AGN episode durations, therefore most AGN outflows are not observed simultaneously with the AGN episode that inflated them. It is therefore remarkable that rather tight correlations between outflow properties and AGN luminosity exist. In this paper, I show that such correlations can be preserved during the fading phase of the AGN episode, provided that the AGN luminosity evolves as a power law with exponent αd ∼ 1 at late times. I also show that subsequent AGN episodes that illuminate an ongoing outflow are unlikely to produce outflow momentum or energy rates rising above the observed correlations. However, there may be many difficult-to-detect outflows with momentum and energy rates lower than expected from the current AGN luminosity. Detailed observations of AGN outflow properties might help constrain the activity histories of typical and/or individual AGN.

AGN Clustering in the BAT Sample

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Powell, Meredith; Cappelluti, Nico; Urry, Meg; Koss, Michael; BASS Team

2018-01-01

We characterize the environments of local growing supermassive black holes by measuring the clustering of AGN in the Swift-BAT Spectroscopic Survey (BASS). With 548 AGN in the redshift range 0.01AGN to date due to its hard X-ray selection (14-195 keV). By measuring the projected cross-correlation function between the AGN and 2MASS galaxies, we constrain the halo occupation distribution (HOD) of the full sample with unprecedented sensitivity, as well as in bins of obscuration with matched luminosity distributions. In doing so, we find that AGN tend to reside in galaxy groups, agreeing with previous studies of AGN throughout a large range of luminosity and redshift. We also find evidence that obscured AGN tend to reside in denser environments than unobscured AGN.

Comparison of Ejection Events in the Jet and Accretion Disc Outflows in 3C 111

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tombesi, F.; Sambruna, R. M.; Marscher, A. P.; Jorstad, S. G.; Reynolds, C. S.; Markowtiz, A.

2012-01-01

We present a comparison of the parameters of accretion disc outflows and the jet of the broad-line radio galaxy 3C 111 on sub-pc scales. We make use of published X-ray observations of ultra-fast outflows (UFOs) and new 43 GHz VLBA images to track the jet knots ejection. We find that the superluminal jet coexists with the mildly relativistic outflows on sub-pc scales, possibly indicating a transverse stratification of a global flow. The two are roughly in pressure equilibrium, with the UFOs potentially providing additional support for the initial jet collimation. The UFOs are much more massive than the jet, but their kinetic power is probably about an order of magnitude lower, at least for the observations considered here. However, their momentum flux is equivalent and both of them are powerful enough to exert a concurrent feedback impact on the surrounding environment. A link between these components is naturally predicted in the context of MHD models for jet/outflow formation. However, given the high radiation throughput of AGNs, radiation pressure should also be taken into account. From the comparison with the long-term 2-10 keV RXTE light curve we find that the UFOs are preferentially detected during periods of increasing flux. We also find the possibility to place the UFOs within the known X-ray dips-jet ejection cycles, which has been shown to be a strong proof of the disc-jet connection, in analogue with stellar-mass black holes. However, given the limited number of observations presently available, these relations are only tentative and additional spectral monitoring is needed to test them conclusively.

The effects of baryon physics, black holes and active galactic nucleus feedback on the mass distribution in clusters of galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martizzi, Davide; Teyssier, Romain; Moore, Ben; Wentz, Tina

2012-06-01

The spatial distribution of matter in clusters of galaxies is mainly determined by the dominant dark matter component; however, physical processes involving baryonic matter are able to modify it significantly. We analyse a set of 500 pc resolution cosmological simulations of a cluster of galaxies with mass comparable to Virgo, performed with the AMR code RAMSES. We compare the mass density profiles of the dark, stellar and gaseous matter components of the cluster that result from different assumptions for the subgrid baryonic physics and galaxy formation processes. First, the prediction of a gravity-only N-body simulation is compared to that of a hydrodynamical simulation with standard galaxy formation recipes, and then all results are compared to a hydrodynamical simulation which includes thermal active galactic nucleus (AGN) feedback from supermassive black holes (SMBHs). We find the usual effects of overcooling and adiabatic contraction in the run with standard galaxy formation physics, but very different results are found when implementing SMBHs and AGN feedback. Star formation is strongly quenched, producing lower stellar densities throughout the cluster, and much less cold gas is available for star formation at low redshifts. At redshift z= 0 we find a flat density core of radius 10 kpc in both the dark and stellar matter density profiles. We speculate on the possible formation mechanisms able to produce such cores and we conclude that they can be produced through the coupling of different processes: (I) dynamical friction from the decay of black hole orbits during galaxy mergers; (II) AGN-driven gas outflows producing fluctuations of the gravitational potential causing the removal of collisionless matter from the central region of the cluster; (III) adiabatic expansion in response to the slow expulsion of gas from the central region of the cluster during the quiescent mode of AGN activity.

Cross-correlating Planck tSZ with RCSLenS weak lensing: implications for cosmology and AGN feedback

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hojjati, Alireza; Tröster, Tilman; Harnois-Déraps, Joachim; McCarthy, Ian G.; van Waerbeke, Ludovic; Choi, Ami; Erben, Thomas; Heymans, Catherine; Hildebrandt, Hendrik; Hinshaw, Gary; Ma, Yin-Zhe; Miller, Lance; Viola, Massimo; Tanimura, Hideki

2017-10-01

We present measurements of the spatial mapping between (hot) baryons and the total matter in the Universe, via the cross-correlation between the thermal Sunyaev-Zeldovich (tSZ) map from Planck and the weak gravitational lensing maps from the Red Cluster Sequence Lensing Survey (RCSLenS). The cross-correlations are performed on the map level where all the sources (including diffuse intergalactic gas) contribute to the signal. We consider two configuration-space correlation function estimators, ξy-κ and ξ ^ {y-γ t}, and a Fourier-space estimator, C_{ℓ}^{y-κ}, in our analysis. We detect a significant correlation out to 3° of angular separation on the sky. Based on statistical noise only, we can report 13σ and 17σ detections of the cross-correlation using the configuration-space y-κ and y-γt estimators, respectively. Including a heuristic estimate of the sampling variance yields a detection significance of 7σ and 8σ, respectively. A similar level of detection is obtained from the Fourier-space estimator, C_{ℓ}^{y-κ}. As each estimator probes different dynamical ranges, their combination improves the significance of the detection. We compare our measurements with predictions from the cosmo-OverWhelmingly Large Simulations suite of cosmological hydrodynamical simulations, where different galactic feedback models are implemented. We find that a model with considerable active galactic nuclei (AGN) feedback that removes large quantities of hot gas from galaxy groups and Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe 7-yr best-fitting cosmological parameters provides the best match to the measurements. All baryonic models in the context of a Planck cosmology overpredict the observed signal. Similar cosmological conclusions are drawn when we employ a halo model with the observed 'universal' pressure profile.

The origin of fast molecular outflows in quasars: molecule formation in AGN-driven galactic winds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Richings, Alexander J.; Faucher-Giguère, Claude-André

2018-03-01

We explore the origin of fast molecular outflows that have been observed in active galactic nuclei (AGNs). Previous numerical studies have shown that it is difficult to create such an outflow by accelerating existing molecular clouds in the host galaxy, as the clouds will be destroyed before they can reach the high velocities that are observed. In this work, we consider an alternative scenario where molecules form in situ within the AGN outflow. We present a series of hydro-chemical simulations of an isotropic AGN wind interacting with a uniform medium. We follow the time-dependent chemistry of 157 species, including 20 molecules, to determine whether molecules can form rapidly enough to produce the observed molecular outflows. We find H2 outflow rates up to 140 M_{⊙} yr^{-1}, which is sensitive to density, AGN luminosity, and metallicity. We compute emission and absorption lines of CO, OH, and warm (a few hundred K) H2 from the simulations in post-processing. The CO-derived outflow rates and OH absorption strengths at solar metallicity agree with observations, although the maximum line-of-sight velocities from the model CO spectra are a factor ≈2 lower than is observed. We derive a CO (1-0) to H2 conversion factor of α _{CO (1-0)} = 0.13 M_{⊙} (K km s^{-1} pc2)^{-1}, 6 times lower than is commonly assumed in observations of such systems. We find strong emission from the mid-infrared lines of H2. The mass of H2 traced by this infrared emission is within a few per cent of the total H2 mass. This H2 emission may be observable by James Webb Space Telescope.

Neutrinos from AGN

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kazanas, Demosthenes; White, Nicholas E. (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

The great penetrating power of neutrinos makes them ideal probe of astrophysical sites and conditions inaccessible to other forms of radiation. These are the centers of stars (collapsing or not) and the centers of Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN). It has been suggested that AGN presented a very promising source of high energy neutrinos, possibly detectable by underwater neutrino detectors. This paper reviews the evolution of ideas concerning the emission of neutrinos from AGN in view of the more recent developments in gamma-ray astronomy and their implications for the neutrino emission from these class of objects.

Steps Toward Unveiling the True Population of AGN: Photometric Selection of Broad-Line AGN

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schneider, Evan; Impey, C.

2012-01-01

We present an AGN selection technique that enables identification of broad-line AGN using only photometric data. An extension of infrared selection techniques, our method involves fitting a given spectral energy distribution with a model consisting of three physically motivated components: infrared power law emission, optical accretion disk emission, and host galaxy emission. Each component can be varied in intensity, and a reduced chi-square minimization routine is used to determine the optimum parameters for each object. Using this model, both broad- and narrow-line AGN are seen to fall within discrete ranges of parameter space that have plausible bounds, allowing physical trends with luminosity and redshift to be determined. Based on a fiducial sample of AGN from the catalog of Trump et al. (2009), we find the region occupied by broad-line AGN to be distinct from that of quiescent or star-bursting galaxies. Because this technique relies only on photometry, it will allow us to find AGN at fainter magnitudes than are accessible in spectroscopic surveys, and thus probe a population of less luminous and/or higher redshift objects. With the vast availability of photometric data in large surveys, this technique should have broad applicability and result in large samples that will complement X-ray AGN catalogs.

The WISE AGN Catalog

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Assef, R. J.; Stern, D.; Noirot, G.; Jun, H. D.; Cutri, R. M.; Eisenhardt, P. R. M.

2018-02-01

We present two large catalogs of active galactic nucleus (AGN) candidates identified across 30,093 deg2 of extragalactic sky from the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer’s AllWISE Data Release. Both catalogs are selected purely using the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) W1 and W2 bands. The R90 catalog consists of 4,543,530 AGN candidates with 90% reliability, while the C75 catalog consists of 20,907,127 AGN candidates with 75% completeness. These reliability and completeness figures were determined from a detailed analysis of UV- to near-IR spectral energy distributions of ∼ {10}5 sources in the 9 deg2 Boötes field. The AGN selection criteria are based on those of Assef et al. (2013) recalibrated to the AllWISE data release. We provide a detailed discussion of potential artifacts and excise portions of the sky close to the Galactic Center, Galactic Plane, nearby galaxies, and other expected contaminating sources. These catalogs are expected to enable a broad range of science, and we present a few illustrative cases. From the R90 sample, we identify 45 highly variable AGNs lacking radio counterparts in the FIRST survey. One of these sources, WISEA J142846.71+172353.1, is a changing-look quasar at z = 0.104, which has changed from having broad Hα to being a narrow-lined AGN. We characterize our catalogs by comparing them to large, wide-area AGN catalogs in the literature. We identify four ROSAT X-ray sources that are each matched to three WISE-selected AGNs in the R90 sample within 30″. Spectroscopy reveals that one of these systems, 2RXS J150158.6+691029, consists of a triplet of quasars at z = 1.133 ± 0.004, suggestive of a rich group or forming galaxy cluster.

Can Winds Driven by Active Galactic Nuclei Account for the Extragalactic Gamma-Ray and Neutrino Backgrounds?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Ruo-Yu; Murase, Kohta; Inoue, Susumu; Ge, Chong; Wang, Xiang-Yu

2018-05-01

Various observations are revealing the widespread occurrence of fast and powerful winds in active galactic nuclei (AGNs) that are distinct from relativistic jets, likely launched from accretion disks and interacting strongly with the gas of their host galaxies. During the interaction, strong shocks are expected to form that can accelerate nonthermal particles to high energies. Such winds have been suggested to be responsible for a large fraction of the observed extragalactic gamma-ray background (EGB) and the diffuse neutrino background, via the decay of neutral and charged pions generated in inelastic pp collisions between protons accelerated by the forward shock and the ambient gas. However, previous studies did not properly account for processes such as adiabatic losses that may reduce the gamma-ray and neutrino fluxes significantly. We evaluate the production of gamma rays and neutrinos by AGN-driven winds in detail by modeling their hydrodynamic and thermal evolution, including the effects of their two-temperature structure. We find that they can only account for less than ∼30% of the EGB flux, as otherwise the model would violate the independent upper limit derived from the diffuse isotropic gamma-ray background. If the neutrino spectral index is steep with Γ ≳ 2.2, a severe tension with the isotropic gamma-ray background would arise as long as the winds contribute more than 20% of the IceCube neutrino flux in the 10–100 TeV range. At energies ≳ 100 TeV, we find that the IceCube neutrino flux may still be accountable by AGN-driven winds if the spectral index is as small as Γ ∼ 2.0–2.1.

A swirling jet in the quasar 1308+326

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Britzen, S.; Qian, S.-J.; Steffen, W.; Kun, E.; Karouzos, M.; Gergely, L.; Schmidt, J.; Aller, M.; Aller, H.; Krause, M.; Fendt, C.; Böttcher, M.; Witzel, A.; Eckart, A.; Moser, L.

2017-06-01

Context. Despite numerous and detailed studies of the jets of active galactic nuclei (AGN) on pc-scales, many questions are still debated. The physical nature of the jet components is one of the most prominent unsolved problems, as is the launching mechanism of jets in AGN. The quasar 1308+326 (z = 0.997) allows us to study the overall properties of its jet in detail and to derive a more physical understanding of the nature and origin of jets in general. The long-term data provided by the Monitoring Of Jets in Active galactic nuclei with Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) experiments (MOJAVE) survey permit us to trace out the structural changes in 1308+326 that we present here. The long-lived jet features in this source can be followed for about two decades. Aims: We investigate the very long baseline interferomety (VLBI) morphology and kinematics of the jet of 1308+326 to understand the physical nature of this jet and jets in general, the role of magnetic fields, and the causal connection between jet features and the launching process. Methods: Fifty VLBA observations performed at 15 GHz from the MOJAVE survey were re-modeled with Gaussian components and re-analyzed (the time covered: 20 Jan. 1995-25 Jan. 2014). The analysis was supplemented by multi-wavelength radio-data (UMRAO, at 4.8, 8.0, and 14.5 GHz) in polarization and total intensity. We fit the apparent motion of the jet features with the help of a model of a precessing nozzle. Results: The jet features seem to be emitted with varying viewing angles and launched into an ejection cone. Tracing the component paths yields evidence for rotational motion. Radio flux-density variability can be explained as a consequence of enhanced Doppler boosting corresponding to the motion of the jet relative to the line of sight. Based on the presented kinematics and other indicators, such as electric-vector polarization position-angle (EVPA) rotation, we conclude that the jet of 1308+326 has a helical structure, meaning that

A highly magnetized twin-jet base pinpoints a supermassive black hole

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baczko, A.-K.; Schulz, R.; Kadler, M.; Ros, E.; Perucho, M.; Krichbaum, T. P.; Böck, M.; Bremer, M.; Grossberger, C.; Lindqvist, M.; Lobanov, A. P.; Mannheim, K.; Martí-Vidal, I.; Müller, C.; Wilms, J.; Zensus, J. A.

2016-09-01

Supermassive black holes (SMBH) are essential for the production of jets in radio-loud active galactic nuclei (AGN). Theoretical models based on (Blandford & Znajek 1977, MNRAS, 179, 433) extract the rotational energy from a Kerr black hole, which could be the case for NGC 1052, to launch these jets. This requires magnetic fields on the order of 103G to 104G. We imaged the vicinity of the SMBH of the AGN NGC 1052 with the Global Millimetre VLBI Array and found a bright and compact central feature that is smaller than 1.9 light days (100 Schwarzschild radii) in radius. Interpreting this as a blend of the unresolved jet bases, we derive the magnetic field at 1 Schwarzschild radius to lie between 200 G and ~ 8.3 × 104 G consistent with Blandford & Znajek models. The VLBI images shown in Figs. 3 and 4 are only available at the CDS via anonymous ftp to http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (http://130.79.128.5) or via http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr/viz-bin/qcat?J/A+A/593/A47

Origin of superluminal radio jets in microquasars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yadav, J. S.; Bhandare, R. S.

In Microquasars, superluminal radio jets are seen at large distances from few hundred AU to 5000 AU with very high radio luminosity. We suggest that these superluminal jets are due to internal shocks which form in the previously generated slowly moving wind (from the accretion disk or the companion star) with beta < 0.01 as the fast moving discrete jet with beta sim 1 catches up and interacts with it. The black hole X-ray binaries with transient radio emission (mostly LMXBs) produce superluminal jets with beta_app > 1 when the accretion rate is high and the bolometric luminosity, L_bol approaches the Eddington Luminosity, L_Edd. On the other hand, the black hole X-ray binaries with persistent radio emission (mostly HMXBs) produce superluminal jets with beta_app < 1 at relatively low accretion rate. Our work here brings Galactic microquasars closer to extragalactic AGNs and quasars as the environment plays an important role in the formation of superluminal jets.

The COS revolution of AGN outflow science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arav, Nahum

2016-10-01

HST/COS has opened a new discovery space for quasar outflow science. Specifically, it provides high quality FUV spectra covering the diagnostic-rich 500A-1050A rest-frame of medium redshift objects. We have published three refereed papers based on the analysis of such data that were supported by our concluded COS archive program, in which we reported: a) a new population of very high ionization outflows, b) robust cases of two-ionization-phase outflows, which are the missing link between UV AGN outflows and x-ray warm absorbers, and most importantly c) spectral diagnostics that allowed us to determine the distance of the outflows from the central source. The latter is a cardinal issue in the field as many researchers believe that most outflows are situated close to the accretion disk ( 0.01 pc) while the few reliable measurements show distances of 10-10,000 pc. Therefore, every empirical distance measurement is of importance. Our archive based publication also demonstrates that quasar outflows have sufficient energy to match theoretical predictions for AGN feedback influencing galaxy evolution.We propose to continue this successful archive program. Thus far we've analyzed about 300 COS G130M and G160M orbits of AGN observations. There are roughly 900 additional orbits that satisfy our criteria and will be available within a year. Based on our published survey, we expect that these 900 orbits will yield about 20-30 additional very-high ionization outflows and 4-6 cases of distance and kinetic luminosity determinations, all in cosmologically important luminous-quasars.

Properties of Low-mass AGN as They Relate to Unification and Massive AGN

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hood, Carol E.

2011-01-01

Current unification models of AGN suggest the observational differences between Type 1 and Type 2 objects are solely due to the orientation angle of the object. Observations have proved consistent with predictions and continue to strengthen the case for unification, however, many are still searching for "true" Type 2 objects, including predictions of their formation due to low luminosity or low accretion rate. Low-mass (< 106solar masses) AGN provide interesting environments in which these unification models can be studied. We also aim to compare the properties of low-mass AGN with their more massive counterparts to look for structural similarities and differences over a more substantial range of luminosities and accretion rates than previously studied. We present an in-depth multi-wavelength study of one of the prototypical low-mass AGN, POX 52, investigating the properties of the central engine along with that of the host galaxy. This includes data from the VLA, Spitzer, 2MASS, HST, GALEX, XMM, and Chandra, providing us with one of the most comprehensive looks into low-mass AGN. Unlike the other prototypical low-mass AGN, NGC 4395, POX 52 resides in a dwarf elliptical galaxy, accreting at ≈ 0.35 the Eddington limit. Additionally, we examine a sample 41 Type 1 and Type 2 objects, including POX 52 and NGC 4395, with the Spitzer IRS and a sub-sample of those with XMM to study the absorption properties of low-mass AGN, to test the validity of unification models in the low-mass regime, and to investigate possible structural differences between objects with low and high mass black holes and accretion rates. We will discuss the IR spectral shape and present emission-line diagnostics for Type 1 and Type 2 AGNs at low masses.

Optical and near-infrared IFU spectroscopy of the nuclear region of the AGN-starburst galaxy NGC 7582

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ricci, T. V.; Steiner, J. E.; May, D.; Garcia-Rissmann, A.; Menezes, R. B.

2018-02-01

NGC 7582 is an SB(s)ab galaxy which displays evidences of simultaneous nuclear activity and star formation in its centre. Previous optical observations revealed, besides the H II regions, an ionization cone and a gas disc in its central part. Hubble Space Telescope (HST) images in both optical and infrared bands show the active galactic nuclei (AGNs) and a few compact structures that are possibly associated with young stellar clusters. In order to study in detail both the AGN and evidence for star formation, we analyse optical (Gemini Multi-Object Spectrograph) and near-infrared (Spectrograph for Integral Field Observations in the Near Infrared) archival data cubes. We detected five nebulae with strong He II λ4686 emission in the same region where an outflow is detected in the [O III] λ5007 kinematic map. We interpreted this result as clouds that are exposed to high-energy photons emerging from the AGN throughout the ionization cone. We also detected Wolf-Rayet features which are related to emission of one of the compact clusters seen in the HST image. Broad Hα and Br γ components are detected at the position of the nucleus. [Fe II] λ1.644 μm, H2λ2.122 μm and Br γ flux maps show two blobs, one north and the other south from the nucleus, that seem to be associated with five previously detected mid-infrared sources. Two of the five He II nebulae are partially ionized by photons from starbursts. However, we conclude that the main source of excitation of these blobs is the AGN jet/disc. The jet orientation indicates that the accretion disc is nearly orthogonal to the dusty torus.

Microscopic Processes in Relativistic Jets

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nishikawa, K.-I.; Hardee, P.; Mizuno, Y.; Medvedev, M.; Zhang, B.; Nordlund, A.; Fredricksen, J.; Sol, H.; Niemiec, J.; Lyubarsky, Y.;

Radio jets in NGC 4151: where eMERLIN meets HST

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Williams, D. R. A.; McHardy, I. M.; Baldi, R. D.; Beswick, R. J.; Argo, M. K.; Dullo, B. T.; Knapen, J. H.; Brinks, E.; Fenech, D. M.; Mundell, C. G.; Muxlow, T. W. B.; Panessa, F.; Rampadarath, H.; Westcott, J.

2017-12-01

We present high-sensitivity eMERLIN radio images of the Seyfert galaxy NGC 4151 at 1.51 GHz. We compare the new eMERLIN images to those from archival MERLIN observations in 1993 to determine the change in jet morphology in the 22 yr between observations. We report an increase by almost a factor of 2 in the peak flux density of the central core component, C4, thought to host the black hole, but a probable decrease in some other components, possibly due to adiabatic expansion. The core flux increase indicates an active galactic nucleus (AGN) that is currently active and feeding the jet. We detect no significant motion in 22 yr between C4 and the component C3, which is unresolved in the eMERLIN image. We present a spectral index image made within the 512 MHz band of the 1.51 GHz observations. The spectrum of the core, C4, is flatter than that of other components further out in the jet. We use HST emission-line images (H α, [O III] and [O II]) to study the connection between the jet and the emission-line region. Based on the changing emission-line ratios away from the core and comparison with the eMERLIN radio jet, we conclude that photoionization from the central AGN is responsible for the observed emission-line properties further than 4 arcsec (360 pc) from the core, C4. Within this region, a body of evidence (radio-line co-spatiality, low [O III]/H α and estimated fast shocks) suggests additional ionization from the jet.

The MIXR sample or: how I learned to stop worrying and love multiwavelength catalogue cross-correlations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mingo, Beatriz; Watson, Mike; Stewart, Gordon; Rosen, Simon; Blain, Andrew; Hardcastle, Martin; Mateos, Silvia; Carrera, Francisco; Ruiz, Angel; Pineau, Francois-Xavier

2016-08-01

We cross-match 3XMM, WISE and FIRST/NVSS to create the largest-to-date mid-IR, X-ray, and radio (MIXR) sample of galaxies and AGN. We use MIXR to triage sources and efficiently and accurately pre-classify them as star-forming galaxies or AGN, and to highlight bias and shortcomings in current AGN sample selection methods, paving the way for the next generation of instruments. Our results highlight key questions in AGN science, such as the need for a re-definition of the radio-loud/radio-quiet classification, and our observed lack of correlation between the kinetic (jet) and radiative (luminosity) output in AGN, which has dramatic potential consequences on our current understanding of AGN accretion, variability and feedback.

Radio Jet Feedback and Star Formation in Heavily Obscured, Hyperluminous Quasars at Redshifts ˜ 0.5-3. I. ALMA Observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lonsdale, Carol J.; Lacy, M.; Kimball, A. E.; Blain, A.; Whittle, M.; Wilkes, B.; Stern, D.; Condon, J.; Kim, M.; Assef, R. J.; Tsai, C.-W.; Efstathiou, A.; Jones, S.; Eisenhardt, P.; Bridge, C.; Wu, J.; Lonsdale, Colin J.; Jones, K.; Jarrett, T.; Smith, R.

2015-11-01

We present Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) 870 μm (345 GHz) data for 49 high-redshift (0.47 < z < 2.85), luminous (11.7\\lt {log}({L}{{bol}}/{L}⊙ )\\lt 14.2) radio-powerful active galactic nuclei (AGNs), obtained to constrain cool dust emission from starbursts concurrent with highly obscured radiative-mode black hole (BH) accretion in massive galaxies that possess a small radio jet. The sample was selected from the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer with extremely steep (red) mid-infrared colors and with compact radio emission from NVSS/FIRST. Twenty-six sources are detected at 870 μm, and we find that the sample has large mid- to far-infrared luminosity ratios, consistent with a dominant and highly obscured quasar. The rest-frame 3 GHz radio powers are 24.7\\lt {log}({P}\\text{3.0 GHz}/{{{W}} {Hz}}-1)\\lt 27.3, and all sources are radio-intermediate or radio-loud. BH mass estimates are 7.7 < log(MBH/M⊙) < 10.2. The rest-frame 1-5 μm spectral energy distributions are very similar to the “Hot DOGs” (hot dust-obscured galaxies), and steeper (redder) than almost any other known extragalactic sources. ISM masses estimated for the ALMA-detected sources are 9.9 < log (MISM/M⊙) < 11.75 assuming a dust temperature of 30 K. The cool dust emission is consistent with star formation rates reaching several thousand M⊙ yr-1, depending on the assumed dust temperature, but we cannot rule out the alternative that the AGN powers all the emission in some cases. Our best constrained source has radiative transfer solutions with approximately equal contributions from an obscured AGN and a young (10-15 Myr) compact starburst.

Longterm AGN variability in the BASS sample

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sartori, Lia; Schawinski, Kevin; Koss, Michael; Treister, Ezequiel

2018-01-01

The study of AGN variability on different timescales can provide important information about black hole accretion physics, as well as the black hole – host galaxy interaction and coevolution. Galaxies with extended AGN photoionised clouds, e.g. IC 2497 and “Hanny’s Voorwerp”, are a great laboratory to study AGN variability over 100 kyr timescales, especially in the case where the AGN is currently dropping in luminosity. Based on a large sample of optically elusive AGN in the BASS sample we suggest that AGN may ‘flicker’ on and off 100-1000 times on ~10^5 yr timescales, and that optically elusive AGN may provide information about the switching on phase. In this talk I will show how longslit and IFU observations of BASS sources, combined with high quality hard X-ray observations and black hole demographic information, can help constraining the AGN lifecycle, and ultimately what is the physics driving AGN variability.

Accretion Rate: An Axis Of Agn Unification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Trump, Jonathan R.; Impey, C. D.; Kelly, B. C.

2011-01-01

We show how accretion rate governs the physical properties of broad-line, narrow-line, and lineless active galactic nuclei (AGNs). We avoid the systematic errors plaguing previous studies of AGN accretion rate by using accurate accretion luminosities from well-sampled multiwavelength SEDs from the Cosmic Evolution Survey (COSMOS), and accurate black hole masses derived from virial scaling relations (for broad-line AGNs) or host-AGN relations (for narrow-line and lineless AGNs). In general, broad emission lines are present only at the highest accretion rates (L/L_Edd>0.01), and these rapidly accreting AGNs are observed as broad-line AGNs or possibly as obscured narrow-line AGNs. Narrow-line and lineless AGNs at lower specific accretion rates (L/L_Edd<0.01) are unobscured and yet lack a broad line region. The disappearance of the broad emission lines is caused by an expanding radiatively inefficient accretion flow (RIAF) at the inner radius of the accretion disk. The presence of the RIAF also drives L/L_Edd<0.01 narrow-line and lineless AGNs to be 10-100 times more radio-luminous than broad-line AGNs, since the unbound nature of the RIAF means it is easier to form a radio outflow. The IR torus signature also tends to become weaker or disappear from L/L_Edd<0.01 AGNs, although there may be additional mid-IR synchrotron emission associated with the RIAF. Together these results suggest that specific accretion rate is an important physical "axis" of AGN unification, described by a simple model.

The impact of feedback and the hot halo on the rates of gas accretion on to galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Correa, Camila A.; Schaye, Joop; van de Voort, Freeke; Duffy, Alan R.; Wyithe, J. Stuart B.

2018-07-01

We investigate the physics that drives the gas accretion rates on to galaxies at the centres of dark matter haloes using the EAGLE suite of hydrodynamical cosmological simulations. We find that at redshifts z ≤ 2, the accretion rate on to the galaxy increases with halo mass in the halo mass range 1010-1011.7 M⊙, flattens between the halo masses 1011.7 and 1012.7 M⊙, and increases again for higher mass haloes. However, the galaxy gas accretion does not flatten at intermediate halo masses when active galactic nucleus (AGN) feedback is switched off. To better understand these trends, we develop a physically motivated semi-analytic model of galaxy gas accretion. We show that the flattening is produced by the rate of gas cooling from the hot halo. The ratio of the cooling radius and the virial radius does not decrease continuously with increasing halo mass as generally thought. While it decreases up to ˜1013 M⊙ haloes, it increases for higher halo masses, causing an upturn in the galaxy gas accretion rate. This may indicate that in high-mass haloes, AGN feedback is not sufficiently efficient. When there is no AGN feedback, the density of the hot halo is higher, the ratio of the cooling and virial radii does not decrease as much, and the cooling rate is higher. Changes in the efficiency of stellar feedback can also increase or decrease the accretion rates on to galaxies. The trends can plausibly be explained by the re-accretion of gas ejected by progenitor galaxies and by the suppression of black hole growth, and hence AGN feedback, by stellar feedback.

The BAT AGN Spectroscopic Survey (BASS)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koss, Michael

2017-08-01

We present the Swift BAT AGN Spectroscopic Survey (BASS) and discus the first four papers. The catalog represents an unprecedented census of hard-X-ray selected AGN in the local universe, with ~90% of sources at z<0.2. Starting from an all-sky catalog of AGN detected based on their 14-195 keV flux from the 70-month Swift/BAT catalog, we analyze a total of 1279 optical spectra, taken from twelve different telescopes, for a total of 642 spectra of unique AGN. We present the absorption and emission line measurements as well as black hole masses and accretion rates for the majority of obscured and un-obscured AGN (473), representing more than a factor of 10 increase from past studies. Consistent with previous surveys, we find an increase in the fraction of un-obscured (type 1) AGN, as measured from broad Hbeta and Halpha, with increasing 14-195 keV and 2-10 keV luminosity. We find the FWHM of the emission lines to show broad agreement with the X-ray obscuration measurements. Compared to narrow line AGN in the SDSS, the X-ray selected AGN in our sample with emission lines have a larger fraction of dustier galaxies suggesting these types of galaxies are missed in optical AGN surveys using emission line diagnostics.

Heavily Obscured AGN with SIMBOL-X

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Della Ceca, R.; Caccianiga, A.; Severgnini, P.

2009-05-01

By comparing an optically selected sample of narrow lines AGN with an X-ray selected sample of AGN we have recently derived an estimate of the intrinsic (i.e. before absorption) 2-10 keV luminosity function (XLF) of Compton Thick AGNs. We will use this XLF to derive the number of Compton Thick AGN that will be found in the SIMBOL-X survey(s).

Magnetic jets from accretion disks : field structure and X-ray emission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Memola, Elisabetta

2002-06-01

Jets are highly collimated flows of matter. They are present in a large variety of astrophysical sources: young stars, stellar mass black holes (microquasars), galaxies with an active nucleus (AGN) and presumably also intense flashes of gamma-rays. In particular, the jets of microquasars, powered by accretion disks, are probably small-scale versions of the outflows from AGN. Beside observations of astrophysical jet sources, also theoretical considerations have shown that magnetic fields play an important role in jet formation, acceleration and collimation. Collimated jets seem to be systematically associated with the presence of an accretion disk around a star or a collapsed object. If the central object is a black hole, the surrounding accretion disk is the only possible location for a magnetic field generation. We are interested in the formation process of highly relativistic jets as observed from microquasars and AGN. We theoretically investigate the jet collimation region, whose physical dimensions are extremely tiny even compared to radio telescopes spatial resolution. Thus, for most of the jet sources, global theoretical models are, at the moment, the only possibility to gain information about the physical processes in the innermost jet region. For the first time, we determine the global two-dimensional field structure of stationary, axisymmetric, relativistic, strongly magnetized (force-free) jets collimating into an asymptotically cylindrical jet (taken as boundary condition) and anchored into a differentially rotating accretion disk. This approach allows for a direct connection between the accretion disk and the asymptotic collimated jet. Therefore, assuming that the foot points of the field lines are rotating with Keplerian speed, we are able to achieve a direct scaling of the jet magnetosphere in terms of the size of the central object. We find a close compatibility between the results of our model and radio observations of the M87 galaxy innermost jet

Compton thick AGN: the hunt continues

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marchesi, Stefano

2017-09-01

The X-ray spectral analysis of Compton thick (CT-) active galactic nuclei (AGN) represents a fundamental step to understand the physics of the obscuring material surrounding the accreting supermassive black hole. However, at the present day CT-AGN remain extremely hard to detect. After a first, successful pilot program, we propose to target with a 10 ks Chandra observation 4 low redshift candidate CT-AGN from the Swift-BAT 100-month catalog. This analysis will refine our knowledge of the selection function of CT-AGN, therefore helping us in determine the true intrinsic fraction of CT-AGN and their contribution to the CXB.

Evolution of jets driven by relativistic radiation hydrodynamics as Long and Low Luminosity GRBs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rivera-Paleo, F. J.; Guzmán, F. S.

2018-06-01

We present numerical simulations of jets modeled with Relativistic Radiation Hydrodynamics (RRH), that evolve across two environments: i) a stratified surrounding medium and ii) a 16TI progenitor model. We consider opacities consistent with various processes of interaction between the fluid and radiation, specifically, free-free, bound-free, bound-bound and electron scattering. We explore various initial conditions, with different radiation energy densities of the beam in hydrodynamical and radiation pressure dominated scenarios, considering only highly-relativistic jets. In order to investigate the impact of the radiation field on the evolution of the jets, we compare our results with purely hydrodynamical jets. Comparing among jets driven by RRH, we find that radiation pressure dominated jets propagate slightly faster than gas pressure dominated ones. Finally, we construct the luminosity Light Curves (LCs) associated with the two cases. The construction of LCs uses the fluxes of the radiation field which is fully coupled to the hydrodynamics equations during the evolution. The main properties of the jets propagating on the stratified surrounding medium are that the LCs show the same order of magnitude as the gamma-ray luminosity of typical Long Gamma-Ray Bursts 1050 - 1054erg/s and the difference between the radiation and gas temperatures is of nearly one order of magnitude. The properties of jets breaking out from the progenitor star model are that the LCs are of the order of magnitude of low-luminosity GRBs 1046 - 1049 erg/s, and in this scenario the difference between the gas and radiation temperature is of four orders of magnitude, which is a case far from thermal equilibrium.

The BAT AGN Spectroscopic Survey (BASS)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koss, Michael; Trakhtenbrot, Benny; Ricci, Claudio; Lamperti, Isabella; Oh, Kyuseok; Berney, Simon; Schawinski, Kevin; Balokovic, Mislav; Baronchelli, Linda; Gehrels, Neil; Stern, Daniel; Mushotzky, Richard; Veilleux, Sylvain; Ueda, Yoshihiro; Crenshaw, D. Michael; Harrison, Fiona; Fischer, Travis C.; Treister, Ezequiel; BASS Team; Swift BAT Team

2017-01-01

We present the Swift BAT AGN Spectroscopic Survey (BASS) and discus the first four papers. The catalog represents an unprecedented census of hard-X-ray selected AGN in the local universe, with ~90% of sources at z<0.2. Starting from an all-sky catalog of AGN detected based on their 14-195 keV flux from the 70-month Swift/BAT catalog, we analyze a total of 1279 optical spectra, taken from twelve dierent telescopes, for a total of 642 spectra of unique AGN. We present the absorption and emission line measurements as well as black hole masses and accretion rates for the majority of obscured and un-obscured AGN (473), representing more than a factor of 10 increase from past studies. Consistent with previous surveys, we find an increase in the fraction of un-obscured (type 1) AGN, as measured from broad Hbeta and Halpha, with increasing 14-195 keV and 2-10 keV luminosity. We find the FWHM of the emission lines to show broad agreement with the X-ray obscuration measurements. Compared to narrow line AGN in the SDSS, the X-ray selected AGN in our sample with emission lines have a larger fraction of dustier galaxies suggesting these types of galaxies are missed in optical AGN surveys using emission line diagnostics. Additionally, we discuss follow-on efforts to study the variation of [OIII] to Xray measurements, a new method to measure accretion rates from using line ratios, a sample of 100 AGN observed with NIR spectroscopy, and an effort to measure the accretion rates and obscuration with merger stage in a subsample of mergers.

AGN Variability in the GOODS Fields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sarajedini, Vicki

2007-07-01

Variability is a proven method to identify intrinsically faint active nuclei in galaxies found in deep HST surveys. We propose to extend our short-term variability study of the GOODS fields to include the more recent epochs obtained via supernovae searchers, increasing the overall time baseline from 6 months to 2.5 years. Based on typical AGN lightcurves, we expect to detect 70% more AGN by including these more recent epochs. Variable-detected AGN samples complement current X-ray and mid-IR surveys for AGN by providing unambigous evidence of nuclear activity. Additionallty, a significant number of variable nuclei are not associated with X-ray or mid-IR sources and would thus go undetected. With the increased time baseline, we will be able to construct the structure function {variability amplitude vs. time} for low-luminosity AGN to z 1. The inclusion of the longer time interval will allow for better descrimination among the various models describing the nature of AGN variability. The variability survey will be compared against spectroscopically selected AGN from the Team Keck Redshift Survey of the GOODS-N and the upcoming Flamingos-II NIR survey of the GOODS-S. The high-resolution ACS images will be used to separate the AGN from the host galaxy light and study the morphology, size and environment of the host galaxy. These studies will address questions concerning the nature of low-luminosity AGN evolution and variability at z 1.

Hosts and environments of low luminosity active galaxies in the local universe: The care and feeding of weak AGN

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Parejko, John Kenneth

The observed relationship between the mass of a galaxy's supermassive black hole and the galaxy's bulge mass suggests a relationship between the growth of the galaxy and the growth of its central black hole. When these black holes grow, they release phenomenal amounts of energy into their surroundings, possibly disrupting further growth of the galaxy. The feeding (inflowing matter) and feedback (outflowing energy) of a galaxy's central black hole may be intimately related to the properties of the host's environment, on scales many orders of magnitude beyond the black hole's gravitational influence. While feeding, a massive black hole reveals itself as an Active Galactic Nucleus (AGN), but only a few percent of all galaxies show evidence of an AGN. This thesis focuses on this question: What distinguishes galaxies that are currently hosting actively accreting black holes from those that are not? We use the vast data set provided by the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) Data Release 7 (DR7) to study the environments of a well defined sample of AGN hosts. To reduce contamination by galaxies that do not harbor actively accreting black holes, we define a clear, unambiguous sample of local AGN. Using this sample, we search for AGN in merging galaxies and measure the 2-point cross-correlation function of AGN and all galaxies to estimate the environments of AGN hosts compared to non-AGN hosts. We also describe trends in different subsamples of AGN, including luminosity and classification sub-type. Finally, we show how these techniques may be applied to future data sets such as forthcoming SDSS III data and X-ray data from the eROSITA satellite.

Active Galactic Nuclei Feedback and the Origin and Fate of the Hot Gas in Early-type Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pellegrini, Silvia; Ciotti, Luca; Negri, Andrea; Ostriker, Jeremiah P.

2018-04-01

A recent determination of the relationships between the X-ray luminosity of the ISM (L X) and the stellar and total mass for a sample of nearby early-type galaxies (ETGs) is used to investigate the origin of the hot gas, via a comparison with the results of hydrodynamical simulations of the ISM evolution for a large set of isolated ETGs. After the epoch of major galaxy formation (after z ≃ 2), the ISM is replenished by stellar mass losses and SN ejecta, at the rate predicted by stellar evolution, and is depleted by star formation; it is heated by the thermalization of stellar motions, SNe explosions, and the mechanical (from winds) and radiative AGN feedback. The models agree well with the observed relations, even for the largely different L X values at the same mass, thanks to the sensitivity of the gas flow to many galaxy properties; this holds for models including AGN feedback, and those without. Therefore, the mass input from the stellar population is able to account for a major part of the observed L X; and AGN feedback, while very important to maintain massive ETGs in a time-averaged quasi-steady state, keeping low star formation and the black hole mass, does not dramatically alter the gas content originating in stellar recycled material. These conclusions are based on theoretical predictions for the stellar population contributions in mass and energy, and on a self-consistent modeling of AGN feedback.

The BAT AGN Spectroscopic Survey (BASS) DR1-Spectral Measurements, Derived Quantities, and AGN Demographics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koss, Michael; BASS Team

2018-01-01

We present the first catalog and data release of the Swift-BAT AGN Spectroscopic Survey (BASS). We analyze optical spectra of the majority of AGN (77%, 641/836) detected based on their 14-195 keV emission in the 70-month Swift BAT all-sky catalog. This includes redshift determination, absorption and emission line measurements, and black hole mass and accretion rate estimates for the majority of obscured and un-obscured AGN (74%, 473/641) with 340 measured for the first time. With ~90% of sources at z<0.2, the survey represents a significant census of hard-X-ray selected AGN in the local universe. In this first catalog paper, we describe the spectroscopic observations and datasets, and our initial spectral analysis. The FWHM of the emission lines show broad agreement with the X-ray obscuration (~94%), such that Sy 1-1.8 have NH<10^21.9 cm^-2, and Seyfert 2, have NH>10^21.9 cm^-2. Seyfert 1.9 show a range of column densities. Compared to narrow line AGN in the SDSS, the X-ray selected AGN have a larger fraction of dusty host galaxies suggesting these types of AGN are missed in optical surveys. Using the most sensitive [OIII]/Hbeta and [NII]/Halpha emission line diagnostic, about half of the sources are classified as Seyferts, ~15% reside in dusty galaxies that lack an Hbeta detection, but for which the line upper limits imply either a Seyfert or LINER, ~15% are in galaxies with weak or no emission lines despite high quality spectra, and a few percent each are LINERS, composite galaxies, HII regions, or in known beamed AGN.

Inefficient jet-induced star formation in Centaurus A. High resolution ALMA observations of the northern filaments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Salomé, Q.; Salomé, P.; Miville-Deschênes, M.-A.; Combes, F.; Hamer, S.

2017-12-01

NGC 5128 (Centaurus A) is one of the best targets to study AGN feedback in the local Universe. At 13.5 kpc from the galaxy, optical filaments with recent star formation lie along the radio jet direction. This region is a testbed for positive feedback, here through jet-induced star formation. Atacama Pathfinder EXperiment (APEX) observations have revealed strong CO emission in star-forming regions and in regions with no detected tracers of star formation activity. In cases where star formation is observed, this activity appears to be inefficient compared to the Kennicutt-Schmidt relation. We used the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) to map the 12CO(1-0) emission all along the filaments of NGC 5128 at a resolution of 1.3'' 23.8pc. We find that the CO emission is clumpy and is distributed in two main structures: (i) the Horseshoe complex, located outside the HI cloud, where gas is mostly excited by shocks and where no star formation is observed, and (ii) the Vertical filament, located at the edge of the HI shell, which is a region of moderate star formation. We identified 140 molecular clouds using a clustering method applied to the CO data cube. A statistical study reveals that these clouds have very similar physical properties, such as size, velocity dispersion, and mass, as in the inner Milky Way. However, the range of radius available with the present ALMA observations does not enable us to investigate whether or not the clouds follow the Larson relation. The large virial parameter αvir of the clouds suggests that gravity is not dominant and clouds are not gravitationally unstable. Finally, the total energy injection in the northern filaments of Centaurus A is of the same order as in the inner part of the Milky Way. The strong CO emission detected in the northern filaments is an indication that the energy injected by the jet acts positively in the formation of dense molecular gas. The relatively high virial parameter of the molecular clouds

Gas Flows in Dual Active Galactic Nuclei

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mueller Sanchez, Francisco; Comerford, Julia M.; Davies, Richard; Treister, Ezequiel; Privon, George C.; Nevin, Becky

2018-06-01

Dual Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) are the Rosetta stone to understand the role of galaxy mergers in triggering nuclear activity and regulating black hole (BH) and galaxy growth. But very little is known about the physical processes required to effectively trigger AGN activity and regulate the growth of the two BHs. The work I will present here characterizes for the first time the properties of the stars, gas (molecular, ionized, and highly-ionized) and dust in all the confirmed dual AGN at z < 0.05, using Keck/OSIRIS, VLT/SINFONI, SOFIA/FORCAST, and HST data. I will focus on the interplay between the several complex processes observed in dual AGN, using as an example the prototypical merger system NGC 6240: vigorous star formation, two AGNs, outflowing winds of ionized gas, rippling dust and gas lanes, and tidal tails. In this galaxy, we observe for the first time a dual outflow of different species of gas: an AGN-driven outflow of highly-ionized gas to the northeast and a starburst-driven outflow of ionized hydrogen to the northwest. This shows that stellar feedback and supermassive black hole feedback can work in tandem to regulate the stellar growth of a galaxy after a merger event. These results open a new door to studies of dual AGN and AGN pairs in general, and enable dual AGN to be used, for the first time, for studies of galaxy evolution.

A novel piezostack-driven jetting dispenser with corner-filleted flexure hinge and high-frequency performance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bu, Zhenxiang; Lin, Siying; Huang, Xiang; Li, Anlin; Wu, Dezhi; Zhao, Yang; Luo, Zhiwei; Wang, Lingyun

2018-07-01

This paper presents a new jetting dispenser which is applicable to high-frequency microelectronic packaging. In order to achieve high frequency glue jetting and improve the stability of jetting dispensers, we redesign a novel displacement amplifying mechanism, and a new on–off valve jetting dispenser driven by piezoelectric actuators is developed. Firstly, the core part of this jetting dispenser—the displacement amplifying mechanism with a corner-filleted flexure hinge—is proposed and a comparison with the previous structure is carried out; then the characteristic dimensional parameters of the amplifying mechanism are determined by theoretical calculation and finite element analysis. Secondly, a prototype of the dispenser with the displacement amplifying mechanism is fabricated based on the determined parameters. We use a laser displacement sensor to test the displacement of the needle, and a maximum amplifying displacement output of 367 µm is obtained under an applied 200 V to the piezoelectric actuator, which is consistent with the simulation result and meets the requirement of high displacement output. Thirdly, we build an integrated testing system. Mixed glycerol/ethanol is chosen as the experimental dispensing glue, and the experiment and analysis of a droplet diameter are conducted. A higher jetting frequency of 400 Hz and a smaller droplet diameter of 525 µm are achieved with the glycerol/ethanol mixture, and the characteristics of consistency and temperature influencing the droplet diameter are verified by experiments.

Research on the mechanics of underwater supersonic gas jets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shi, Honghui; Wang, Boyi; Dai, Zhenqing

2010-03-01

An experimental research was carried out to study the fluid mechanics of underwater supersonic gas jets. High pressure air was injected into a water tank through converging-diverging nozzles (Laval nozzles). The jets were operated at different conditions of over-, full- and under-expansions. The jet sequences were visualized using a CCD camera. It was found that the injection of supersonic air jets into water is always accompanied by strong flow oscillation, which is related to the phenomenon of shock waves feedback in the gas phase. The shock wave feedback is different from the acoustic feedback when a supersonic gas jet discharges into open air, which causes screech tone. It is a process that the shock waves enclosed in the gas pocket induce a periodic pressure with large amplitude variation in the gas jet. Consequently, the periodic pressure causes the jet oscillation including the large amplitude expansion. Detailed pressure measurements were also conducted to verify the shock wave feedback phenomenon. Three kinds of measuring methods were used, i.e., pressure probe submerged in water, pressure measurements from the side and front walls of the nozzle devices respectively. The results measured by these methods are in a good agreement. They show that every oscillation of the jets causes a sudden increase of pressure and the average frequency of the shock wave feedback is about 5-10 Hz.

WISE J233237.05-505643.5: A Double-Peaked Broad-Lined AGN with Spiral-Shaped Radio Morphology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tsai, Chao Wei; Jarrett, Thomas H.; Stern, Daniel; Emonts, Bjorn; Barrows, R. Scott; Assef, Roberto J.; Norris, Ray P.; Eisenhardt, Peter R. M.; Lonsdale, Carol; Blain, Andrew W.;

Backflows by active galactic nuclei jets: global properties and influence on supermassive black hole accretion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cielo, S.; Antonuccio-Delogu, V.; Silk, J.; Romeo, A. D.

2017-06-01

Jets from active galactic nuclei (AGN) inflate large cavities in the hot gas environment around galaxies and galaxy clusters. The large-scale gas circulation promoted within such cavities by the jet itself gives rise to backflows that propagate back to the centre of the jet-cocoon system, spanning all the physical scales relevant for the AGN. Using an adaptive mesh refinement code, we study these backflows through a series of numerical experiments, aiming at understanding how their global properties depend on jet parameters. We are able to characterize their mass flux down to a scale of a few kiloparsecs to about 0.5 M⊙ yr-1 for as long as 15 or 20 Myr, depending on jet power. We find that backflows are both spatially coherent and temporally intermittent, independently of jet power in the range 1043-1045 erg s-1. Using the mass flux thus measured, we model analytically the effect of backflows on the central accretion region, where a magnetically arrested disc lies at the centre of a thin circumnuclear disc. Backflow accretion on to the disc modifies its density profile, producing a flat core and tail. We use this analytic model to predict how accretion beyond the black hole magnetopause is modified, and thus how the jet power is temporally modulated. Under the assumption that the magnetic flux stays frozen in the accreting matter, and that the jets are always launched via the Blandford-Znajek mechanism, we find that backflows are capable of boosting the jet power up to tenfold during relatively short time episodes (a few Myr).

Is Black Hole Growth a Universal Process? Exploring Selection Effects in Measurements of AGN Accretion Rates and Host Galaxies.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jones, Mackenzie

2018-01-01

At the center of essentially every massive galaxy is a monstrous black hole producing luminous radiation driven by the accretion of gas. By observing these active galactic nuclei (AGN) we may trace the growth of black holes across cosmic time. However, our knowledge of the full underlying AGN population is hindered by complex observational biases. My research aims to untangle these biases by using a novel approach to simulate the impact of selection effects on multiwavelength observations.The most statistically powerful studies of AGN to date come from optical spectroscopic surveys, with some reporting a complex relationship between AGN accretion rates and host galaxy characteristics. However, the optical waveband can be strongly influenced by selection effects and dilution from host galaxy star formation. I have shown that accounting for selection effects, the Eddington ratio distribution for optically-selected AGN is consistent with a broad power-law, as seen in the X-rays (Jones et al. 2016). This suggests that a universal Eddington ratio distribution may be enough to describe the full multiwavelength AGN population.Building on these results, I have expanded a semi-numerical galaxy formation simulation to include this straightforward prescription for AGN accretion and explicitly model selection effects. I have found that a simple model for AGN accretion can broadly reproduce the host galaxies and halos of X-ray AGN, and that different AGN selection techniques yield samples with very different host galaxy properties (Jones et al. 2017). Finally, I will discuss the capabilities of this simulation to build synthetic multiwavelength SEDs in order to explore what AGN populations would be detected with the next generation of observatories. This research is supported by a NASA Jenkins Graduate Fellowship under grant no. NNX15AU32H.

Correlation analysis of radio properties and accretion-disk luminosity for low luminosity AGNs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Su, Renzhi; Liu, Xiang; Zhang, Zhen

2017-01-01

The correlation between the jet power and accretion disk luminosity is investigated and analyzed with our model for 7 samples of low luminosity active galactic nuclei (LLAGNs). The main results are: (1) the power-law correlation index (P_{jet} ∝ L_{disk} ^{μ}) typically ranges μ=0.4-0.7 for the LLAGN samples, and there is a hint of steep index for the LLAGN sample which hosted by a high fraction of elliptical galaxies, and there are no significant correlation between the μ and the LLAGN types (Seyfert, LINER); (2) for μ≈1, as noted in Liu et al., the accretion disk dominates the jet power and the black hole (BH) spin is not important, for the LLAGN samples studied in this paper we find that the μ is significantly less than unity, implying that BH spin may play a significant role in the jet power of LLAGNs; (3) the BH spin-jet power is negatively correlated with the BH mass in our model, which means a high spin-jet efficiency in the `low' BH-mass LLAGNs; (4) an anti-correlation between radio loudness and disk luminosity is found, which is apparently due to the flatter power-law index in the jet-disk correlation of the LLAGNs, and the radio loudness can be higher in the LLAGNs than in luminous AGNs/quasars when the BH spin-jet power is comparable to or dominate over the accretion-jet power in the LLAGNs. The high radio-core dominance of the LLAGNs is also discussed.

The Swift/BAT AGN Spectroscopic Survey. IX. The Clustering Environments of an Unbiased Sample of Local AGNs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Powell, M. C.; Cappelluti, N.; Urry, C. M.; Koss, M.; Finoguenov, A.; Ricci, C.; Trakhtenbrot, B.; Allevato, V.; Ajello, M.; Oh, K.; Schawinski, K.; Secrest, N.

2018-05-01

We characterize the environments of local accreting supermassive black holes by measuring the clustering of AGNs in the Swift/BAT Spectroscopic Survey (BASS). With 548 AGN in the redshift range 0.01 < z < 0.1 over the full sky from the DR1 catalog, BASS provides the largest, least biased sample of local AGNs to date due to its hard X-ray selection (14–195 keV) and rich multiwavelength/ancillary data. By measuring the projected cross-correlation function between the AGN and 2MASS galaxies, and interpreting it via halo occupation distribution and subhalo-based models, we constrain the occupation statistics of the full sample, as well as in bins of absorbing column density and black hole mass. We find that AGNs tend to reside in galaxy group environments, in agreement with previous studies of AGNs throughout a large range of luminosity and redshift, and that on average they occupy their dark matter halos similar to inactive galaxies of comparable stellar mass. We also find evidence that obscured AGNs tend to reside in denser environments than unobscured AGNs, even when samples were matched in luminosity, redshift, stellar mass, and Eddington ratio. We show that this can be explained either by significantly different halo occupation distributions or statistically different host halo assembly histories. Lastly, we see that massive black holes are slightly more likely to reside in central galaxies than black holes of smaller mass.

Enhanced electron yield from laser-driven wakefield acceleration in high-Z gas jets.

PubMed

Mirzaie, Mohammad; Hafz, Nasr A M; Li, Song; Liu, Feng; He, Fei; Cheng, Ya; Zhang, Jie

2015-10-01

An investigation of the electron beam yield (charge) form helium, nitrogen, and neon gas jet plasmas in a typical laser-plasma wakefield acceleration experiment is carried out. The charge measurement is made by imaging the electron beam intensity profile on a fluorescent screen into a charge coupled device which was cross-calibrated with an integrated current transformer. The dependence of electron beam charge on the laser and plasma conditions for the aforementioned gases are studied. We found that laser-driven wakefield acceleration in low Z-gas jet targets usually generates high-quality and well-collimated electron beams with modest yields at the level of 10-100 pC. On the other hand, filamentary electron beams which are observed from high-Z gases at higher densities reached much higher yields. Evidences for cluster formation were clearly observed in the nitrogen gas jet target, where we received the highest electron beam charge of ∼1.7 nC. Those intense electron beams will be beneficial for the applications on the generation of bright X-rays, gamma rays radiations, and energetic positrons via the bremsstrahlung or inverse-scattering processes.

BAT AGN Spectroscopic Survey. V. X-Ray Properties of the Swift/BAT 70-month AGN Catalog

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ricci, C.; Trakhtenbrot, B.; Koss, M. J.; Ueda, Y.; Del Vecchio, I.; Treister, E.; Schawinski, K.; Paltani, S.; Oh, K.; Lamperti, I.; Berney, S.; Gandhi, P.; Ichikawa, K.; Bauer, F. E.; Ho, L. C.; Asmus, D.; Beckmann, V.; Soldi, S.; Baloković, M.; Gehrels, N.; Markwardt, C. B.

2017-12-01

Hard X-ray (≥10 keV) observations of active galactic nuclei (AGNs) can shed light on some of the most obscured episodes of accretion onto supermassive black holes. The 70-month Swift/BAT all-sky survey, which probes the 14-195 keV energy range, has currently detected 838 AGNs. We report here on the broadband X-ray (0.3-150 keV) characteristics of these AGNs, obtained by combining XMM-Newton, Swift/XRT, ASCA, Chandra, and Suzaku observations in the soft X-ray band (≤slant 10 keV) with 70-month averaged Swift/BAT data. The nonblazar AGNs of our sample are almost equally divided into unobscured ({N}{{H}}< {10}22 {{cm}}-2) and obscured ({N}{{H}}≥slant {10}22 {{cm}}-2) AGNs, and their Swift/BAT continuum is systematically steeper than the 0.3-10 keV emission, which suggests that the presence of a high-energy cutoff is almost ubiquitous. We discuss the main X-ray spectral parameters obtained, such as the photon index, the reflection parameter, the energy of the cutoff, neutral and ionized absorbers, and the soft excess for both obscured and unobscured AGNs.

Studying AGN Activation in Galaxy Mergers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Negus, James; Blecha, Laura

2018-06-01

Simulations predict that galaxy mergers drive central gas inflows that result in a peak AGN fraction when the two galaxy bulges reach separations near 1 kpc. Moreover, observations have shown that the AGN fraction increases as the separation between two merging galaxies decreases from 100 kpc to 10 kpc; however, the trend has not yet been measured in the pivotal sub 10 kpc regime, where activity may drastically increase as the simulations suggest. We present a uniform sample of dual and offset AGN, which features AGN parameters (e.g., redshift, angular separation) and normalized cosmology-dependent parameters (e.g., physical separation, bolometric luminosity), using multi-wavelength observations (IR to X-ray) in this critical sub 10 kpc range. In addition, using galaxy merger simulations with GADGET-3, a smoothed particle hydrodynamics N-body code, we report how much time galaxy pairs spend at different separations during a merger. Using these results, we will discuss how galaxy bulge separation correlates to increases in the AGN fraction over varying timescales, and where AGN are primarily fueled during mergers with galaxy bulge separations < 10 kpc.

Jet-ISM Interaction in the Radio Galaxy 3C 293: Jet-driven Shocks Heat ISM to Power X-Ray and Molecular H2 Emission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lanz, L.; Ogle, P. M.; Evans, D.; Appleton, P. N.; Guillard, P.; Emonts, B.

2015-03-01

We present a 70 ks Chandra observation of the radio galaxy 3C 293. This galaxy belongs to the class of molecular hydrogen emission galaxies (MOHEGs) that have very luminous emission from warm molecular hydrogen. In radio galaxies, the molecular gas appears to be heated by jet-driven shocks, but exactly how this mechanism works is still poorly understood. With Chandra, we observe X-ray emission from the jets within the host galaxy and along the 100 kpc radio jets. We model the X-ray spectra of the nucleus, the inner jets, and the X-ray features along the extended radio jets. Both the nucleus and the inner jets show evidence of 107 K shock-heated gas. The kinetic power of the jets is more than sufficient to heat the X-ray emitting gas within the host galaxy. The thermal X-ray and warm H2 luminosities of 3C 293 are similar, indicating similar masses of X-ray hot gas and warm molecular gas. This is consistent with a picture where both derive from a multiphase, shocked interstellar medium (ISM). We find that radio-loud MOHEGs that are not brightest cluster galaxies (BCGs), like 3C 293, typically have LH2/LX˜ 1 and MH2/MX˜ 1, whereas MOHEGs that are BCGs have LH2/LX˜ 0.01 and MH2/MX˜ 0.01. The more massive, virialized, hot atmosphere in BCGs overwhelms any direct X-ray emission from current jet-ISM interaction. On the other hand, LH2/LX˜ 1 in the Spiderweb BCG at z = 2, which resides in an unvirialized protocluster and hosts a powerful radio source. Over time, jet-ISM interaction may contribute to the establishment of a hot atmosphere in BCGs and other massive elliptical galaxies.

The Lick AGN Monitoring Project 2016: Extending Reverberation Mapping to Higher Luminosity AGNs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

U, Vivian; LAMP2016 Collaboration

2017-01-01

The technique of reverberation mapping has been used to estimate virial black hole masses and, more fundamentally, to probe the broad line region structure in Seyfert I galaxies. Efforts from the previous Lick AGN Monitoring Project (LAMP) campaigns and other studies to date have culminated in a large sample of reverberation mapped AGNs and measurements of their black hole masses, which in turn enabled major improvement to various AGN scaling relations. However, the high-luminosity end of such relations remains poorly constrained; this is because of observational challenges presented by the weaker continuum flux variations and longer time dilation in these sources. To this end, we have initiated a new LAMP2016 campaign to target AGNs with luminosities of 10^44 erg/s, with predicted H-beta lags of ~20 - 60 days or black hole masses of 10^7 - 10^8.5 Msun. Designed to monitor ~20 AGNs biweekly from Spring 2016 through Winter 2017 with the Kast spectrograph on the 3-m Shane Telescope at Lick Observatory, we aim to probe luminosity-dependent trends in broad line region structure and dynamics, improve calibrations for single-epoch estimates of high-redshift quasar black hole masses, and test photoionization models for the radially-stratified structure of the broad line region. In this talk, I will present the overview and scope of LAMP2016 and show preliminary results from our ongoing campaign.

X-Ray Scattering Echoes and Ghost Halos from the Intergalactic Medium: Relation to the Nature of AGN Variability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Corrales, Lia

2015-05-01

X-ray bright quasars might be used to trace dust in the circumgalactic and intergalactic medium through the phenomenon of X-ray scattering, which is observed around Galactic objects whose light passes through a sufficient column of interstellar gas and dust. Of particular interest is the abundance of gray dust larger than 0.1 μ m, which is difficult to detect at other wavelengths. To calculate X-ray scattering from large grains, one must abandon the traditional Rayleigh-Gans approximation. The Mie solution for the X-ray scattering optical depth of the universe is ∼ 1%. This presents a great difficulty for distinguishing dust scattered photons from the point source image of Chandra, which is currently unsurpassed in imaging resolution. The variable nature of AGNs offers a solution to this problem, as scattered light takes a longer path and thus experiences a time delay with respect to non-scattered light. If an AGN dims significantly (≳ 3 dex) due to a major feedback event, the Chandra point source image will be suppressed relative to the scattering halo, and an X-ray echo or ghost halo may become visible. I estimate the total number of scattering echoes visible by Chandra over the entire sky: {{N}ech}∼ {{10}3}({{ν }fb}/y{{r}-1}), where {{ν }fb} is the characteristic frequency of feedback events capable of dimming an AGN quickly.

The environmental properties of radio-emitting AGN

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Magliocchetti, M.; Popesso, P.; Brusa, M.; Salvato, M.

2018-05-01

We study the environmental properties of z≲ 1.2 radio-selected AGN belonging to the ˜2 deg2 of the COSMOS field, finding that about 20% of them appear within overdense structures. AGN with P_{1.4 GHz}>10^{23.5} W Hz^{-1} sr^{-1} are twice more likely to be found in clusters with respect to fainter sources (˜38% vs ˜15%), just as radio-selected AGN with stellar masses M* > 1011M⊙ are twice more likely to be found in overdense environments with respect to objects of lower mass (˜24% vs ˜11%). Comparisons with galaxy samples further suggest that radio-selected AGN of large stellar mass tend to avoid underdense environments more than normal galaxies with the same stellar content. Stellar masses also seem to determine the location of radio-active AGN within clusters: ˜100% of the sources found as satellite galaxies have M* < 1011.3M⊙, while ˜100% of the AGN coinciding with a cluster central galaxy have M* > 1011M⊙. No different location within the cluster is instead observed for AGN of various radio luminosities. Radio AGN which also emit in the MIR show a marked preference to be found as isolated galaxies (˜70%) at variance with those also active in the X-ray which all seem to reside within overdensities. What emerges from our work is a scenario whereby physical processes on sub-pc and kpc scales (e.g. emission respectively related to the AGN and to star formation) are strongly interconnected with the large-scale environment of the AGN itself.

Deep ALMA photometry of distant X-ray AGN: improvements in star formation rate constraints, and AGN identification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stanley, F.; Harrison, C. M.; Alexander, D. M.; Simpson, J.; Knudsen, K. K.; Mullaney, J. R.; Rosario, D. J.; Scholtz, J.

2018-05-01

We present the star formation rates (SFRs) of a sample of 109 galaxies with X-ray selected active galactic nuclei (AGN) with moderate to high X-ray luminosities (\\mathrel {L_2-8{keV}}= 10^{42} - 10^{45} \\mathrel {erg {} s^{-1}}), at redshifts 1 < z < 4.7, that were selected to be faint or undetected in the Herschel bands. We combine our deep ALMA continuum observations with deblended 8-500\\mathrel {μ m} photometry from Spitzer and Herschel, and use infrared (IR) SED fitting and AGN - star formation decomposition methods. The addition of the ALMA photometry results in an order of magnitude more X-ray AGN in our sample with a measured SFR (now 37 per cent). The remaining 63 per cent of the sources have SFR upper limits that are typically a factor of 2-10 times lower than the pre-ALMA constraints. With the improved constraints on the IR SEDs, we can now identify a mid-IR (MIR) AGN component in 50 per cent of our sample, compared to only ˜1 per cent previously. We further explore the F_{870\\mathrel {μ m}}/F_{24\\mathrel {μ m}}-redshift plane as a tool for the identification of MIR emitting AGN, for three different samples representing AGN dominated, star formation dominated, and composite sources. We demonstrate that the F_{870\\mathrel {μ m}}/F_{24\\mathrel {μ m}}-redshift plane can successfully split between AGN and star formation dominated sources, and can be used as an AGN identification method.

Unveiling the X-ray/UV properties of AGN winds using Broad and mini-Broad Absorption Line Quasars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Giustini, M.

2015-07-01

BAL/mini-BALs are observed in the UV spectra of ˜ 20-30% of optically selected AGN as broad absorption troughs blueshifted by several thousands km/s, indicative of powerful nuclear winds. They could be representative of the average AGN if their winds cover only 20-30% of the continuum source, and/or represent an evolutionary state analogous to the high-soft state of BHB, when the jet emission is quenched and strong X-ray absorbing equatorial disk winds are virtually ubiquitous. High-quality, possibly time-resolved X-ray/UV studies are crucial to assess the global amount and 'character' of absorption in BAL/mini-BAL QSOs and to constrain the physical mechanism responsible for the launch and acceleration of their winds, therefore placing them in the broader context of AGN geometry and evolution. I will review here the known X-ray properties of BAL/mini-BAL QSOs, and present new results from a comprehensive X-ray spectral analysis of all the Palomar-Green BAL/mini-BAL QSOs with available XMM-Newton observations, for a total of 51 pointings of 14 different sources. These will include the most recent results from a high-quality simultaneous XMM/HST observational campaign on the mini-BAL QSO PG 1126-041, that unveiled with stunning details the X-ray/UV connection in action in an AGN disk wind through correlated X-ray/UV absorption variability.

Blowin' in the wind: both `negative' and `positive' feedback in an outflowing quasar at z~1.6

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cresci, Giovanni

2015-02-01

Quasar feedback in the form of powerful outflows is invoked as a key mechanism to quench star formation, preventing massive galaxies to over-grow and producing the red colors of ellipticals. On the other hand, some models are also requiring `positive' AGN feedback, inducing star formation in the host galaxy through enhanced gas pressure in the interstellar medium. However, finding observational evidence of the effects of both types of feedback is still one of the main challenges of extragalactic astronomy, as few observations of energetic and extended radiatively-driven winds are available. We present SINFONI near infrared integral field spectroscopy of XID2028, an obscured, radio-quiet z=1.59 QSO, in which we clearly resolve a fast (1500 km/s) and extended (up to 13 kpc from the black hole) outflow in the [OIII] lines emitting gas, whose large velocity and outflow rate are not sustainable by star formation only. The narrow component of Hα emission and the rest frame U band flux show that the outflow position lies in the center of an empty cavity surrounded by star forming regions on its edge. The outflow is therefore removing the gas from the host galaxy (`negative feedback'), but also triggering star formation by outflow induced pressure at the edges (`positive feedback'). XID2028 represents the first example of a host galaxy showing both types of feedback simultaneously at work.

The jet-ISM interactions in IC 5063

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mukherjee, Dipanjan; Wagner, Alexander Y.; Bicknell, Geoffrey V.; Morganti, Raffaella; Oosterloo, Tom; Nesvadba, Nicole; Sutherland, Ralph S.

2018-05-01

The interstellar medium of the radio galaxy IC 5063 is highly perturbed by an AGN jet expanding in the gaseous disc of the galaxy. We model this interaction with relativistic hydrodynamic simulations and multiphase initial conditions for the interstellar medium and compare the results with recent observations. As the jets flood through the intercloud channels of the disc, they ablate, accelerate, and disperse clouds to velocities exceeding 400 km s-1. Clouds are also destroyed or displaced in bulk from the central regions of the galaxy. Our models with jet powers of 1044 and 1045 erg s-1 are capable of reproducing many of the observed features in the position velocity diagram of IC 5063, and confirm the notion that the jet is responsible for the strongly perturbed gas dynamics seen in the ionized, neutral, and molecular gas phases. In our simulations, we also see strong venting of the jet plasma perpendicular to the disc, which entrains clumps and diffuse filaments into the halo of the galaxy. Our simulations are the first 3D hydrodynamic simulations of the jet and interstellar matter of IC 5063.

New Insights into AGN Mass Outflows: Detailed Study of the Spectral Properties of NGC 4151

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Denes Couto, Jullianna

2017-08-01

Active Galactic Nuclei (AGNs) exist in a few percent of all massive galaxies. It is believed that AGNs are powered by accretion of matter onto a supermassive black hole (SMBH), generating in the process huge amounts of radiation that span the entire electromagnetic spectrum. In turn, this also triggers the so-called AGN Feedback phenomenon, by inducing the formation of accretion disk winds (or outflows) that accelerate highly ionized gas outwards and affect the intergalactic medium of the host galaxy, reducing star formation rates and preventing bulge growth. It has been suggested that a dominant component of mass outflows is observable in the X-rays, and there are a limited number of detailed studies of single objects for which the relation between outflows and power of the central engine can be determined directly. The Seyfert 1.5 galaxy NGC 4151 is a great study candidate, given its proximity (14.077 Mpc, z = 0.0033), X-ray brightness and orientation. Over the past decades, it has been the target of many single and multiwavelength observations, and its heavily absorbed X-ray spectrum and complex absorption features have been extensively stud- ied and characterized. I have investigated the relationship between the long term X-ray spectral variability in and its intrinsic absorption, by comparing our 2014 simultaneous ultraviolet/X-Ray observations taken with Hubble Space Telescope Imaging Spectrometer (STIS) Echelle and Chandra High Energy Transmission Grating Spectrometer (HETGS) with archival observations from Chandra, XMM-Newton and Suzaku. The observations were divided into "high" and "low" flux states, with the low states showing strong and unabsorbed extended emission at energies below 2 keV. The X-ray model consists of a broken powerlaw, neutral reflection and two dominant absorption components, a high and a low ionization component, which are present in all epochs. The model fittings suggest that the absorbers are very stable, with the principal changes

Numerical Simulation of the Generation of Axisymmetric Mode Jet Screech Tones

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shen, Hao; Tam, Christopher K. W.

1998-01-01

An imperfectly expanded supersonic jet, invariably, radiates both broadband noise and discrete frequency sound called screech tones. Screech tones are known to be generated by a feedback loop driven by the large scale instability waves of the jet flow. Inside the jet plume is a quasi-periodic shock cell structure. The interaction of the instability waves and the shock cell structure, as the former propagates through the latter, is responsible for the generation of the tones. Presently, there are formulas that can predict the tone frequency fairly accurately. However, there is no known way to predict the screech tone intensity. In this work, the screech phenomenon of an axisymmetric jet at low supersonic Mach number is reproduced by numerical simulation. The computed mean velocity profiles and the shock cell pressure distribution of the jet are found to be in good agreement with experimental measurements. The same is true with the simulated screech frequency. Calculated screech tone intensity and directivity at selected jet Mach number are reported in this paper. The present results demonstrate that numerical simulation using computational aeroacoustics methods offers not only a reliable way to determine the screech tone intensity and directivity but also an opportunity to study the physics and detailed mechanisms of the phenomenon by an entirely new approach.

RAiSE III: 3C radio AGN energetics and composition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Turner, Ross J.; Shabala, Stanislav S.; Krause, Martin G. H.

2018-03-01

Kinetic jet power estimates based exclusively on observed monochromatic radio luminosities are highly uncertain due to confounding variables and a lack of knowledge about some aspects of the physics of active galactic nuclei (AGNs). We propose a new methodology to calculate the jet powers of the largest, most powerful radio sources based on combinations of their size, lobe luminosity, and shape of their radio spectrum; this approach avoids the uncertainties encountered by previous relationships. The outputs of our model are calibrated using hydrodynamical simulations and tested against independent X-ray inverse-Compton measurements. The jet powers and lobe magnetic field strengths of radio sources are found to be recovered using solely the lobe luminosity and spectral curvature, enabling the intrinsic properties of unresolved high-redshift sources to be inferred. By contrast, the radio source ages cannot be estimated without knowledge of the lobe volumes. The monochromatic lobe luminosity alone is incapable of accurately estimating the jet power or source age without knowledge of the lobe magnetic field strength and size, respectively. We find that, on average, the lobes of the Third Cambridge Catalogue of Radio Sources (3C) have magnetic field strengths approximately a factor three lower than the equipartition value, inconsistent with equal energy in the particles and the fields at the 5σ level. The particle content of 3C radio lobes is discussed in the context of complementary observations; we do not find evidence favouring an energetically dominant proton population.

Characteristics of a Direct Current-driven plasma jet operated in open air

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Xuechen; Di, Cong; Jia, Pengying; Bao, Wenting

2013-09-01

A DC-driven plasma jet has been developed to generate a diffuse plasma plume by blowing argon into the ambient air. The plasma plume, showing a cup shape with a diameter of several centimeters at a higher voltage, is a pulsed discharge despite a DC voltage is applied. The pulse frequency is investigated as a function of the voltage under different gap widths and gas flow rates. Results show that plasma bullets propagate from the hollow needle to the plate electrode by spatially resolved measurement. A supposition about non-electroneutral trail of the streamer is proposed to interpret these experimental phenomena.

The Prevalence of Ionized Gas Outflow Signatures in SDSS-IV MaNGA Active Galactic Nuclei

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Flores, Anthony M.; Wylezalek, Dominika; Zakamska, Nadia

2018-01-01

Actively accreting supermassive black holes (AGN) can have a variety of effects on their host galaxies, from generating large regions of hot, photoionized gas, to driving AGN feedback in the form of galaxy wide outflows that may affect the evolution of the galaxy over time by quenching their star formation and by thus setting limits to the total mass of their host galaxy. The focus of this work is to assess the prevalence of AGN-driven outflows in low-redshift AGN of moderate power using IFU observations of 2778 galaxies available through SDSS-IV MaNGA.SDSS-IV MaNGA is an optical spectroscopic IFU survey which will have obtained spatially resolved spectroscopic observations of ~10,000 galaxies at z ≤ 0.1 and with stellar masses >10^9 solar masses over the next three years, allowing us to describe the kinematic properties of a large galaxy sample across different spatial regions.We have re-mapped the kinematics of the [O III] emission line to account for asymmetries and secondary kinematic components in the emission line brought on by potential AGN-driven outflows. Using all galaxies currently in the MaNGA survey, we implement a new fitting procedure to help determine the prevalence of these secondary components. Specifically, we use the non-parametric W80 value as a proxy for velocity dispersion, which we expect to be affected especially in the case of asymmetries and broadening of the emission lines. Separating these galaxies into two samples of independently identified AGN candidates and non-AGN, I will show that broad secondary components are twice as common in MaNGA-selected AGN compared to galaxies in MaNGA not classified as AGN. Moreover, when the underlying distribution of W80 values are compared between samples, I will show that the differences in these distributions are statistically significant. This demonstrates that large IFU survey like SDSS-IV MaNGA will uncover many previously unknown AGN and AGN feedback signatures. Outflows and feedback from low

Probing AGN Structure on Microarcsecond Scales: The Space Telescope and Optical Reverberation Mapping Program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

De Rosa, Gisella

2015-08-01

The unknown dynamics of the broad line region (BLR) gas represents a serious gap in our understanding of active galactic nuclei (AGNs) and, consequently, of the black-hole/host-galaxy co-evolution. By using time resolution as a substitute for spatial resolution, reverberation mapping (RM) is the only technique that allows us to infer both the geometry and the kinematics of the BLR gas, shading light on the BLR role on accretion/feedback processes. In 2014, the AGN STORM team used HST/COS for a RM program for which we obtained 170 UV spectra of the Seyfert 1 galaxy NGC 5548 at a near daily cadence. These data and contemporaneous observations with Swift and ground-based telescopes make this the most intensive RM program ever undertaken. I will report first results of this unique RM experiment.

ALMA 0.1-0.2 arcsec Resolution Imaging of the NGC 1068 Nucleus: Compact Dense Molecular Gas Emission at the Putative AGN Location

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Imanishi, Masatoshi; Nakanishi, Kouichiro; Izumi, Takuma

2016-05-01

We present the results of our ALMA Cycle 2 high angular resolution (0.″1-0.″2) observations of the nuclear region of the nearby well-studied type-2 active galactic nucleus (AGN), NGC 1068, at HCN J = 3-2 and HCO+ J = 3-2 emission lines. For the first time, due to a higher angular resolution than previous studies, we clearly detected dense molecular gas emission at the putative AGN location, identified as a ˜1.1 mm (˜266 GHz) continuum emission peak, by separating this emission from brighter emission located at 0.″5-2.″0 on the eastern and western sides of the AGN. The estimated intrinsic molecular emission size and dense molecular mass, which are thought to be associated with the putative dusty molecular torus around an AGN, were ˜10 pc and ˜several × 105 M ⊙, respectively. HCN-to-HCO+ J = 3-2 flux ratios substantially higher than unity were found throughout the nuclear region of NGC 1068. The continuum emission displayed an elongated morphology along the direction of the radio jet located at the northern side of the AGN, as well as a weak spatially-resolved component at ˜2.″0 on the southwestern side of the AGN. The latter component most likely originated from star formation, with the estimated luminosity more than one order of magnitude lower than the luminosity of the central AGN. No vibrationally excited (v 2 = 1f) J = 3-2 emission lines were detected for HCN and HCO+ across the field of view.

The SWIFT AGN and Cluster Survey. I. Number Counts of AGNs and Galaxy Clusters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dai, Xinyu; Griffin, Rhiannon D.; Kochanek, Christopher S.; Nugent, Jenna M.; Bregman, Joel N.

2015-05-01

The Swift active galactic nucleus (AGN) and Cluster Survey (SACS) uses 125 deg2 of Swift X-ray Telescope serendipitous fields with variable depths surrounding γ-ray bursts to provide a medium depth (4× {{10}-15} erg cm-2 s-1) and area survey filling the gap between deep, narrow Chandra/XMM-Newton surveys and wide, shallow ROSAT surveys. Here, we present a catalog of 22,563 point sources and 442 extended sources and examine the number counts of the AGN and galaxy cluster populations. SACS provides excellent constraints on the AGN number counts at the bright end with negligible uncertainties due to cosmic variance, and these constraints are consistent with previous measurements. We use Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer mid-infrared (MIR) colors to classify the sources. For AGNs we can roughly separate the point sources into MIR-red and MIR-blue AGNs, finding roughly equal numbers of each type in the soft X-ray band (0.5-2 keV), but fewer MIR-blue sources in the hard X-ray band (2-8 keV). The cluster number counts, with 5% uncertainties from cosmic variance, are also consistent with previous surveys but span a much larger continuous flux range. Deep optical or IR follow-up observations of this cluster sample will significantly increase the number of higher-redshift (z\\gt 0.5) X-ray-selected clusters.

Physical Origins of Gas Motions in Galaxy Cluster Cores: Interpreting Hitomi Observations of the Perseus Cluster

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lau, Erwin T.; Gaspari, Massimo; Nagai, Daisuke; Coppi, Paolo

2017-11-01

The Hitomi X-ray satellite has provided the first direct measurements of the plasma velocity dispersion in a galaxy cluster. It finds a relatively “quiescent” gas with a line-of-sight velocity dispersion {σ }v,{los}≃ 160 {km} {{{s}}}-1, at 30-60 kpc from the cluster center. This is surprising given the presence of jets and X-ray cavities that indicates on-going activity and feedback from the active galactic nucleus (AGN) at the cluster center. Using a set of mock Hitomi observations generated from a suite of state-of-the-art cosmological cluster simulations, and an isolated but higher resolution simulation of gas physics in the cluster core, including the effects of cooling and AGN feedback, we examine the likelihood of Hitomi detecting a cluster with the observed velocities. As long as the Perseus has not experienced a major merger in the last few gigayears, and AGN feedback is operating in a “‘gentle” mode, we reproduce the level of gas motions observed by Hitomi. The frequent mechanical AGN feedback generates net line-of-sight velocity dispersions ˜ 100{--}200 {km} {{{s}}}-1, bracketing the values measured in the Perseus core. The large-scale velocity shear observed across the core, on the other hand, is generated mainly by cosmic accretion such as mergers. We discuss the implications of these results for AGN feedback physics and cluster cosmology and progress that needs to be made in both simulations and observations, including a Hitomi re-flight and calorimeter-based instruments with higher spatial resolution.

The Study on the Physical Properties of Blazar Jets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kang, S. J.

2017-09-01

Active galactic nuclei (AGNs) belong to a special class of active galaxies, and have violent active phenomena and intense physical processes in the nuclei. Blazar is a subclass of AGNs, and has a relativistic jet with a small jet viewing angle. Therefore, the boosting effect is very important, and almost all the observed radiation is dominated by the jet. The relativistic jet physics is not very clear yet, such as the jet formation, collimation, and matter content etc. The multi-waveband radiation of blazar is dominated by jet, which provides an ideal laboratory for studying the jet physics. The first chapter of this thesis introduces the recent progress of AGNs and blazars. We further introduce the jet model that commonly used in blazars in the second chapter. In the third chapter, we fit simultaneously (or quasi-simultaneously) the multi-waveband spectral energy distributions (SEDs) for a sample of low-synchrotron-peaked (LSP) blazars with the jet model and χ2 procedure, which takes into account different soft photon fields (broad line region or a molecular torus). We find that the SED fitting with an external soft photon from IR torus is systematically better than that from the broad line region (BLR) based on a χ2 test, which suggests that the γ-ray emitting region most possibly stays outside the BLR. The minimum electron Lorentz factor, γmin, is constrained from the modeling of these LSP blazars with good soft X-ray data, and in a range from 5 to 160 (with a median value of 55), which plays a key role in jet power estimation. Assuming one-to-one ratio of proton and electron, we find that the jet power for LSP blazars is systematically higher than that of Fanaroff-Riley type II (FR II) radio galaxies. A possible reason for this is that there are some positrons in the jets of these blazars. If this is the case, the jet power will be reduced. Therefore, we propose a mixed composition of e±-p in the jets of these LSP blazars. If we assume that the jet power

Enhancement of AGN Activity in Distant Galaxy Clusters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krishnan, Charutha; Hatch, Nina; Almaini, Omar

2017-07-01

I present our recent study of the prevalence of X-ray AGN in the high-redshift protocluster Cl 0218.3-0510 at z=1.62, and review the implications for our understanding of galaxy evolution. There has long been a consensus that X-ray AGN avoid clusters in the local universe, particularly their cores. The high-redshift universe appears to not follow these trends, as there is a reversal in the local anti-correlation between galaxy density and AGN activity. In this z=1.62 protocluster, we find a large overdensity of AGN by a factor of 23, and an enhancement in the AGN fraction among massive galaxies relative to the field by a factor of 2. I will discuss the comparison of the properties of AGN in the protocluster to the field, and explain how our results point towards similar triggering mechanisms in the two environments. I will also describe how our study of the morphologies of these galaxies provide tentative evidence towards galaxy mergers and interactions being responsible for triggering AGN, and explain the reversal of the local anti-correlation between galaxy density and AGN activity.

The AGN-Star Formation Connection: Future Prospects with JWST

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kirkpatrick, Allison; Alberts, Stacey; Pope, Alexandra; Barro, Guillermo; Bonato, Matteo; Kocevski, Dale D.; Pérez-González, Pablo; Rieke, George H.; Rodríguez-Muñoz, Lucia; Sajina, Anna; Grogin, Norman A.; Mantha, Kameswara Bharadwaj; Pandya, Viraj; Pforr, Janine; Salvato, Mara; Santini, Paola

2017-11-01

The bulk of the stellar growth over cosmic time is dominated by IR-luminous galaxies at cosmic noon (z=1{--}2), many of which harbor a hidden active galactic nucleus (AGN). We use state-of-the-art infrared color diagnostics, combining Spitzer and Herschel observations, to separate dust-obscured AGNs from dusty star-forming galaxies (SFGs) in the CANDELS and COSMOS surveys. We calculate 24 μm counts of SFGs, AGN/star-forming “Composites,” and AGNs. AGNs and Composites dominate the counts above 0.8 mJy at 24 μm, and Composites form at least 25% of an IR sample even to faint detection limits. We develop methods to use the Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) on JWST to identify dust-obscured AGNs and Composite galaxies from z˜ 1{--}2. With the sensitivity and spacing of MIRI filters, we will detect >4 times as many AGN hosts as with Spitzer/IRAC criteria. Any star formation rates based on the 7.7 μm PAH feature (likely to be applied to MIRI photometry) must be corrected for the contribution of the AGN, or the star formation rate will be overestimated by ˜35% for cases where the AGN provides half the IR luminosity and ˜50% when the AGN accounts for 90% of the luminosity. Finally, we demonstrate that our MIRI color technique can select AGNs with an Eddington ratio of {λ }{Edd}˜ 0.01 and will identify AGN hosts with a higher specific star formation rate than X-ray techniques alone. JWST/MIRI will enable critical steps forward in identifying and understanding dust-obscured AGNs and the link to their host galaxies.

A Three Parsec-Scale Jet-Driven Outflow from Sgr A

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yusef-Zadeh, F.; Arendt, R.; Bushouse, H.; Cotton, W.; Haggard, D.; Pound, M. W.; Roberts, D. A.; Royster, M.; Wardle, M.

2012-01-01

The compact radio source Sgr A* is coincident with a 4x 10(exp 6) solar Mass black hole at the dynamical center of the Galaxy and is surrounded by dense orbiting ionized and molecular gas. We present high resolution radio continuum images of the central 3' and report a faint continuous linear structure centered on Sgr A*. This feature is rotated by 28 deg in PA with respect to the Galactic plane. A number of weak blobs of radio emission with X-ray counterparts are detected along the axis of the linear structure. In addition, the continuous linear feature appears to be terminated symmetrically by two linearly polarized structures at 8.4 GHz, approx 75" from Sgr A*. The linear structure is best characterized by a mildly relativistic jet-driven outflow from Sgr A*, and an outflow rate 10(exp 6) solar M / yr. The near and far-sides of the jet are interacting with orbiting ionized and molecular gas over the last 1-3 hundred years and are responsible for the origin of a 2" hole, the "minicavity", where disturbed kinematics, enhanced FeII/III line emission, and diffuse X-ray gas have been detected. The estimated kinetic luminosity of the outflow is approx 1.2 X 10(exp 41) erg/s which can produce the Galactic center X-ray flash that has recently been identified

Magnetization of AGN jets as imposed by leptonic models of luminous blazars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Janiak, Mateusz; Sikora, Marek; Moderski, Rafal

2015-03-01

Recent measurements of frequency-dependent shift of radio-core locations indicate that the ratio of the magnetic to kinetic energy flux (the σ parameter) is of the order of unity. These results are consistent with predictions of magnetically-arrested-disk (MAD) models of a jet formation, but contradict the predictions of leptonic models of γ-ray production in luminous blazars. We demonstrate this discrepancy by computing the γ-ray-to-synchrotron luminosity ratio (the q parameter) as a function of a distance from the black hole for different values of σ and using both spherical and planar models for broad-line region and dusty torus. We find that it is impossible to reproduce observed q >> 1 for jets with σ >= 1. This may indicate that blazar radiation is produced in reconnection layers or in spines of magnetically stratified jets.

The Effects of Accretion Disk Geometry on AGN Reflection Spectra

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taylor, Corbin James; Reynolds, Christopher S.

2017-08-01

Despite being the gravitational engines that power galactic-scale winds and mega parsec-scale jets in active galaxies, black holes are remarkably simple objects, typically being fully described by their angular momenta (spin) and masses. The modelling of AGN X-ray reflection spectra has proven fruitful in estimating the spin of AGN, as well as giving insight into their accretion histories and the properties of plasmas in the strong gravity regime. However, current models make simplifying assumptions about the geometry of the reflecting material in the accretion disk and the irradiating X-ray corona, approximating the disk as an optically thick, infinitely thin disk of material in the orbital plane. We present results from the new relativistic raytracing suite, Fenrir, that explore the effects that disk thickness may have on the reflection spectrum and the accompanying reverberation signatures. Approximating the accretion disk as an optically thick, geometrically thin, radiation pressure dominated disk (Shakura & Sunyaev 1973), one finds that the disk geometry is non-negligible in many cases, with significant changes in the broad Fe K line profile. Finally, we explore the systematic errors inherent in approximating the disk as being infinitely thin when modeling reflection spectrum, potentially biasing determinations of black hole and corona properties.

Examining an AGN Luminosity – SFR relation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stemo, Aaron; Comerford, Julia M.; Barrows, Robert Scott

2018-06-01

The relation between the star formation rate (SFR) of a galaxy and the accretion rate of its supermassive black hole is not well understood. Some observations show that active galactic nuclei (AGN) activity and SFR are correlated while other observations show no relation between the two. In this work we present a large, uniformly-selected catalog of HST galaxies that host AGN. Using available multiwavelength photometric data, we are able to determine AGN bolometric luminosity, host galaxy SFR, host galaxy stellar mass, and redshift for our sample. Using this catalog, we are able to compare AGN bolometric luminosity and SFR, while controlling for redshift and stellar mass. These comparisons will be used to make a statistically significant statement on the correlation between AGN activity and a host galaxy’s SFR.

AGN contamination in total infrared determined star formation rates in dusty galaxies at z~2-3

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mazzei, Renato; Sharon, Chelsea E.; Riechers, Dominik

2017-01-01

Along with theoretical work that suggests feedback from active galactic nuclei (AGN) may quench star formation in massive galaxies, the temporal coincidence between the peak of cosmic star formation rates and black hole accretion rates suggests that AGN are common in star forming galaxies at z~2-3. Since star forming galaxies at these epochs are also very dusty, it is important that we correct galaxies’ long-wavelength properties for the presence of dust-obscured AGN in order to accurately capture their star formation rates and gas characteristics. We present a spectral energy distribution (SED) analysis of several un-lensed z~2-3 dusty star-forming galaxies from Pope et al. (2008) and Coppin et al. (2010), which we compare to several other high-z starbursts with well sampled SEDs. We constructed dust SEDs from existing Spitzer, Herschel, and SCUBA-2 photometry catalogues with data between 3.6 and 850 μm. For the SED fits, we used the Code Investigating GALaxy Emission (CIGALE), since it self-consistently determines the dust attenuation of stars and dust emission in the infrared in addition to determining the dust emission from obscured AGN (Noll et al. 2009; Serra et al. 2011). Our best-fit SEDs have typical reduced χ2 values between 0.2 and ~3. We use the output from CIGALE to determine the fraction of the total infrared luminosity (LTIR 8-1000 um) from star formation and from any potential obscured AGN. In order to examine the effects of buried AGN on the integrated Schmidt-Kennicutt relation (log(LTIR) vs. log(L'CO)), we compare our new LTIR to recently obtained CO(1-0) line luminosities from the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array. Unaccounted for dust emission from AGN can artificially inflate the star formation rate inferred from LTIR, and may therefore offset starburst galaxies from the local Schmidt-Kennicutt relation and increase the slope of the relation, which can affect the inferred drivers of star formation.

MOJAVE: Monitoring of Jets in Active Galactic Nuclei with VLBA Experiments. VIII. Faraday Rotation in Parsec-scale AGN Jets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hovatta, Talvikki; Lister, Matthew L.; Aller, Margo F.; Aller, Hugh D.; Homan, Daniel C.; Kovalev, Yuri Y.; Pushkarev, Alexander B.; Savolainen, Tuomas

2012-10-01

We report observations of Faraday rotation measures for a sample of 191 extragalactic radio jets observed within the MOJAVE program. Multifrequency Very Long Baseline Array observations were carried out over 12 epochs in 2006 at four frequencies between 8 and 15 GHz. We detect parsec-scale Faraday rotation measures in 149 sources and find the quasars to have larger rotation measures on average than BL Lac objects. The median core rotation measures are significantly higher than in the jet components. This is especially true for quasars where we detect a significant negative correlation between the magnitude of the rotation measure and the de-projected distance from the core. We perform detailed simulations of the observational errors of total intensity, polarization, and Faraday rotation, and concentrate on the errors of transverse Faraday rotation measure gradients in unresolved jets. Our simulations show that the finite image restoring beam size has a significant effect on the observed rotation measure gradients, and spurious gradients can occur due to noise in the data if the jet is less than two beams wide in polarization. We detect significant transverse rotation measure gradients in four sources (0923+392, 1226+023, 2230+114, and 2251+158). In 1226+023 the rotation measure is for the first time seen to change sign from positive to negative over the transverse cuts, which supports the presence of a helical magnetic field in the jet. In this source we also detect variations in the jet rotation measure over a timescale of three months, which are difficult to explain with external Faraday screens and suggest internal Faraday rotation. By comparing fractional polarization changes in jet components between the four frequency bands to depolarization models, we find that an external purely random Faraday screen viewed through only a few lines of sight can explain most of our polarization observations, but in some sources, such as 1226+023 and 2251+158, internal

MOJAVE: MONITORING OF JETS IN ACTIVE GALACTIC NUCLEI WITH VLBA EXPERIMENTS. VIII. FARADAY ROTATION IN PARSEC-SCALE AGN JETS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hovatta, Talvikki; Lister, Matthew L.; Aller, Margo F.

2012-10-01

We report observations of Faraday rotation measures for a sample of 191 extragalactic radio jets observed within the MOJAVE program. Multifrequency Very Long Baseline Array observations were carried out over 12 epochs in 2006 at four frequencies between 8 and 15 GHz. We detect parsec-scale Faraday rotation measures in 149 sources and find the quasars to have larger rotation measures on average than BL Lac objects. The median core rotation measures are significantly higher than in the jet components. This is especially true for quasars where we detect a significant negative correlation between the magnitude of the rotation measure andmore » the de-projected distance from the core. We perform detailed simulations of the observational errors of total intensity, polarization, and Faraday rotation, and concentrate on the errors of transverse Faraday rotation measure gradients in unresolved jets. Our simulations show that the finite image restoring beam size has a significant effect on the observed rotation measure gradients, and spurious gradients can occur due to noise in the data if the jet is less than two beams wide in polarization. We detect significant transverse rotation measure gradients in four sources (0923+392, 1226+023, 2230+114, and 2251+158). In 1226+023 the rotation measure is for the first time seen to change sign from positive to negative over the transverse cuts, which supports the presence of a helical magnetic field in the jet. In this source we also detect variations in the jet rotation measure over a timescale of three months, which are difficult to explain with external Faraday screens and suggest internal Faraday rotation. By comparing fractional polarization changes in jet components between the four frequency bands to depolarization models, we find that an external purely random Faraday screen viewed through only a few lines of sight can explain most of our polarization observations, but in some sources, such as 1226+023 and 2251

Mini Survey of SDSS [OIII] AGN with Swift: Testing the Hypothesis that L(sub [OIII]) Traces AGN Luminosity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2007-01-01

The number of AGN and their luminosity distribution are crucial parameters for our understanding of the AGN phenomenon. Recent work strongly suggests every massive galaxy has a central black hole. However most of these objects either are not radiating or have been very difficult to detect We are now in the era of large surveys, and the luminosity function (LF] of AGN has been estimated in various ways. In the X-ray band. Chandra and XMM surveys have revealed that the LF of hard X-ray selected AGN shows a strong luminosity-dependent evolution with a dramatic break towards low L(sub x) (at all z). This is seen for all types of AGN, but is stronger for the broad-line objects. In sharp contrast, the local LF of optically-selected samples shows no such break and no differences between narrow and broad-line objects. If as been suggested, hard X ray and optical emission line can both can be fair indicators of AGN activity, it is important to first understand how reliable these characteristics are if we hope to understand the apparent discrepancy in the LFs.

A total and polarized infrared flux view of the AGN clumpy torus

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lopez Rodriguez, Enrique

2013-12-01

Magnetohydrodynamical theories consider the torus of Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) to be part of an outflow wind moving away from the central engine. In this framework, the torus is a particular region of the wind, where dusty and optically thick clouds are formed. The outflows are strongly related to the accretion rate and magnetic field strength, which play an important role in the creation, morphology and evolution of the torus. Through infrared (IR) imaging and polarimetry observations, this dissertation (1) searches for signatures of dusty tori in low-luminosity AGN (LLAGN); (2) explores the role and strength of magnetic field in the torus; and (3) investigates the nucleus of radio-loud AGN. Recent theoretical models predicted that LLAGN do not host a Seyfert-like torus, since low-luminosities (<1042 erg s-1 ) cannot sustain the required outflow rate. High-spatial resolution mid-IR (MIR) imaging and nuclear spectral energy distribution of 22 LLAGN reveals different IR characteristics by dividing the sample in terms of the Eddington ratio. These galaxies show a diversity of nuclear morphologies and have a high MIR/X-ray luminosity ratio compared to higher-luminosity AGN. Star formation, jets and/or truncated accretion disk can explain the MIR excess. Although several models have been made to account for the outflowing dusty winds from the central engine, the magnetic field strength at the position of the torus remains poorly characterized. Through a novel study using near-IR polarimetry, the magnetic field strength in the clumpy torus was estimated. Specifically, if paramagnetic alignment is assumed in the dusty clouds of the torus, the magnetic field strength of the torus of IC5063 is estimated to be in the range of 12--128 mG. Alternatively, Chandrasekhar-Fermi method suggests a lower-limit magnetic field strength of 13 mG. For the archetypical radio-loud AGN, Cygnus A, MIR polarimetry using CanariCam on the 10.4-m Gran Telescopio de Canarias revealed a high

Evidence for a nuclear radio jet and its structure down to ≲100 Schwarzschild radii in the center of the Sombrero galaxy (M 104, NGC 4594)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hada, Kazuhiro; Giroletti, Marcello; Giovannini, Gabriele

2013-12-10

The Sombrero galaxy (M 104, NGC 4594) is associated with one of the nearest low-luminosity active galactic nuclei (AGNs). We investigated the detailed radio structure of the Sombrero nucleus using high-resolution, quasi-simultaneous, multi-frequency, phase-referencing Very Long Baseline Array observations. We obtained high-quality images of this nucleus at seven frequencies, where those at 15, 24, and 43 GHz are the first clear very long baseline interferometry detections. At 43 GHz, the nuclear structure was imaged on a linear scale under 0.01 pc or 100 Schwarzschild radii, revealing a compact, high-brightness-temperature (≳ 3 × 10{sup 9} K) radio core. We discovered themore » presence of the extended structure emanating from the core on two sides in the northwest and southeast directions. The nuclear radio spectra show a clear spatial gradient, which is similar to that seen in more luminous AGNs with powerful relativistic jets. Moreover, the size and position of the core tend to be frequency dependent. These findings provide evidence that the central engine of the Sombrero is powering radio jets and the jets are overwhelming the emission from the underlying radiatively inefficient accretion flow over the observed frequencies. Based on these radio characteristics, we constrained the following physical parameters for the M 104 jets: (1) the northern side is approaching, whereas the southern one is receding; (2) the jet viewing angle is relatively close to our line-of-sight (≲ 25°); and (3) the intrinsic jet velocity is highly sub-relativistic (≲ 0.2c). The derived pole-on nature of the M 104 jets is consistent with the previous argument that this nucleus contains a true type II AGN, i.e., the broad line region is actually absent or intrinsically weak if the plane of the circumnuclear torus is perpendicular to the jet axis.« less

AGN outflows as neutrino sources: an observational test

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Padovani, P.; Turcati, A.; Resconi, E.

2018-04-01

We test the recently proposed idea that outflows associated with Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) could be neutrino emitters in two complementary ways. First, we cross-correlate a list of 94 "bona fide" AGN outflows with the most complete and updated repository of IceCube neutrinos currently publicly available, assembled by us for this purpose. It turns out that AGN with outflows matched to an IceCube neutrino have outflow and kinetic energy rates, and bolometric powers larger than those of AGN with outflows not matched to neutrinos. Second, we carry out a statistical analysis on a catalogue of [O III] λ5007 line profiles using a sample of 23,264 AGN at z < 0.4, a sub-sample of which includes mostly possible outflows sources. We find no significant evidence of an association between the AGN and the IceCube events, although we get the smallest p-values (˜6 and 18 per cent respectively, pre-trial) for relatively high velocities and luminosities. Our results are consistent with a scenario where AGN outflows are neutrino emitters but at present do not provide a significant signal. This can be tested with better statistics and source stacking. A predominant role of AGN outflows in explaining the IceCube data appears in any case to be ruled out.

AGN outflows as neutrino sources: an observational test

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Padovani, P.; Turcati, A.; Resconi, E.

2018-07-01

We test the recently proposed idea that outflows associated with Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) could be neutrino emitters in two complementary ways. First, we cross-correlate a list of 94 'bona fide' AGN outflows with the most complete and updated repository of IceCube neutrinos currently publicly available, assembled by us for this purpose. It turns out that AGN with outflows matched to an IceCube neutrino have outflow and kinetic energy rates, and bolometric powers larger than those of AGN with outflows not matched to neutrinos. Secondly, we carry out a statistical analysis on a catalogue of [O III] λ5007 line profiles using a sample of 23 264 AGN at z < 0.4, a subsample of which includes mostly possible outflow sources. We find no significant evidence of an association between the AGN and the IceCube events, although we get the smallest p-values (˜6 and 18 per cent, respectively, pre-trial) for relatively high velocities and luminosities. Our results are consistent with a scenario where AGN outflows are neutrino emitters but at present do not provide a significant signal. This can be tested with better statistics and source stacking. A predominant role of AGN outflows in explaining the IceCube data appears in any case to be ruled out.