OUTFLOWS FROM ACTIVE GALACTIC NUCLEI: KINEMATICS OF THE NARROW-LINE AND CORONAL-LINE REGIONS IN SEYFERT GALAXIES

Journal Article · Sat Oct 01 04:00:00 EDT 2011 · Astrophysical Journal

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/739/2/69; COUNTRY OF INPUT: INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY (IAEA)· OSTI ID:21587498

Mueller-Sanchez, F; Prieto, M A ^[1]; Hicks, E K. S. ^[2]; Vives-Arias, H ^[3]; Davies, R I; Tacconi, L J; Genzel, R ^[4]; Malkan, M ^[5]

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1. Instituto de Astrofisica de Canarias, Via Lactea s/n, La Laguna, E-38205 (Spain)
2. Department of Astronomy, University of Washington, Box 351580, U.W., Seattle, WA 98195-1580 (United States)
3. Departamento de Astronomia y Astrofisica, Universidad de Valencia, Dr. Moliner 50, Burjassot (Valencia), E-46100 (Spain)
4. Max-Planck-Institut fuer Extraterrestrische Physik, Postfach 1312, 85741 Garching (Germany)
5. Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1562 (United States)

As part of an extensive study of the physical properties of active galactic nuclei (AGNs) we report high spatial resolution near-IR integral-field spectroscopy of the narrow-line region (NLR) and coronal-line region (CLR) of seven Seyfert galaxies. These measurements elucidate for the first time the two-dimensional spatial distribution and kinematics of the recombination line Br{gamma} and high-ionization lines [Si VI], [Al IX], and [Ca VIII] on scales <300 pc from the AGN. The observations reveal kinematic signatures of rotation and outflow in the NLR and CLR. The spatially resolved kinematics can be modeled as a combination of an outflow bicone and a rotating disk coincident with the molecular gas. High-excitation emission is seen in both components, suggesting it is leaking out of a clumpy torus. While NGC 1068 (Seyfert 2) is viewed nearly edge-on, intermediate-type Seyferts are viewed at intermediate angles, consistent with unified schemes. A correlation between the outflow velocity and the molecular gas mass in r < 30 pc indicates that the accumulation of gas around the AGN increases the collimation and velocity of the outflow. The outflow rate is 2-3 orders of magnitude greater than the accretion rate, implying that the outflow is mass loaded by the surrounding interstellar medium (ISM). In half of the observed AGNs, the kinetic power of the outflow is of the order of the power required by two-stage feedback models to be thermally coupled to the ISM and to match the M{sub BH}-{sigma}* relation. In these objects, the radio jet is clearly interacting with the ISM, indicative of a link between jet power and outflow power.

• OSTI ID: 21587498
• Journal Information: Astrophysical Journal, Journal Name: Astrophysical Journal Journal Issue: 2 Vol. 739; ISSN ASJOAB; ISSN 0004-637X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS
ABSORPTION SPECTROSCOPY
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
GALAXIES
GALAXY NUCLEI
INFRARED RADIATION
INFRARED SPECTRA
NEAR INFRARED RADIATION
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
RADIATIONS
RESOLUTION
SEYFERT GALAXIES
SPATIAL RESOLUTION
SPECTRA
SPECTROSCOPY