Subscribe to the gold package and get unlimited access to Shamra Academy
Register a new userInvestigating the Candidate Displaced Active Galactic Nucleus in NGC 3115
97
0
0.0
(
0
)
Ask ChatGPT about the research
No Arabic abstract
The nearby galaxy NGC 3115 contains a known radio-emitting, low-luminosity active galactic nucleus (AGN), and was recently claimed to host a candidate AGN displaced 14.3 pc from the galaxys optical photocenter. Our goal is to understand whether this represents a single offset AGN, an AGN in orbit around a central black hole, or something else. We present a new, sensitive (RMS = 4.4 $mu$Jy beam$^{-1}$) 10 GHz image, which finds evidence for only one AGN. We place a stringent limit on the radio luminosity of any secondary supermassive black hole of $L_{10~rm{GHz}}<5.8times10^{33}$ ergs/s. An analysis of the relative positioning of the radio core, X-ray nucleus, and stellar bulge in this galaxy indicate that the radio source is centrally located, and not offset from the galactic bulge. This provides an argument against a single offset AGN in NGC 3115, however does not provide conclusive evidence against the purported offset AGN as an in-spiralling secondary black hole.
rate research
Read More
The Seyfert galaxy NGC 5515 has double-peaked narrow-line emission in its optical spectrum, and it has been suggested that this could indicate that it has two active nuclei. We observed the source with high resolution Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) at two radio frequencies, reduced archival Very Large Array data, and re-analysed its optical spectrum. We detected a single, compact radio source at the position of NGC 5515, with no additional radio emission in its vicinity. The optical spectrum of the source shows that the blue and red components of the double-peaked lines have very similar characteristics. While we cannot rule out unambiguously that NGC 5515 harbours a dual AGN, the assumption of a single AGN provides a more plausible explanation for the radio observations and the optical spectrum.
Spectra of the archetypal Type II Seyfert galaxy NGC 1068 in a narrow wavelength interval near 3.7 microns have revealed a weak absorption feature due to two lines of the molecular ion H3+. The observed wavelength of the feature corresponds to velocity of -70 km/s relative to the systemic velocity of the galaxy, implying an outward flow from the nucleus along the line of sight. The absorption by H3+ along with the previously known broad hydrocarbon absorption at 3.4~microns probably are formed in diffuse gas that is in close proximity to the continuum source, i.e. within a few tens of parsecs of the central engine. Based on that conclusion and the measured H3+ absorption velocity and with the assumption of a spherically symmetric wind we estimate a rate of mass outflow from the AGN of ~1 Msun/yr.
We have recently suggested that dust growth in the cold gas phase dominates the dust abundance in elliptical galaxies while dust is efficiently destroyed in the hot X-ray emitting plasma (hot gas). In order to understand the dust evolution in elliptical galaxies, we construct a simple model that includes dust growth in the cold gas and dust destruction in the hot gas. We also take into account the effect of mass exchange between these two gas components induced by active galactic nucleus (AGN) feedback. We survey reasonable ranges of the relevant parameters in the model and find that AGN feedback cycles actually produce a variety in cold gas mass and dust-to-gas ratio. By comparing with an observational sample of nearby elliptical galaxies, we find that, although the dust-to-gas ratio varies by an order of magnitude in our model, the entire range of the observed dust-to-gas ratios is difficult to be reproduced under a single parameter set. Variation of the dust growth efficiency is the most probable solution to explain the large variety in dust-to-gas ratio of the observational sample. Therefore, dust growth can play a central role in creating the variation in dust-to-gas ratio through the AGN feedback cycle and through the variation in dust growth efficiency.
On Earth near sunset, the sun may cast crepuscular rays such that clouds near the horizon obscure the origin of light scattered in bright rays. In principle, AGN should be able to produce similar effects. Using new Hubble Space Telescope (HST) near-infrared and optical observations, we show that the active galaxy IC 5063 contains broad radial rays extending to $gtrsim$11 kpc from the nucleus. We argue that the bright rays may arise from dusty scattering of continuum emission from the active nucleus, while the dark rays are due to shadowing near the nucleus, possibly by a warped torus. We also consider alternative AGN-related and stellar origins for the extended light.
The nearby low-luminosity active galactic nucleus (LLAGN) NGC 4258 has a weak radio continuum emission at the galactic center. Quasi-simultaneous multi-frequency observations using the Very Large Array (VLA) from 5 GHz (6 cm) to 22 GHz (1.3 cm) showed inverted spectra in all epochs, which were intra-month variable, as well as complicated spectral features that cannot be represented by a simple power law, indicating multiple blobs in nuclear jets. Using the Nobeyama Millimeter Array (NMA), we discovered a large amplitude variable emission at 100 GHz (3 mm), which had higher flux densities at most epochs than those of the VLA observations. A James Clerk Maxwell Telescope (JCMT) observation at 347 GHz (850 micron) served an upper limit of dust contamination. The inverted radio spectrum of the nucleus NGC 4258 is suggestive of an analogy to our Galactic center Sgr A*, but with three orders of magnitude higher radio luminosity. In addition to the LLAGN M 81, we discuss the nucleus of NGC 4258 as another up-scaled version of Sgr A*.
Log in to be able to interact and post comments
comments
Fetching comments
Sign in to be able to follow your search criteria
