QSOFEED

The broad scientific objective of this project is to take a major step forward in our understanding of active galactic nuclei (AGN) feedback by performing a multi-phase outflow census in a representative sample of nearby obscured quasars. This will serve to identify the outflow properties/phases that are most relevant to galaxy evolution by confronting them with contemporaneous galaxy properties (e.g. recent star formation, nuclear molecular gas reservoirs) and with the predictions from dedicated hydrodynamical simulations of galaxy formation.

The Quasar Feedback (QSOFEED) sample includes all the type-2 quasars (QSO2s) with L[OIII]>108.5L☉ (Lbol>1045.6 erg/s) and redshifts z<0.14 from the narrow emission line AGN catalogue of Reyes et al. (2008). It comprises 48 QSO2s with 45.6<log Lbol<46.5 erg/s. The host galaxies are massive and show different optical morphologies including early-type galaxies, spirals, and interacting/merger systems. See Ramos Almeida et al. (2022), Pierce et al. (2023), and Bessiere et al. (2024) and  for details on the sample.

QSOFEED observations.

 

This project represents a major observational effort to characterize the dust, gas and stellar properties of the QSO2s using a multi-wavelength and multi-scale approach. Awarded and archival observations are the following.

  • 25 hours VLA (26A-205, 24B-307; PI: Anelise Audibert).
  • 15 hours ALMA in CO(2-1) (2024.1.00997.S; PI: Anelise Audibert)
  • 7 QSO2s ALMA in CO(2-1) (2018.1.00870.S; PI: Cristina Ramos Almeida)
  • 5 QSO2s JWST/MIRI/MRS (Cycle 2 GO 3566, 30 hours; PI: Cristina Ramos Almeida)
  • 44 QSO2s GTC/EMIR (GTC77-18A, 62-18B, 2G-19A, 83-19B, 55-20A; PI: C. Ramos Almeida)
  • 2 QSO2s Gemini/NIFS (GN-2018B-Q-314-125; PI: Cristina Ramos Almeida).
  • 6 QSO2s Keck/KCWI (U052, 4 half nights, PI: Gabriela Canalizo).
  • 12 QSO2s GTC/MEGARA (GTC62-20B; 72-23A; 53-23B; PI: Cristina Ramos Almeida).
  • 48 QSO2s WFC/INT (images from multiple observing runs; PI: Clive Tadhunter).

 

 

 

QSOFEED Team.

 

The QSOFEED team at the IAC. From left to right: Cristina Ramos Almeida, Giovanna Speranza (IFF), Marina Bianchin, Anelise Audibert, Pedro Cezar, and José Antonio Acosta Pulido. Credit: S. Vitali.

 

QSOFEED members at the IAC:

 

Cristina Ramos Almeida, Principal Investigator

Marina Bianchin, Juan de La Cierva postdoctoral fellow

Anelise Audibert, ExGal-Twin postdoctoral fellow

Pedro Henrique Cezar, Ph.D candidate (Astrofísico Residente)

Jose Antonio Acosta Pulido, Senior Researcher

 

QSOFEED collaborators at other institutions:

 

Almudena Alonso Herrero, Centro de Astrobiología, Madrid/Spain

Manuela Bischetti, Osservatorio Astronomico di Trieste, Trieste/Italy

Gabriela Canalizo, University of California, Riverside, California, USA

Claudia Cicone, Institute of Theoretical Astrophysics, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway

Ismael García Bernete, Centro de Astrobiología, Madrid, Spain

Santiago García Burillo, Observatorio Astronómico Nacional, Madrid, Spain

Omaira González Martín, Instituto de Radioastronomía y Astrofísica, Morelia, Mexico

Luke Holden, University of Hertfordshire, Hertfordshire, UK

Dipanjan Mukherjee, IUCAA, Pune, India

Moun Meenakshi, IUCAA, Pune, India

Miguel Pereira Santaella, Centro de Astrobiología, Madrid, Spain

Jonnathon Pierce, University of Hertfordshire, Hertfordshire, UK

Giovanna Speranza, Instituto de Física Fundamental, Madrid, Spain

Clive Tadhunter, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK

Maria Vittoria Zanchettin, Osservatorio Astrofisico di Arcetri, Florence, Italy

 

 

QSOFEED Publications.

 

* JWST MIRI reveals the diversity of nuclear mid-infrared spectra of nearby type 2 quasars

Ramos Almeida et al. 2025, A&A, 698, A194

Infrared spectra of the central region of five quasars observed with JWST show clear differences, especially in the silicate band, which reveals the presence of hotter or cooler dust around the black hole.

 Check out the press release!

 

* Molecular gas excitation and outflow properties of obscured quasars at z ~0.1

Audibert et al. 2025, A&A, 699, A83

High-velocity flux maps overlaid on the CO velocity dispersion maps for the six QSO2s.

 

 

*  Unveiling the warm molecular outflow component of type-2 quasars with SINFONI

Zanchettin et al. 2025, A&A, 695, A185

Intensity maps of the high velocity components of the H2 1-0S(1) emission of J1430 and J1356.

 

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

Holden et al. 2024, MNRAS, 530, 446

Position-velocity diagrams of the CO(1-0) emission along the major and minor axis of the disc. A compact, high velocity feature (400 < v < 680 km/s) centred approximately on the nucleus can clearly be seen in both diagrams.

 

*  Multiphase characterization of AGN winds in five local type-2 quasars

Speranza et al. 2024, A&A, 681, A63

[O III] flux maps corresponding to high-velocity gas only.

 

* QSOFEED: Relationship between star formation and AGN feedback

Bessiere et al. 2024, A&A, 689, A271

Examples of the results of the STARLIGHT fitting showing a low fraction (left, 7%) and a high fraction of young stellar populations (right, 88%).

 

*  Galaxy interactions are the dominant trigger for local type 2 quasars

Pierce et al. 2023, MNRAS, 522, 1736

Thumbnail images of four of the type 2 quasars classified as pre-coalescence systems.

 

* Jet-induced molecular gas excitation and turbulence in the Teacup

Audibert et al. 2023, A&A, 671, L12

The compact radio jet (0.8 kpc) in the center of the Teacup galaxy blows a lateral turbulent wind in the cold dense gas, as predicted by hydrodynamical simulations of jet-gas interactions.

 

* Absence of nuclear polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon emission from a compact starburst: The case of the type-2 quasar Mrk 477

Ramos Almeida et al. 2023, A&A, 669, L5

GTC/CanariCam nuclear spectrum of Mrk 477 (∼400 pc; black line). Weak silicate absorption and [S IV]λ10.51 μm are the only features detected. Red line is the Spitzer/IRS spectrum (∼2.7 kpc), which shows PAH emission bands.

 

* Warm molecular and ionized gas kinematics in the Type-2 quasar J0945+1737. 

Speranza et al. 2022, A&A, 665, A55

Paα emission between − 700 and − 300 km/s. Ellipses are fitted to determine the outflow radius and PA. Black contours correspond to 3, 15, 30, 60 σ of the radio VLA 6 GHz high resolution data (∼0.25” beam).

 

* Spatially resolved evidence of the impact of quasar driven outflows on recent star formation : The case of Mrk 34.

Bessiere & Ramos Almeida, 2022, MNRAS, 512, L54-L59

YSP distribution overlaid with contours of V02 (blue) with contour levels −950, −850, and −750 km/s and V98 (red) with contour levels 750, 850, 950, and 1050 km/s (left panel). The right-hand panel shows the same but with contours of W80 overlaid with levels 600, 700, 800, and 900 km/s.

Check out the press release!

 

 

* The diverse cold molecular gas contents, morphologies, and kinematics of type-2 quasars as seen by ALMA.

Ramos Almeida et al. 2022, A&A, 658, A155

CO(2-1) moment 0 maps of the QSO2s with 1.3 mm continuum contours in pink.

Check out the press release!

 

 

* Do AGN triggering mechanisms vary with radio power? II. The importance of mergers as a function of radio power and optical luminosity.

Pierce et al. 2022, MNRAS, 510, 1163-1183

Proportions of QSO2s and control sample galaxies classed as disturbed, not disturbed or uncertain.

 

* A near-infrared study of the multiphase outflow in the type-2 quasar J1509+0434.

Ramos Almeida et al. 2019, MNRAS, 487, L18-L23

Examples of emission line profiles extracted from GTC/EMIR near-infrared spectra showing a blueshifted broad component. The shaded areas indicate the wavelength ranges employed in the determination of the outflow sizes.

 Check out the press release!

 

 

* An infrared view of AGN feedback in a type-2 quasar: the case of the Teacup galaxy.

Ramos Almeida et al. 2017, MNRAS, 470, 964-976

Flux, velocity and velocity dispersion maps of the narrow Paα emission of J1430+1339 (The Teacup) obtained from VLT/SINFONI observations.

 

 

 QSOFEED Funding.

 

The various aspects of the QSOFEED research project are/have been funded by:

  1. The project “Tracking active galactic nuclei feedback from parsec to kiloparsec scales”, with reference PID2022-141105NB-I00, funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033/FEDER, EU.
  2. The European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under Marie Sklodowska-Curie grant agreement No 860744 (BiD4BESt).
  3. The MICIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and the European Union NextGenerationEU/PRTR under project “Quantifying the impact of quasar feedback on galaxy evolution”, with reference EUR2020-112266.
  4. The Consejería de Economía, Conocimiento y Empleo del Gobierno de Canarias and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) under grant “Quasar feedback and molecular gas reservoirs”, with reference ProID2020010105, ACCISI/FEDER, UE.
  5. The project “Feeding and feedback in active galaxies”, with reference PID2019-106027GB-C42, funded by MICINN-AEI/10.13039/501100011033.
  6. The project “Feeding, feedback and obscuration in active galaxies”, with reference AYA2016-76682-C3-2-P, funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (MICINN).