Detalles de publicación

PP 024025

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

Luke R. Holden(1), Clive N. Tadhunter(1), Anelise Audibert(2,3), Tom Oosterloo(4,5), Cristina Ramos Almeida(2,3), Raffaella Morganti(4,5), et al.
(1) University of Sheffield, (2) IAC, (3) ULL, (4) ASTRON, (5) University of Groningen
Abstract:The ultra luminous infrared galaxy (ULIRG) F13451+1232 is an excellent example of a galaxy merger in the early stages of active galactic nucleus (AGN) activity, a phase in which AGN-driven outflows are expected to be particularly important. However, previous observations have determined that the mass outflow rates of the warm ionised and neutral gas phases in F13451+1232 are relatively modest, and there has been no robust detection of molecular outflows. Using high spatial resolution ALMA CO(1-0) observations, we detect a kiloparsec-scale circumnuclear disk, as well as extended ($r\sim440$ pc), intermediate-velocity (300<|$v$|<400 km s$^{-1}$) cold molecular gas emission that cannot be explained by rotational disk motions. If interpreted as AGN-driven outflows, the mass outflow rates associated with this intermediate-velocity gas are relatively modest ($\dot{M}_\mathrm{out}=22$-$27$ M$_\odot$ yr$^{-1}$); however, we also detect a compact ($r_\mathrm{out}$<120 pc), high velocity (400<$v$<680 km s$^{-1}$) cold molecular outflow near the primary nucleus of F13451+1232, which carries an order of magnitude more mass ($\dot{M}_\mathrm{out}\sim230$ M$_\odot$ yr$^{-1}$) than (and several times the kinetic power of) the previously-detected warmer phases. Moreover, the similar spatial scales of this compact outflow and the radio structure indicate that it is likely accelerated by the small-scale ($r\sim130$ pc) AGN jet in the primary nucleus of F13451+1232. Considering the compactness of the nuclear outflow and intermediate-velocity non-rotating gas that we detect, we argue that high spatial-resolution observations are necessary to properly quantify the properties of AGN-driven outflows and their impacts on host galaxies.

 
Aceptado para publicación en MNRAS | Enviado el 2024-03-15 | Proyecto P/301404, EUR2020-112266, P/301903, PID2019-106027GB-C42, PID2022-141105NB-I00