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We present a study of a luminous, z=0.15, type-2 quasar (log [L([OIII])/(erg/s)]=42.8) from the Quasar Feedback Survey. It is classified as 'radio-quiet' (log [L(1.4 GHz)/(W/Hz)]=23.8); however, radio imaging reveals ~1 kpc low-power jets (log [Pjet/(erg/s)]=44) inclined into the plane of the galaxy disk. We combine MUSE and ALMA observations to map stellar kinematics and ionised and molecular gas properties. The jets are seen to drive galaxy-wide bi-conical turbulent outflows, reaching W80 = 1000-1300 km/s, in the ionised phase (traced via optical emission-lines), which also have increased electron densities compared to the quiescent gas. The turbulent gas is driven perpendicular to the jet axis and is escaping along the galaxy minor axis, reaching 7.5 kpc on both sides. Traced via CO(3-2) emission, the turbulent material in molecular gas phase is one-third as spatially extended and has 3 times lower velocity-dispersion as compared to ionised gas. The jets are seen to be strongly interacting with the interstellar medium (ISM) through enhanced ionised emission and disturbed/depleted molecular gas at the jet termini. We see further evidence for jet-induced feedback through significantly higher stellar velocity-dispersion aligned, and co-spatial with, the jet axis (, Accepted for publication in MNRAS. Main manuscript has 21 pages with 8 figures. Supplementary material is available for download under "Ancillary files" or by downloading the source file listed under "Other formats"

We present the ionised gas outflow morphology in the Circinus galaxy using the Narrow Field Mode (NFM) of the MUSE instrument on board the Very Large Telescope (VLT). The NFM observations provide a spatial resolution of $\sim$0.1", corresponding to a physical scale of $\sim$2 pc, one of the highest spatial resolution achievable using ground-based AO-assisted observations in the optical wavelengths. The MUSE observations reveal a collimated clumpy outflow profile originating near the AGN location and extending up to 1.5" ($\sim$30 pc) in the NW direction. The collimated structure then fragments into two filaments, giving the entire outflowing gas a ``tuning-fork'' morphology. These structures remain undetected in the lower spatial resolution MUSE Wide Field Mode data. We explain the origin of this tuning-fork structure to the interaction of the outflow with a dense clump in the interstellar medium (ISM) as the outflow propagates outward. The origin of the collimated structure itself could be from jet-ISM interactions on small scales. These observations also provide evidence to the origin of the ionised gas filaments previously observed in the Circinus galaxy out to kiloparsec scales. We find instantaneous and time-averaged mass outflow rates of 10$^{-2}$ M$_{\odot}$ yr$^{-1}$ and 10$^{-4}$ M$_{\odot}$ yr$^{-1}$, respectively. Based on the star formation rate in the Circinus galaxy reported in the literature, the observed ionised outflows are not expected to regulate star formation within the $\sim$100 pc scales probed by the NFM data., 8 pages, 8 figures; accepted for publication in MNRAS

We present spatially resolved H$\alpha$ properties of 21 type 1 AGN host galaxies at z$\sim$2 derived from the SUPER survey. These targets were observed with the adaptive optics capabilities of the SINFONI spectrograph, a near-infrared integral field spectrograph, that provided a median spatial resolution of 0.3 arcsec ($\sim$2 kpc). We model the H$\alpha$ emission line profile in each pixel to investigate whether it traces gas in the narrow line region or if it is associated with star formation. To do this, we first investigate the presence of resolved H$\alpha$ emission by removing the contribution of the AGN PSF. We find extended H$\alpha$ emission in sixteen out of the 21 type 1 AGN host galaxies (76%). Based on the BPT diagnostics, optical line flux ratios and the line widths (FWHM), we show that the H$\alpha$ emission in five galaxies is ionised by the AGN (30%), in four galaxies by star formation (25%) and for the rest (45%), the ionisation source is unconstrained. Two galaxies show extended H$\alpha$ FWHM $>$600 km/s, which is interpreted as a part of an AGN-driven outflow. Morphological and kinematic maps of H$\alpha$ emission in targets with sufficient signal-to-noise ratio suggest the presence of rotationally supported disks in six galaxies and possible presence of companions in four galaxies. In two galaxies, we find an anti-correlation between the locations of extended H$\alpha$ emission and [OIII]-based ionised outflows, indicating possible negative feedback at play. However, in the majority of galaxies, we do not find evidence of outflows impacting H$\alpha$ based star formation., Comment: 16 pages, 11 figures, 2 tables, accepted for publication in MNRAS; Appendix = 2 tables and 3 figures

We study the relation between obscuration and supermassive black hole (SMBH) accretion using a large sample of hard X-ray selected active galactic nuclei (AGNs). We find a strong decrease in the fraction of obscured sources above the Eddington limit for dusty gas (log lambda(Edd) >= -2) confirming earlier results, and consistent with the radiation-regulated unification model. This also explains the difference in the Eddington ratio distribution functions (ERDFs) of type 1 and type 2 AGNs obtained by a recent study. The break in the ERDF of nearby AGNs is at log lambda*(Edd) = -1.34 +/- 0.07. This corresponds to the lambda(Edd) where AGNs transition from having most of their sky covered by obscuring material to being mostly devoid of absorbing material. A similar trend is observed for the luminosity function, which implies that most of the SMBH growth in the local universe happens when the AGN is covered by a large reservoir of gas and dust. These results could be explained with a radiation-regulated growth model, in which AGNs move in the N-H-lambda(Edd) plane during their life cycle. The growth episode starts with the AGN mostly unobscured and accreting at low lambda(Edd). As the SMBH is further fueled, lambda(Edd), N-H and the covering factor increase, leading the AGN to be preferentially observed as obscured. Once lambda(Edd) reaches the Eddington limit for dusty gas, the covering factor and N-H rapidly decrease, leading the AGN to be typically observed as unobscured. As the remaining fuel is depleted, the SMBH goes back into a quiescent phase., The Astrophysical Journal, 938 (1), ISSN:0004-637X, ISSN:2041-8213

Ionised gas kinematics provide crucial evidence of the impact that active galactic nuclei (AGN) have in regulating star formation in their host galaxies. Although the presence of outflows in AGN host galaxies has been firmly established, the calculation of outflow properties such as mass outflow rates and kinetic energy remains challenging. We present the [OIII]5007 ionised gas outflow properties of 22 z$, Comment: Main paper: 20 pages, 15 figures, 3 tables. Accepted for publication in MNRAS

We present high-resolution ($\sim$2.4\,kpc) ALMA band 7 observations (rest-frame $\lambda \sim 250\mu$m) of three powerful z$\sim$2.5 quasars ($L_{\rm bol}=10^{47.3}$-$10^{47.5}$ ergs s$^{-1}$). These targets have previously been reported as showing evidence for suppressed star formation based on cavities in the narrow H$\alpha$ emission at the location of outflows traced with [O~{\sc iii}] emission. Here we combine the ALMA observations with a re-analysis of the VLT/SINFONI data to map the rest-frame far-infrared emission, H$\alpha$ emission, and [O~{\sc iii}] emission. In all targets we observe high velocity [O~{\sc iii}] gas (i.e., W80$\sim$1000--2000\,km\,s$^{-1}$) across the whole galaxy. We do not identify any H$\alpha$ emission that is free from contamination from AGN-related processes; however, based on SED analyses, we show that the ALMA data contains a significant dust-obscured star formation component in two out of the three systems. This dust emission is found to be extended over $\approx$1.5--5.5\,kpc in the nuclear regions, overlaps with the previously reported H$\alpha$ cavities and is co-spatial with the peak in surface brightness of the [O~{\sc iii}] outflows. In summary, within the resolution and sensitivity limits of the data, we do not see any evidence for a instantaneous shut down of in-situ star formation caused directly by the outflows. However, similar to the conclusions of previous studies and based on our measured star formation rates, we do not rule out that the global host galaxy star formation could be suppressed on longer timescales by the cumulative effect of quasar episodes during the growth of these massive black holes., Comment: Accepted for publication in MNRAS

We present the first results from the Quasar Feedback Survey, a sample of 42 z10^42.1 ergs/s) with moderate radio luminosities (i.e. L(1.4GHz)>10^23.4 W/Hz; median L(1.4GHz)=5.9x10^23 W/Hz). Using high spatial resolution (~0.3-1 arcsec), 1.5-6 GHz radio images from the Very Large Array, we find that 67 percent of the sample have spatially extended radio features, on ~1-60 kpc scales. The radio sizes and morphologies suggest that these may be lower radio luminosity versions of compact, radio-loud AGN. By combining the radio-to-infrared excess parameter, spectral index, radio morphology and brightness temperature, we find radio emission in at least 57 percent of the sample that is associated with AGN-related processes (e.g. jets, quasar-driven winds or coronal emission). This is despite only 9.5-21 percent being classified as radio-loud using traditional criteria. The origin of the radio emission in the remainder of the sample is unclear. We find that both the established anti-correlation between radio size and the width of the [O III] line, and the known trend for the most [O III] luminous AGN to be associated with spatially-extended radio emission, also hold for our sample of moderate radio luminosity quasars. These observations add to the growing evidence of a connection between the radio emission and ionised gas in quasar host galaxies. This work lays the foundation for deeper investigations into the drivers and impact of feedback in this unique sample., Accepted for publication in MNRAS. Data products from this paper and the survey pilot papers are available through our website: https://blogs.ncl.ac.uk/quasarfeedbacksurvey/. The extensive supplementary material (containing additional figures and information on individual targets) is available for download under "Ancillary files" or by downloading the source file listed under "Other formats"

Accreting supermassive black holes (SMBHs), also known as active galactic nuclei (AGN), are generally surrounded by large amounts of gas and dust. This surrounding material reprocesses the primary X-ray emission produced close to the SMBH and gives rise to several components in the broadband X-ray spectra of AGN, including a power-law possibly associated with Thomson-scattered radiation. In this work, we study the properties of this scattered component for a sample of 386 hard-X-ray-selected, nearby ($z \sim 0.03$) obscured AGN from the 70-month Swift/BAT catalog. We investigate how the fraction of Thomson-scattered radiation correlates with different physical properties of AGN, such as line-of-sight column density, X-ray luminosity, black hole mass, and Eddington ratio. We find a significant negative correlation between the scattering fraction and the column density. Based on a large number of spectral simulations, we exclude the possibility that this anti-correlation is due to degeneracies between the parameters. The negative correlation also persists when considering different ranges of luminosity, black hole mass, and Eddington ratio. We discuss how this correlation might be either due to the angle dependence of the Thomson cross-section or to more obscured sources having a higher covering factor of the torus. We also find a positive correlation between the scattering fraction and the ratio of [OIII] $\lambda$5007 to X-ray luminosity. This result is consistent with previous studies and suggests that the Thomson-scattered component is associated with the narrow-line region., Comment: Accepted for publication in MNRAS, 18 pages, 9 figures, 2 tables, 1 equation

We study the impact of AGN ionised outflows on star formation in high-redshift AGN hosts, by combining NIR IFS observations, mapping the H$\alpha$ emission and [OIII] outflows, with matched-resolution observations of the rest-frame FIR emission. We present high-resolution ALMA Band 7 observations of eight X-ray selected AGN at z~2 from the SUPER sample, targeting the rest-frame ~260 um continuum at ~2 kpc (0.2'') resolution. We detected 6 out of 8 targets with S/N>10 in the ALMA maps, with continuum flux densities F = 0.27-2.58 mJy and FIR half-light radii Re = 0.8-2.1 kpc. The FIR Re of our sample are comparable to other AGN and star-forming galaxies at a similar redshift from the literature. However, we find that the mean FIR size in X-ray AGN (Re = 1.16+/- 0.11 kpc) is slightly smaller than in non-AGN (Re = 1.69+/-0.13 kpc). From SED fitting, we find that the main contribution to the 260 um flux density is dust heated by star formation, with < 4% contribution from AGN-heated dust and < 1% from synchrotron emission. The majority of our sample show different morphologies for the FIR (mostly due to reprocessed stellar emission) and the ionised gas emission (H$\alpha$ and [OIII], mostly due to AGN emission). This could be due to the different locations of dust and ionised gas, the different sources of the emission (stars and AGN), or the effect of dust obscuration. We are unable to identify any residual H$\alpha$ emission, above that dominated by AGN, that could be attributed to star formation. Under the assumption that the FIR emission is a reliable tracer of obscured star formation, we find that the obscured star formation activity in these AGN host galaxies is not clearly affected by the ionised outflows. However, we cannot rule out that star formation suppression is happening on smaller spatial scales than the ones we probe with our observations (< 2 kpc) or on different timescales., Comment: 32 pages, 13 figures. Accepted for publication in A&A

We use a sample of powerful z~0.1 type 2 quasars ('obscured'; log[L(AGN)/erg/s]>~45), which host kiloparsec-scale ionized outflows and jets, to identify possible signatures of AGN feedback on the total molecular gas reservoirs of their host galaxies. Specifically, we present Atacama Pathfinder EXperiment (APEX) observations of the CO(2-1) transition for nine sources and the CO(6-5) for a subset of three. We find that the majority of our sample reside in starburst galaxies (average specific star formation rates of 1.7/Gyr), with the seven CO-detected quasars also having large molecular gas reservoirs (average Mgas = 1.3x10^10Msun), even though we had no pre-selection on the star formation or molecular gas properties. Despite the presence of quasars and outflows, we find that the molecular gas fractions (Mgas/Mstar = 0.1-1.2) and depletion times (Mgas/SFR = 0.16-0.95Gyr) are consistent with those expected for the overall galaxy population with matched stellar masses and specific star formation rates. Furthermore, for at least two of the three targets with the required measurements, the CO(6-5)/CO(2-1) emission-line ratios are consistent with star formation dominating the CO excitation over this range of transitions. The targets in our study represent a gas-rich phase of galaxy evolution with simultaneously high levels of star formation and nuclear activity; furthermore, the jets and outflows do not have an immediate appreciable impact on the global molecular gas reservoirs., Accepted for publication in MNRAS. Supplementary material is available for download under "Ancillary files"

Theory predicts that a supermassive black hole binary (SMBHB) could be observed as a luminous active galactic nucleus (AGN) that periodically varies on the order of its orbital timescale. In X-rays, periodic variations could be caused by mechanisms including relativistic Doppler boosting and shocks. Here we present the first systematic search for periodic AGNs using $941$ hard X-ray light curves (14-195 keV) from the first 105 months of the Swift Burst Alert Telescope (BAT) survey (2004-2013). We do not find evidence for periodic AGNs in Swift-BAT, including the previously reported SMBHB candidate MCG+11$-$11$-$032. We find that the null detection is consistent with the combination of the upper-limit binary population in AGNs in our adopted model, their expected periodic variability amplitudes, and the BAT survey characteristics. We have also investigated the detectability of SMBHBs against normal AGN X-ray variability in the context of the eROSITA survey. Under our assumptions of a binary population and the periodic signals they produce which have long periods of hundreds of days, up to $13$% true periodic binaries can be robustly distinguished from normal variable AGNs with the ideal uniform sampling. However, we demonstrate that realistic eROSITA sampling is likely to be insensitive to long-period binaries because longer observing gaps reduce their detectability. In contrast, large observing gaps do not diminish the prospect of detecting binaries of short, few-day periods, as 19% can be successfully recovered, the vast majority of which can be identified by the first half of the survey., 17 pages, including 8 figures and 4 tables. Accepted for publication in ApJ

We present a detailed study of ionized outflows in a large sample of ~650 hard X-ray detected AGN. Using optical spectroscopy from the BAT AGN Spectroscopic Survey (BASS) we are able to reveal the faint wings of the [OIII] emission lines associated with outflows covering, for the first time, an unexplored range of low AGN bolometric luminosity at low redshift (z~0.05). We test if and how the incidence and velocity of ionized outflow is related to AGN physical parameters: black hole mass, gas column density, Eddington Ratio, [OIII], X-ray, and bolometric luminosities. We find a higher occurrence of ionized outflows in type 1.9 (55%) and type 1 AGN (46%) with respect to type 2 AGN (24%). While outflows in type 2 AGN are evenly balanced between blue and red velocity offsets with respect to the [OIII] narrow component, they are almost exclusively blueshifted in type 1 and type 1.9 AGN. We observe a significant dependence between the outflow occurrence and accretion rate, which becomes relevant at high Eddington ratios (> -1.7). We interpret such behaviour in the framework of covering factor-Eddington ratio dependence. We don't find strong trends of the outflow maximum velocity with AGN physical parameters, as an increase with bolometric luminosity can be only identified when including samples of AGN at high luminosity and high redshift taken from literature., Accepted for publication in MNRAS, 15 pages, 19 figures, 1 table

We present the discovery of copious molecular gas in the halo of cid_346, a $z=2.2$ quasar studied as part of the SINFONI survey for Unveiling the Physics and Effect of Radiative feedback (SUPER). New Atacama Compact Array (ACA) CO(3-2) observations detect a much higher flux (by a factor of $14\pm5$) than measured on kiloparsec scales ($r\lesssim8$ kpc) using previous snapshot Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array data. Such additional CO(3-2) emission traces a structure that extends out to $r\sim200$ kpc in projected size, as inferred through direct imaging and confirmed by an analysis of the uv visibilities. This is the most extended molecular circumgalactic medium (CGM) reservoir that has ever been mapped. It shows complex kinematics, with an overall broad line profile (FWHM $= 1000$ km/s) that is skewed towards redshifted velocities up to at least $v\sim1000$ km/s. Using the optically thin assumption, we estimate a strict lower limit for the total molecular CGM mass observed by ACA of $M_{mol}^{CGM}>10^{10}~M_{\odot}$. There is however room for up to $M^{CGM}_{mol}\sim 1.7\times 10^{12}$ $M_{\odot}$, once optically thick CO emission with $\alpha_{\rm CO}=3.6$ $\rm M_{\odot}~(K~km~s^{-1}~pc^2)^{-1}$ and $L^{\prime}_{CO(3-2)}/L^{\prime}_{CO(1-0)}=0.5$ are assumed. Since cid_346 hosts quasar-driven ionised outflows and since there is no evidence of merging companions or an overdensity, we suggest that outflows may have played a crucial rule in seeding metal-enriched, dense gas on halo scales. However, the origin of such an extended molecular CGM remains unclear., Comment: Accepted for publication in A&A Letters. 9 pages and 9 figures including Appendix. Version updated after language editing

As part of our KMOS AGN Survey at High-redshift (KASHz), we present spatially-resolved VLT/KMOS and VLT/SINFONI spectroscopic data and ALMA 870$\mu$m continuum imaging of eight $z$=1.4--2.6 moderate AGN ($L_{\rm 2-10 \rm kev}$ = $10^{42} - 10^{45}$ ergs s$^{-1}$). We map [OIII], H$\alpha$ and rest-frame FIR emission to search for any spatial anti-correlation between ionised outflows (traced by the [OIII] line) and star formation (SF; traced by H$\alpha$ and FIR), that has previously been claimed for some high-z AGN and used as evidence for negative and/or positive AGN feedback. Firstly, we conclude that H$\alpha$ is unreliable to map SF inside our AGN host galaxies based on: (i) SF rates inferred from attenuation-corrected H$\alpha$ can lie below those inferred from FIR; (ii) the FIR continuum is more compact than the H$\alpha$ emission by a factor of $\sim 2$ on average; (iii) in half of our sample, we observe significant spatial offsets between the FIR and H$\alpha$ emission, with an average offset of $1.4\pm0.6$ kpc. Secondly, for the five targets with outflows we find no evidence for a spatial anti-correlation between outflows and SF using either H$\alpha$ or FIR as a tracer. This holds for our re-analysis of a famous $z$=1.6 X-ray AGN (`XID 2028') where positive and negative feedback has been previously claimed. Based on our results, any impact on SF by ionised outflows must be subtle, either occurring on scales below our resolution, or on long timescales., Comment: Accepted for publication by MNRAS, 24 pages, 12 Figures

Aims. The SINFONI survey for Unveiling the Physics and Effect of Radiative feedback (SUPER) was designed to conduct a blind search for AGN-driven outflows on X-ray-selected AGNs at redshift z∼2 with high (∼2 kpc) spatial resolution, and to correlate them with the properties of their host galaxy and central black hole. The main aims of this paper are: (a) to derive reliable estimates for the masses of the black holes and accretion rates for the Type-1 AGNs in this survey; and (b) to characterise the properties of the AGN-driven winds in the broad line region (BLR). Methods. We analysed rest-frame optical and UV spectra of 21 Type-1 AGNs. We used Hα, Hβ, and MgII line profiles to estimate the masses of the black holes. We used the blueshift of the CIV line profile to trace the presence of winds in the BLR. Results. We find that the Hα and Hβ line widths are strongly correlated, as is the line continuum luminosity at 5100 Å with Hα line luminosity, resulting in a well-defined correlation between black hole masses estimated from Hα and Hβ. Using these lines, we estimate that the black hole masses for our objects are in the range Log (MBH/M·) = 8.4-10.8 and are accreting at λEdd = 0.04-1.3. Furthermore, we confirm the well-known finding that the CIV line width does not correlate with the Balmer lines and the peak of the line profile is blueshifted with respect to the [OIII]-based systemic redshift. These findings support the idea that the CIV line is tracing outflowing gas in the BLR for which we estimated velocities up to ∼4700 km s-1. We confirm the strong dependence of the BLR wind velocity on the UV-to-X-ray continuum slope, the bolometric luminosity, and Eddington ratio. We infer BLR mass outflow rates in the range 0.005-3 M· yr-1, revealing a correlation with the bolometric luminosity consistent with that observed for ionised winds in the narrow line region (NLR), and X-ray winds detected in local AGNs, and kinetic power ∼10-7-10-4 × LBol. The coupling efficiencies predicted by AGN-feedback models are much higher than the values reported for the BLR winds in the SUPER sample; although it should be noted that only a fraction of the energy injected by the AGN into the surrounding medium is expected to become kinetic power in the outflow. Finally, we find an anti-correlation between the equivalent width of the [OIII] line and the CIV velocity shift, and a positive correlation between this latter parameter and [OIII] outflow velocity. These findings, for the first time in an unbiased sample of AGNs at z∼2, support a scenario where BLR winds are connected to galaxy-scale detected outflows, and are therefore capable of affecting the gas in the NLR located at kiloparsec scale distances., With funding from the Spanish government through the "María de Maeztu Unit of Excellence" accreditation (MDM-2017-0737)

Feedback from AGN is thought to be key in shaping the life cycle of their host galaxies by regulating star-formation activity. Therefore, to understand the impact of AGN on star formation, it is essential to trace the molecular gas out of which stars form. In this paper we present the first systematic study of the CO properties of AGN hosts at z~2 for a sample of 27 X-ray selected AGN spanning two orders of magnitude in AGN bolometric luminosity (Lbol= 10^44.7-10^46.9 erg/s) by using ALMA Band 3 observations of the CO(3-2) transition (~1" angular resolution). To search for evidence of AGN feedback on the CO properties of the host galaxies, we compared our AGN with a sample of inactive (i.e., non-AGN) galaxies from the PHIBSS survey with similar redshift, stellar masses, and SFRs. We used the same CO transition as a consistent proxy for the gas mass for the two samples in order to avoid systematics involved when assuming conversion factors. By adopting a Bayesian approach to take upper limits into account, we analyzed CO luminosities as a function of stellar masses and SFRs, as well as the ratio LCO(3-2)/M* (proxy for the gas fraction). The two samples show statistically consistent trends in the LCO(3-2)-Lfir and LCO(3-2)-M* planes. However, there are indications that AGN feature lower CO(3-2) luminosities (0.4-0.7 dex) than inactive galaxies at the 2-3sigma level when we focus on the subset of parameters where the results are better constrained and on the distribution of the mean LCO(3-2)/M*. Therefore, even by conservatively assuming the same excitation factor r31, we would find lower molecular gas masses in AGN, and assuming higher r31 would exacerbate this difference. We interpret our result as a hint of the potential effect of AGN activity (e.g., radiation and outflows), which may be able to heat, excite, dissociate, and/or deplete the gas reservoir of the host galaxies. (abridged), Comment: Key figures: 2, 3, 4. 22 pages, 9 figures (5 in appendices), 3 tables. Accepted for publication in A&A

The SINFONI survey for Unveiling the Physics and Effect of Radiative feedback (SUPER) aims at tracing and characterizing ionized gas outflows and their impact on star formation in a statistical sample of X-ray selected Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) at z$\sim$2. We present the first SINFONI results for a sample of 21 Type-1 AGN spanning a wide range in bolometric luminosity (log $\mathrm{L_{bol}}$ = 45.4-47.9 erg/s). The main aims of this paper are determining the extension of the ionized gas, characterizing the occurrence of AGN-driven outflows, and linking the properties of such outflows with those of the AGN. We use Adaptive Optics-assisted SINFONI observations to trace ionized gas in the extended narrow line region using the [OIII]5007 line. We classify a target as hosting an outflow if its non-parametric velocity of the [OIII] line, $\mathrm{w_{80}}$, is larger than 600 km/s. We study the presence of extended emission using dedicated point-spread function (PSF) observations, after modelling the PSF from the Balmer lines originating from the Broad Line Region. We detect outflows in all the Type-1 AGN sample based on the $\mathrm{w_{80}}$ value from the integrated spectrum, which is in the range 650-2700 km/s. There is a clear positive correlation between $\mathrm{w_{80}}$ and the AGN bolometric luminosity (99% correlation probability), but a weaker correlation with the black hole mass (80% correlation probability). A comparison of the PSF and the [OIII] radial profile shows that the [OIII] emission is spatially resolved for $\sim$35% of the Type-1 sample and the outflows show an extension up to $\sim$6 kpc. The relation between maximum velocity and the bolometric luminosity is consistent with model predictions for shocks from an AGN driven outflow. The escape fraction of the outflowing gas increase with the AGN luminosity, although for most galaxies, this fraction is less than 10%., Accepted for publication in A&A, 34 pages, 14 figures and 5 tables

Theoretical models of galaxy formation suggest that the presence of an active galactic nucleus (AGN) is required to regulate the growth of its host galaxy through feedback mechanisms, produced by e.g. AGN-driven outflows. Although such outflows are common both at low and high redshift, a comprehensive picture is still missing. The peak epoch of galaxy assembly (1, Comment: 28 pages, 8 figures, 5 tables. Accepted for publication in A&A

Although studying outflows in the host galaxies of AGN have become the forefront of extra-galactic astronomy in recent years, estimating the energy associated with these outflows have been a major challenge. Determination of the energy associated with an outflow often involves an assumption of uniform density in the NLR, which span a wide range in literature leading to large systematic uncertainties in energy estimation. In this paper, we present electron density maps for a sample of outflowing and non-outflowing Seyfert galaxies at z, Comment: Accepted for publication in A&A, 16 pages, 10 figures, 2 tables

It is the twentieth anniversary of the publication of the seminal papers by Magorrian et al. and Silk & Rees which, along with other related work, ignited an explosion of publications connecting active galactic nuclei (AGN)-driven outflows to galaxy evolution. With a surge in observations of AGN outflows, studies are attempting to directly test AGN feedback models using the outflow properties. With a focus on outflows traced by optical and CO emission lines, we discuss significant challenges which greatly complicate this task from both an observational and theoretical perspective. We highlight observational uncertainties involved, and the assumptions required, when deriving kinetic coupling efficiencies (i.e., outflow kinetic power as a fraction of AGN luminosity) from typical observations. Based on recent models we demonstrate that extreme caution should taken when comparing observationally-derived kinetic coupling efficiencies to coupling efficiencies from fiducial feedback models., Authors' version (all referee comments addressed). 7 pages + references. Published in Nature Astronomy

Similarly to the cosmic star formation history, the black hole accretion rate density of the Universe peaked at 199% probability of lower depletion time scales and lower molecular gas fractions in AGN hosts with respect to the non-AGN comparison sample. We discuss the implications of these observations on the impact that AGN feedback may have on star formation efficiency of z>1 galaxies., Comment: 12 pages, 5 figures, 3 tables, accepted for publication in MNRAS

Outflows are invoked in co-evolutionary models to link the growth of SMBH and galaxies through feedback phenomena, and from the analysis of both galaxies and Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) samples at z$\sim1-3$, it is becoming clear that powerful winds are quite common in AGN hosts. High-resolution and high S/N observations are needed in order to uncover the physical properties of the wind through kinematics analysis. We exploited VIMOS, SINFONI and Subaru/IRCS Adaptive Optics data to study the kinematics properties on the scale the host galaxy of XID5395, a luminous, X-ray obscured Starburst/Quasar merging system at z$\sim1.5$ detected in the XMM-COSMOS field, and associated with an extreme [O II] emitter (EW$\sim200$ \AA). We mapped, for the first time, at high resolution the kinematics of the [O III] and H$\alpha$ line complexes and linked them with the [O II] emission. The high spatial resolution achieved allowed us to resolve all the components of the SB-QSO system. Our analysis with a resolution of few kpc reveals complexities and asymmetries in and around the nucleus of XID5395. The velocity field measured via non parametric analysis reveals different kinematic components, with maximum blueshifted and redshifted velocities up to $\simeq1300$ km s$^{-1}$, not spatially coincident with the nuclear core. These extreme values of the observed velocities and the spatial location can be explained by the presence of fast moving material. We also spectroscopically confirm the presence of a merging system at the same redshift of the AGN host. We propose that EW as large as $>150$ \AA\ in X-ray selected AGN may be an efficient criterion to isolate objects associated to the short, transition phase of "feedback" in the AGN-galaxy co-evolutionary path, which will subsequently evolve in an unobscured QSO, as suggested from the different observational evidences we accumulated for XID5395., Comment: 16 pages, 13 figures, A&A in press (version to match language editing)

AGN driven outflows are invoked in numerical simulations to reproduce several observed properties of local galaxies. The z > 1 epoch is of particular interest as it was during this time that the volume averaged star formation and the accretion rate of black holes were maximum. Radiatively driven outflows are therefore believed to be common during this epoch. We aim to trace and characterize outflows in AGN hosts with high mass accretion rates at z > 1 using integral field spectroscopy. We obtain spatially-resolved kinematics of the [OIII]5007 line in two targets which reveal the morphology and spatial extension of the outflows. We present J and H+K band SINFONI observations of 5 AGNs at 1.2 < z < 2.2. To maximize the chance of observing radiatively driven outflows, our sample was pre-selected based on peculiar values of the Eddington ratio and the hydrogen column density of the surrounding interstellar medium. We observe high velocity (~600-1900 km/s) and kiloparsec scale extended ionized outflows in at least 3 of our targets, using [OIII]5007 line kinematics tracing the AGN narrow line region. We estimate the total mass of the outflow, the mass outflow rate, and the kinetic power of the outflows based on theoretical models and report on the uncertainties associated with them. We find mass outflow rates of ~1-10 M_sun/yr for the sample presented in this paper. Based on the high star formation rates of the host galaxies, the observed outflow kinetic power and the expected power due to the AGN, we infer that both star formation and AGN radiation could be the dominant source for the outflows. The outflow models suffer from large uncertainties, hence we call for further detailed observations for an accurate determination of the outflow properties to confirm the exact source of these outflows., M.B. and G.L. acknowledge support from the FP7 Career Integration Grant “eEASy: supermassive black holes through cosmic time from current surveys to eROSITA-Euclid Synergies” (CIG 321913)., This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from EDP Sciences via http://dx.doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/201527968