Search

The Breakthrough Listen Initiative has embarked on a comprehensive Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) survey of nearby stars in the Milky Way that is vastly superior to previous efforts as measured by a wide range of different metrics. SETI surveys traditionally ignore the fact that they are sensitive to many background objects, in addition to the foreground target star. In order to better appreciate and exploit the presence of extragalactic objects in the field of view, the aladin sky atlas and NASA/IPAC Extragalactic Database (NED) were employed to make a rudimentary census of extragalactic objects that were serendipitously observed with the 100-m Green Bank Telescope observing at 1.1–1.9 GHz. For 469 target fields [assuming a full width at half-maximum (FWHM) radial field of view of 4.2 arcmin], NED identified a grand total of 143 024 extragalactic objects, including various astrophysical exotica e.g. active galactic nuclei (AGN) of various type, radio galaxies, interacting galaxies, and one confirmed gravitational lens system. Several nearby galaxies, galaxy groups, and galaxy clusters are identified, permitting the parameter space probed by SETI surveys to be significantly extended. Constraints are placed on the luminosity function of potential extraterrestrial transmitters assuming it follows a simple power law and limits on the prevalence of very powerful extraterrestrial transmitters associated with these vast stellar systems are also determined. It is demonstrated that the recent Breakthrough Listen Initiative, and indeed many previous SETI radio surveys, places stronger limits on the prevalence of extraterrestrial intelligence in the distant Universe than is often fully appreciated.

Accretion disc theory predicts that an AGN disc becomes self-gravitating and breaks up into stars at an outer radius $R_{\rm sg}$ ~ 12 light-days, with effectively no free parameter. We present evidence that the longer observed AGN light echoes are all close to 12d in the AGN rest frames. These observations give a stringent test of AGN disc theory. Further monitoring should offer insight into the formation angular momentum of the gas forming the disc. For distant AGN, observed lags significantly longer than 12d give lower limits on their redshifts., Comment: 8 pages, 1 figure, 1 table. Accepted for publication in MNRAS

We present a narrowband [O III] imaging survey of 111 AGN hosts and 17 merging-galaxy systems, in search of distant extended emission-line regions (EELRs) around AGN (either extant or faded). Our data reach deeper than detection from the broadband SDSS data, and cover a wider field than some early emission-line surveys used to study extended structure around AGN. Spectroscopic followup confirms two new distant AGN-ionized clouds, in the merging systems NGC 235 and NGC 5514, projected at 26 and 75 kpc from the nuclei (respectively). We also recover the previously-known region in NGC 7252. These results strengthen the connection between EELRs and tidal features; kinematically quiescent distant EELRs are virtually always photoionized tidal debris. We see them in ~10% of the galaxies in our sample with tidal tails. Energy budgets suggest that the AGN in NGC 5514 has faded by >3 times during the extra light-travel time ~250,000 years from the nucleus to the cloud and then to the observer; strong shock emission in outflows masks the optical signature of the AGN. For NGC 235 our data are consistent with but do not unequivocally require variation over ~85,000 years. In addition to these very distant ionized clouds, luminous and extensive line emission within four galaxies - IC 1481, ESO 362-G08, NGC 5514, and NGC 7679. IC 1481 shows apparent ionization cones, a rare combination with its LINER AGN spectrum. In NGC 5514, we measure a 7-kpc shell expanding at ~370 km/s west of the nucleus., Accepted for MNRAS

NGC~5548 is an X-ray bright Seyfert 1 active galaxy. It exhibits a variety of spectroscopic features in the soft X-ray band, including in particular the absorption by the AGN outflows of a broad range of ionization states, with column densities up to 1E27 /m^2, and having speeds up to several thousand kilometers per second. The known emission features are in broad agreement with photoionized X-ray narrow and broad emission line models. We report on an X-ray spectroscopic study using 1.1 Ms XMM-Newton and 0.9 Ms Chandra grating observations of NGC 5548 spanning two decades. The aim is to search and characterize any potential spectroscopic features in addition to the known primary spectral components that are already modeled in high precision. We detect a weak unidentified excess emission feature at 18.4 Angstrom (18.1 Angstrom in the restframe). The feature is seen at >5 sigma statistical significance taking into account the look elsewhere effect. No known instrumental issues, atomic transitions, and astrophysical effects can explain this excess. The observed intensity of the possible feature seems to anti-correlate in time with the hardness ratio of the source. However, the variability might not be intrinsic, it might be caused by the time-variable obscuration by the outflows. An intriguing possibility is the line emission from charge exchange between a partially ionized outflow and a neutral layer in the same outflow, or in the close environment. Other possibilities, such as emission from a highly-ionized component with high outflowing speed, cannot be fully ruled out., 14 pages, 8 figures, accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysics

Undisturbed galaxy clusters are characterized by a massive and large elliptical galaxy at their center, i.e. the Brightest Cluster Galaxy (BCG). How these central galaxies form is still debated. According to most models, a typical epoch for their assembly is z~1-2. We have performed a detailed multi-wavelength analysis of the core of XDCPJ0044.0-2033 (XDCP0044), one of the most massive and densest galaxy clusters currently known at redshift z~1.6, whose central galaxy population shows high star formation compared to lower-z clusters and an X-ray AGN located close to its center. SINFONI J-, H- and KMOS YJ-, H- bands spectroscopic data have been analyzed, together with deep archival HST photometric data in F105W, F140W, and F160W bands, Chandra X-ray, radio JVLA data at 1-2 GHz, and ALMA band-6 observations. In the central region of the cluster (~70x70 kpc^2), 2 systems of interacting galaxies have been identified and studied (Complex A and B), with a total of 7 confirmed cluster members. These galaxies show perturbed morphologies and 3 of them show signs of AGN activity. In particular, 2 type-1 AGN with typical broad lines have been found at the center of each complex (both of them X-ray obscured and highly accreting; Eddington ratio ~0.5), while a type-2 AGN has been discovered in Complex A. The AGN at the center of Complex B is also detected in X-ray while the other 2 are spatially related to radio emission. The 3 AGN provide one of the closest AGN triple at z>1 revealed so far with a minimum(maximum) projected distance of ~10(40) kpc. The observation of high star formation, merger signatures and nuclear activity in the core of XDCP0044 suggests that all these processes are key ingredients in shaping the nascent BCG. According to our data, XDCP0044 could form a typical massive galaxy of 10^12 Msun, hosting a Black Hole of 2x10^8-10^9 Msun, in a time scale of the order of ~2.5 Gyrs., 15 pages, 10 figures, 5 tables. Accepted to MNRAS in 2020 August 14

We present a detailed analysis of the X-ray, infrared, and carbon monoxide (CO) emission for a sample of 35 local ($z \leq 0.15$), active ($L_X \geq 10^{42}$ erg s$^{-1}$) galaxies. Our goal is to infer the contribution of far-ultraviolet (FUV) radiation from star formation (SF), and X-ray radiation from the active galactic nuclei (AGN), respectively producing photodissociation regions (PDRs) and X-ray dominated regions (XDRs), to the molecular gas heating. To this aim, we exploit the CO spectral line energy distribution (CO SLED) as traced by Herschel, complemented with data from single-dish telescopes for the low-J lines, and high-resolution ALMA images of the mid-J CO emitting region. By comparing our results to the Schmidt-Kennicutt relation, we find no evidence for AGN influence on the cold and low-density gas on kpc-scales. On nuclear (r = 250 pc) scales, we find weak correlations between the CO line ratios and either the FUV or X-ray fluxes: this may indicate that neither SF nor AGN radiation dominates the gas excitation, at least at r = 250 pc. From a comparison of the CO line ratios with PDR and XDR models, we find that PDRs can reproduce observations only in presence of extremely high gas densities ($n > 10^5$ cm$^{-3}$). In the XDR case, instead, the models suggest moderate densities ($n \approx 10^{2-4}$ cm$^{-3}$). We conclude that a mix of the two mechanisms (PDR for the mid-J, XDR or possibly shocks for the high-J) is necessary to explain the observed CO excitation in active galaxies., 25 pages, 19 figures, accepted for publication in MNRAS

The effect of Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) on their host galaxies -- in particular their levels of star formation -- remains one of the key outstanding questions of galaxy evolution. Successful cosmological models of galaxy evolution require a fraction of energy released by an AGN to be redistributed into the interstellar medium to reproduce the observed stellar mass and luminosity function and to prevent the formation of over-massive galaxies. Observations have confirmed that the radio-AGN population is energetically capable of heating and redistributing gas at all phases, however, direct evidence of AGN enhancing or quenching star formation remains rare. With modern, deep radio surveys and large integral field spectroscopy (IFS) surveys, we can detect fainter synchrotron emission from AGN jets and accurately probe the star-forming properties of galaxies, respectively. In this paper, we combine data from the LOw Frequency ARray Two-meter Sky Survey with data from one of the largest optical IFS surveys, Mapping Nearby Galaxies at Apache Point Observatory to probe the star-forming properties of 307 local (z $, Accepted for publication in A&A. 24 pages, 14 figures

The elemental abundances in the broad-line regions of high-redshift quasars trace the chemical evolution in the nuclear regions of massive galaxies in the early universe. In this work, we study metallicity-sensitive broad emission-line flux ratios in rest-frame UV spectra of 25 high-redshift (5.8 < z < 7.5) quasars observed with the VLT/X-shooter and Gemini/GNIRS instruments, ranging over $\log(M_{\rm{BH}}/M_{\odot})= 8.4-9.8$ in black hole mass and $\log(L_{\rm{bol}}/\rm{erg\, s}^{-1})= 46.7-47.7$ in bolometric luminosity. We fit individual spectra and composites generated by binning across quasar properties: bolometric luminosity, black hole mass, and blueshift of the \civ\, line, finding no redshift evolution in the emission-line ratios by comparing our high-redshift quasars to lower-redshift (2.0 < z < 5.0) results presented in the literature. Using Cloudy-based locally optimally-emitting cloud photoionisation model relations between metallicity and emission-line flux ratios, we find the observable properties of the broad emission lines to be consistent with emission from gas clouds with metallicity that are at least 2-4 times solar. Our high-redshift measurements also confirm that the blueshift of the CIV emission line is correlated with its equivalent width, which influences line ratios normalised against CIV. When accounting for the CIV blueshift, we find that the rest-frame UV emission-line flux ratios do not correlate appreciably with the black hole mass or bolometric luminosity., MNRAS accepted, 24 pages, 17 figures, 4 tables

We study molecular outflows in a sample of 25 nearby (z< 0.17, d 300 km/s) molecular gas disconnected from the galaxy rotation, which we attribute to outflows. In 77% of the 26 nuclei with $\log L_{IR}/L_{\odot}>11.8$, we identifid molecular outflows with an average $v_{out}= 490$ km/s, outflow masses $1-35 \times 10^7$ $M_{\odot}$, mass outflow rates $\dot{M}_{out}=6-300$ $M_{\odot}$ yr$^{-1}$, mass-loading factors $η= \dot{M}_{out}/SFR = 0.1-1$, and an average outflow mass escape fraction of 45%. The majority of these outflows (18/20) are spatially resolved with radii of 0.2-0.9 kpc and have short dynamical times ($t_{dyn}=R_{out}/v_{out}$) in the range 0.5-2.8 Myr. The outflow detection rate is higher in nuclei dominated by starbursts (SBs, 14/15=93%) than in active galactic nuclei (AGN, 6/11=55%). Outflows perpendicular to the kinematic major axis are mainly found in interacting SBs. We also find that our sample does not follow the $\dot{M}_{out}$ versus AGN luminosity relation reported in previous works. In our analysis, we include a sample of nearby main-sequence galaxies (SFR = 0.3-17 $M_{\odot}$ yr$^{-1}$) with detected molecular outflows from the PHANGS-ALMA survey to increase the $L_{IR}$ dynamic range. Using these two samples, we find a correlation between the outflow velocity and the SFR, as traced by $L_{IR}$ ($v_{out} \propto SFR^{0.25\pm0.01})$, which is consistent with what was found for the atomic ionised and neutral phases. Using this correlation, and the relation between $M_{out}/R_{out}$ and $v_{out}$, we conclude that these outflows are likely momentum-driven., 27 pages, 23 figures; Appendix: 49 pages, 41 figures. Accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysics. Typo corrected in Table 1 for galaxy 19297-0406

We present multi-wavelength spectral and temporal variability analysis of PKS 0027-426 using optical griz observations from DES (Dark Energy Survey) between 2013-2018 and VOILETTE (VEILS Optical Light curves of Extragalactic TransienT Events) between 2018-2019 and near infrared (NIR) JKs observations from VEILS (VISTAExtragalactic Infrared Legacy Survey) between 2017-2019. Multiple methods of cross-correlation of each combination of light curve provides measurements of possible lags between optical-optical, optical-NIR, and NIR-NIR emission, for each observation season and for the entire observational period. Inter-band time lag measurements consistently suggest either simultaneous emission or delays between emission regions on timescales smaller than the cadences of observations. The colour-magnitude relation between each combination of filters was also studied to determine the spectral behaviour of PKS 0027-426. Our results demonstrate complex colour behaviour that changes between bluer when brighter (BWB), stable when brighter (SWB) and redder when brighter (RWB) trends over different timescales and using different combinations of optical filters. Additional analysis of the optical spectra is performed to provide further understanding of this complex spectral behaviour., Accepted for publication in MNRAS. 33 pages, 28 figures, 11 tables

We present the analysis of the ALMA CO(2-1) emission line and the underlying 1.2 mm continuum of Mrk509 with spatial resolution of 270 pc. This local Seyfert 1.5 galaxy, optically classified as a spheroid, is known to host a ionised disc, a starburst ring, and ionised gas winds on both nuclear and galactic scales. From CO(2-1) we estimate a molecular gas mass $M_{H_2}=1.7\times 10^9\, \rm M_{\odot}$, located within a disc of size 5.2 kpc, with $M_{dyn}$=(2.0$\pm$1.1) $\times$ $10^{10}\, \rm M_{\odot}$ inclined at $44\pm10$ deg. The molecular gas fraction within the disc is $\mu_{gas}=5\%$. The gas kinematics in the nuclear region within r=700 pc suggests the presence of a warped nuclear disc. Both the presence of a molecular disc with ongoing star-formation in a starburst ring, and the signatures of a minor merger, are in agreement with the scenario where galaxy mergers produce gas destabilization, feeding both star-formation and AGN activity. The spatially-resolved Toomre Q-parameter across the molecular disc is in the range $Q_{gas}=0.5-10$, and shows that the disc is marginally unstable across the starburst ring, and stable at nucleus and in a lopsided ring-like structure located inside of the starburst ring. We find complex molecular gas kinematics and significant kinematics perturbations at two locations, one within 300 pc from the nucleus, and one 1.4 kpc away close to the region with high $Q_{gas}$, that we interpret as molecular winds. The total molecular outflow rate is in the range 6.4-17.0 $\rm M_\odot/yr$. The molecular wind total kinetic energy is consistent with a multiphase momentum-conserving wind driven by the AGN with $\dot{P}_{of}/\dot{P}_{rad}$ in the range 0.06-0.5. The spatial overlap of the inner molecular wind with the ionised wind, and their similar velocity suggest a cooling sequence within a multiphase AGN driven wind., Comment: 13 pages, 11 figures, 3 tables Accepted by A&A

This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited., Active galactic nuclei show episodic activity, which can be evident in galaxies that exhibit restarted radio jets. These restarted jets can interact with their environment, leaving signatures in the radio spectral energy distribution. Tracing these signatures requires resolved spectral index measurements over a broad frequency range. We present such a study for the radio galaxy 3C 293. Using the International Low Frequency Array Telescope (ILT), we probe spatial scales as fine as ∼0.2″ at 144 MHz and to constrain the spectrum, we combine these data with Multi-Element Radio Linked Interferometer Network and Very Large Array archival data at frequencies up to 8.4 GHz. In the inner lobes (∼2 kpc), we detect the presence of a compact steep spectrum (CSS) source with a spectral turnover at ∼225 MHz, caused by free-free absorption from the rich surrounding medium. We find evidence of interaction of the lobes with the rich interstellar medium of the host galaxy. The outer lobes (extending up to ∼100 kpc) have a remarkably uniform spatial distribution of spectral index and only mild spectral curvature (of ∼0.2). Overall, it appears that 3C 293 has gone through multiple (two to three) epochs of activity. This study adds 3C 293 to the new sub-group of restarted galaxies with short interruption time periods (≲1 Myr). This is the first time a spatially resolved study has been performed that simultaneously studies a young CSS source as well as the older outer lobes at such low frequencies. © 2021 The Authors. Astronomische Nachrichten published by Wiley-VCH GmbH., With funding from the Spanish government through the Severo Ochoa Centre of Excellence accreditation SEV-2017-0709.

We present a sample of 706, $z < 1.5$ active galactic nuclei (AGNs) selected from optical photometric variability in three of the Dark Energy Survey (DES) deep fields (E2, C3, and X3) over an area of 4.64 deg$^2$. We construct light curves using difference imaging aperture photometry for resolved sources and non-difference imaging PSF photometry for unresolved sources, respectively, and characterize the variability significance. Our DES light curves have a mean cadence of 7 days, a 6 year baseline, and a single-epoch imaging depth of up to $g \sim 24.5$. Using spectral energy distribution (SED) fitting, we find 26 out of total 706 variable galaxies are consistent with dwarf galaxies with a reliable stellar mass estimate ($M_{\ast}, 21 pages, 22 figures incl. 3 appendices; accepted for publication in MNRAS

The most standard scenario for the evolution of massive galaxies across cosmic time assumes a correspondence based on the interplay between active galactic nuclei (AGN) feedback, which injects large amounts of energy into the host environment, and galaxy mergers, with their ability to trigger massive star formation events and accretion onto supermassive black holes. Interacting systems hosting AGN are useful laboratories for obtaining key insights into both phenomena. In this context, we present an analysis of the optical spectral properties of IRAS 20210+1121 (I20210), a merging system at z = 0.056. According to X-ray data, this object comprises two interacting galaxies, each hosting an obscured AGN. The optical spectra confirm the presence of AGN features in both galaxies. In particular, we are able to provide a Seyfert classification for I20210 North. The spectrum of I20120 South shows broad blueshifted components associated with the most intense emission lines that indicate the presence of an ionized outflow, for which we derive a maximum velocity of ∼2000 km s-1, an extension of ∼2 kpc, and a mass rate of ∼0.6 M⊙ yr-1. We also report the existence of an ionized nebular component with v ∼ 1000 km s-1 at ∼6.5 kpc southwards of I20210 South, which can be interpreted as disrupted gas ejected from the host galaxy by the action of the outflow. I20120 therefore exhibits a double obscured AGN, with one of them showing evidence of ongoing events for AGN-powered outflows. Future spatially resolved spectroscopy will allow for an accurate mapping of the gas kinematics in this AGN pair and evaluate the impact of the outflow on both the interstellar medium and the galaxy environment. © ESO 2021., GV, EP, CV, MB, CF and FF acknowledge support from PRIN MIUR project "Black Hole winds and the Baryon Life Cycle of Galaxies: the stone-guest at the galaxy evolution supper", contract #2017PH3WAT. GV also acknowledges financial support from Premiale 2015 MITic (PI: B. Garilli). CRA acknowledges financial support from the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (MCIU) under grant with reference RYC-2014-15779, from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under Marie Skodowska-Curie grant agreement No 860744 (BiD4BESt), from the State Research Agency (AEI-MCINN) of the Spanish MCIU under grants "Feeding and feedback in active galaxies" with reference PID2019-106027GB-C42, "Feeding, feedback and obscuration in active galaxies" with reference AYA2016-76682-C3-2-P, and "Quantifying the impact of quasar feedback on galaxy evolution (QSOFEED)" with reference EUR2020-112266. CRA also acknowledges support from the Consejeria de Economia, Conocimiento y Empleo del Gobierno de Canarias and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) under grant with reference ProID2020010105 and from IAC project P/301404, financed by the Ministry of Science and Innovation, through the State Budget and by the Canary Islands Department of Economy, Knowledge and Employment, through the Regional Budget of the Autonomous Community. Based on observations made with the Italian Telescopio Nazionale Galileo (TNG) operated on the island of La Palma by the Fundacion Galileo Galilei of the INAF (Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica) at the Spanish Observatorio del Roque de los Muchachos of the Instituto de Astrofisica de Canarias. IRAF is distributed by the National Optical Astronomy Observatories, which is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc. (AURA) under cooperative agreement with the National Science Foundation., With funding from the Spanish government through the Severo Ochoa Centre of Excellence accreditation SEV-2017-0709.

During the last years, Ly$\alpha$ nebulae have been routinely detected around high-z, radio-quiet quasars (RQQs) thanks to the advent of sensitive integral field spectrographs. Constraining the physical properties of the Ly$\alpha$ nebulae is crucial for a full understanding of the circum-galactic medium (CGM), which is a venue of feeding and feedback processes. The most luminous quasars are privileged test-beds to study these processes, given their large ionizing fluxes and dense CGM environments in which they are expected to be embedded. We aim at characterizing the rest-frame UV emission lines in the CGM around a hyper-luminous, broad emission line, RQQ at z~3.6, that exhibits powerful outflows at both nuclear and host galaxy scales. We analyze VLT/MUSE observations of the quasar J1538+08 and perform a search for extended UV emission lines to characterize its morphology, emissivity, kinematics and metal content. We report the discovery of a very luminous ($\sim2 \times10^{44}~erg~s^{-1}$), giant Ly$\alpha$ nebula and a likely associated extended CIV nebula. The Ly$\alpha$ nebula emission exhibits moderate blueshift compared with the quasar systemic redshift and large average velocity dispersion ($\sigma_{v}$ ~700 $km~s^{-1}$) across the nebula, while the CIV nebula shows $\sigma_{v}$~$350~km~s^{-1}$. The Ly$\alpha$ line profile exhibits a significant asymmetry towards negative velocity values at 20-30 kpc south of the quasar and is well parameterized by two Gaussian components: a narrow ($\sigma$~$470~km~s^{-1}$) systemic one plus a broad ($\sigma$~1200 $km~s^{-1}$), blueshifted (~1500 $km~s^{-1}$) one. Our analysis of the MUSE observation of J1538+08 reveals metal-enriched CGM around this hyper-luminous quasar and our detection of blueshifted emission in the line profile of the Ly$\alpha$ nebula suggests that powerful nuclear outflows can propagate through the CGM over tens of kpc., Comment: 14 pages, 16 figures, 2 tables. Accepted for publication in A&A Journal

MAGIC Collaboration: et al., M 87 is one of the closest (z = 0.004 36) extragalactic sources emitting at very high energies (VHE, E > 100 GeV). The aim of this work is to locate the region of the VHE gamma-ray emission and to describe the observed broad-band spectral energy distribution (SED) during the low VHE gamma-ray state. The data from M 87 collected between 2012 and 2015 as part of a MAGIC monitoring programme are analysed and combined with multiwavelength data from Fermi-LAT, Chandra, HST, EVN, VLBA, and the Liverpool Telescope. The averaged VHE gamma-ray spectrum can be fitted from ∼100 GeV to ∼10 TeV with a simple power law with a photon index of (−2.41 ± 0.07), while the integral flux above 300 GeV is (1.44±0.13)×10−12cm−2s−1⁠. During the campaign between 2012 and 2015, M 87 is generally found in a low-emission state at all observed wavelengths. The VHE gamma-ray flux from the present 2012–2015M 87 campaign is consistent with a constant flux with some hint of variability (⁠∼3σ⁠) on a daily time-scale in 2013. The low-state gamma-ray emission likely originates from the same region as the flare-state emission. Given the broad-band SED, both a leptonic synchrotron self-Compton and a hybrid photohadronic model reproduce the available data well, even if the latter is preferred. We note, however, that the energy stored in the magnetic field in the leptonic scenario is very low, suggesting a matter-dominated emission region., The financial support of the German BMBF and MPG, the Italian Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN) and Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica (INAF), the Swiss National Fund (SNF), the ERDF under the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (MINECO) (FPA2015-69818-P, FPA2012-36668, FPA2015-68378-P, FPA2015-69210-C6-2-R, FPA2015-69210-C6-4-R, FPA2015-69210-C6-6-R, AYA2015-71042-P, AYA2016-76012-C3-1-P, ESP2015-71662-C2-2-P, FPA2017-90566-REDC), the Indian Department of Atomic Energy, the Japanese JSPS and MEXT, and the Bulgarian Ministry of Education and Science, National RI Roadmap Project DO1-153/28.08.2018, is gratefully acknowledged. This work was also supported by the Spanish Centro de Excelencia ‘Severo Ochoa’ SEV-2016-0588 and SEV2015-0548, and Unidad de Excelencia ‘Maria de Maeztu’ MDM2014-0369, by the Croatian Science Foundation (HrZZ) Project IP-2016-06-9782 and the University of Rijeka Project 13.12.1.3.02, by the DFG Collaborative Research Centers grants SFB823/C4 and SFB876/C3, by the Polish National Research Centre grant UMO2016/22/M/ST9/00382, and by the Brazilian MCTIC, CNPq, and FAPERJ. The Very Long Baseline Array is operated by the National Radio Astronomy Observatory, which is a facility of the National Science Foundation operated under cooperative agreement by Associated Universities, Inc. The work of FM is supported by the ‘Departments of Excellence 2018–2022’ Grant awarded by the Italian Ministry of Education, University and Research (MIUR) (L. 232/2016). His research has made also use of resources provided by the Compagnia di San Paolo for the grant awarded on the BLENV project (S1618 L1 MASF 01) and by the Ministry of Education, Universities and Research for the grant MASF FFABR 17 01. This investigation is supported by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) grants GO4-15096X, AR6-17012X, and GO6-17081X. This work made use of the Swinburne University of Technology software correlator, developed as part of the Australian Major National Research Facilities Programme and operated under licence. Based in part on observations made with the NASA/European Space Agency (ESA) Hubble Space Telescope, obtained at the Space Telescope Science Institute, which is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc., under NASA contract NAS5-26555. These observations are associated with programmes GO 12293, 12671, 13061, and 13759.

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

International audience; The sample of Byurakan–IRAS galaxies (BIG) has been created based on optical identifications of IRAS Point Source Catalog (PSC) at high galactic latitudes. As a result, 1178 galaxies have been identified. 172 of them have been observed spectroscopically with Byurakan Astrophysical Observatory (BAO, Armenia) 2.6 m, Special Astrophysical Observatory (SAO, Russia) 6m and Observatoire de Haute Provence (OHP, France) 1.93 m telescopes. Later on, spectra were obtained for more 83 BIG objects in Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS). We have extracted and studied these spectra, classified them and measured spectral features. Diagnostic diagrams have been built to distinguish starbursts (SB), LINERs and Seyfert galaxies. Cross-correlations weremade for these objects with multiwavelength (MW) catalogues and their physical properties were studied. Among these 83 objects, 55 HII, 8 Seyfert galaxies, 2 LINERs, 4 other AGN, 6 composite spectrum objects, and 8 other emission-line galaxies have been revealed. Three of these objects are Ultra-Luminous InfraRed Galaxies (ULIRG).

We report on the first ALMA observation of the CO(3$-$2) and rest-frame ~340 GHz continuum emission in PDS 456, which is the most luminous, radio-quiet QSO in the local Universe ($z$~0.18), with a bolometric luminosity $L_{\rm Bol}\sim10^{47}$ erg s$^{-1}$. ALMA angular resolution allowed us to map scales as small as ~700 pc. The molecular gas reservoir, traced by the core of the very bright CO(3$-$2) emission line, is distributed in a compact rotating disk, with size of ~1.3 kpc, seen close to face-on ($i$~25 deg). Fast CO(3$-$2) emission in the velocity range $v\in[-1000,+500]$ km s$^{-1}$ is also present. Specifically, we detect several blue-shifted clumps out to ~5 kpc from the nucleus, in addition to a compact ($R\lesssim1.2$ kpc), broad emission component. These components reveal a galaxy-wide molecular outflow, with a total mass $M_{\rm mol}^{\rm out}\sim2.5\times10^8$ $M_{\odot}$ and a mass outflow rate $\dot{M}_{\rm mol}\sim290$ $M_{\odot}$ yr$^{-1}$. The corresponding depletion time is ~8 Myr, shorter than the rate at which the molecular gas is converted into stars, indicating that the detected outflow is potentially able to quench star-formation in the host. The momentum flux of the molecular outflow normalised to the radiative momentum output (i.e. $L_{\rm Bol}/c$) is $\lesssim1$, comparable to that of the X-ray ultra-fast outflow (UFO) detected in PDS 456. This is at odds with the expectations for an energy-conserving expansion suggested for most of the large-scale outflows detected in low-luminosity AGN so far. We suggest three possible scenarios that may explain this observation: (i) in very luminous AGN such as our target the molecular gas phase is tracing only a fraction of the total outflowing mass; (ii) a small coupling between the shocked gas by the UFO and the host-galaxy ISM (iii) AGN radiation pressure may play an important role in driving the outflow., Accepted in A&A

Extended narrow-line regions (NLRs) around active galactic nuclei (AGN) are shaped by the distribution of gas in the host galaxy and by the geometry of the circumnuclear obscuration, and thus they can be used to test the AGN unification model. In this work, we quantify the morphologies of the NLRs in 308 nearby AGN (z = 0 − 0.14, Lbol∼1042.4 − 44.1 erg s−1) from the MaNGA survey. Based on the NLR maps, we find that a large fraction (81 per cent) of these AGN have bi-conical NLR morphology. The distribution of their measured opening angles suggests that the intrinsic opening angles of the ionization cones have a mean value of 85◦–98◦ with a finite spread of 39◦–44◦ (1σ). Our inferred opening angle distribution implies a number ratio of type I to type II AGN of 1:1.6–2.3, consistent with other measurements of the type I/type II ratio at low AGN luminosities. Combining these measurements with the WISE photometry data, we find that redder mid-IR colour (lower effective temperature of dust) corresponds to stronger and narrower photoionized bicones. This relation is in agreement with the unification model that suggests that the bi-conical NLRs are shaped by a toroidal dusty structure within a few pc from the AGN. Furthermore, we find a significant alignment between theminor axis of host galaxy discs andAGNionization cones. Together, these findings suggest that obscuration on both circumnuclear (∼pc) and galactic (∼ kpc) scales is important in shaping and orienting the AGN NLRs.

NGC 3393, a nearby Seyfert 2 galaxy with nuclear radio jets, large-scale and nuclear bars, and a posited secondary supermassive black hole, provides an interesting laboratory to test the physics of inflows and outflows. Here we present and analyse the molecular gas [ALMA observations of CO J:2-1 emission over a field of view (FOV) of 45 arcsec × 45 arcsec, at 0. 56 (143 pc) spatial and 5 kms−1 spectral resolution), ionized gas and stars (GEMINI–GMOS/IFU; over an FOV of 4 arcsec × 5 arcsec, at 0. 62 (159 pc) spatial and 23 km s−1 spectral resolution) in NGC 3393. The ionized gas emission, detected over the complete GEMINI–GMOS FOV, has three identifiable kinematic components. A narrow (σ < 115 km s−1) component present in the complete FOV, which is consistent with rotation in the galaxy disc. A broad (σ > 115 km s−1) redshifted component, detected near the NE and SW radio lobes; which we interpret as a radio jet-driven outflow. And a broad (σ > 115 km s−1) blueshifted component that shows high velocities in a region perpendicular to the radio jet axis; we interpret this as an equatorial outflow. The CO J:2-1 emission is detected in spiral arms on 5–20 arcsec scales, and in two disturbed circumnuclear regions. The molecular kinematics in the spiral arms can be explained by rotation. The highly disturbed kinematics of the inner region can be explained by perturbations induced by the nuclear bar and interactions with the large scale bar. We find no evidence for, but cannot strongly rule out, the presence of the posited secondary black hole.

We present spatially resolved stellar population (SP) age maps, average radial profiles and gradients for the first 62 active galactic nuclei (AGN) observed with Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS)-IV Mapping Nearby Galaxies at Apache Point Observatory (MaNGA) to study the effects of the active nuclei on the star formation history of the host galaxies. These results, derived using the STARLIGHT code, are compared with a control sample of non-active galaxies matching the properties of the AGN hosts. We find that the fraction of young SPs in highluminosity AGN is higher in the inner (R ≤ 0.5 Re) regions when compared with the control sample; low-luminosity AGN, on the other hand, present very similar fractions of young stars to the control sample hosts for the entire studied range (1 Re). The fraction of intermediate-age SP of the AGN hosts increases outwards, with a clear enhancement when compared with the control sample. The inner region of the galaxies (AGN and control galaxies) presents a dominant old SP, whose fraction decreases outwards.We also compare our results (differences between AGN and control galaxies) for the early- and late-type hosts and find no significant differences. In summary, our results suggest that the most luminous AGN seems to have been triggered by a recent supply of gas that has also triggered recent star formation (t ≤40 Myr) in the central region.

The Active Galactic Nuclei (AGNs) show high luminosities ( 109 L ) and emit energy from the accretion disk around the central Supermassive Black Hole (SMBH). The Narrow Line Region (NLR) is the only AGN structure spatially resolved in the optical by current telescopes. It shows extensions typically of a few hundred of parsecs and is formed by low density gaseous clouds (≈10³cm⁻³). In this work, we used data obtained with the Integral Field Unit (IFU) of the Gemini Multi-Object Spectrograph (GMOS) instrument of the Gemini North telescope, to study the gas distribution, excitation and kinematics in the NLR of five nearby Seyfert galaxies (Mrk 6, Mrk 79, Mrk 348, Mrk 607 e Mrk 1058). The data cover the inner 3:005 5:000 – corresponding to physical scales in the range (0,6 to 0,9) (1,5 to 2,2) kpc2 at the galaxy – at a spatial resolution ranging from 110 to 280 pc with a spectral coverage of 4300 – 7100 Å and spectral resolution of ≈ 90 kms⁻¹. We fitted the line profiles at each spaxel by Gaussian curves using adapted versions of the PROFIT routine and constructed maps for the flux distributions, kinematics and intensity line-ratios for the galaxies of our sample. The gas excitation is Seyfert-like over the whole field-of-view in all galaxies. However, we can see ionization gradients of the gas that are correlated with the highest velocities dispersion regions and we have interpreted them as being due to nuclear outflows that reach line-of-sight velocities up to ≈200 kms⁻¹. Bipolar outflows are observed in Mrk 348 and Mrk 79, while in Mrk 1058 only the blueshifted part is clearly observed. Os núcleos ativos de galáxias (AGNs) apresentam altas luminosidades ( 109 L ) e emitem energia a partir do disco de acreção que está circundando o buraco negro supermassivo (SMBH) central. A região de linhas estreitas (NLR) é a única estrutura do AGN espacialmente resolvida no óptico pelos telescópios atuais. Ela apresenta extensões típicas de algumas centenas de parsecs e é formada por nuvens gasosas de baixas densidades ( ≈10³cm⁻³). Neste trabalho utilizamos dados espectroscópicos, obtidos com a unidade de campo integral (IFU) do instrumento Gemini Multi - Object Spectrograph (GMOS) instalado no telescópio Gemini Norte, com o objetivo de estudar a distribuição, excitação e cinemática do gás da NLR de cinco galáxias Seyfert próximas (Mrk 6, Mrk 79, Mrk 348, Mrk 607 e Mrk 1058). O campo de visão de nossas observações corresponde a região central de 3:005 5:000 – equivalente a extensões típicas que variam de (0,6 a 0,9) (1,5 a 2,2) kpc 2 nas galáxias. As resoluções espacial e espectral são, respectivamente, de 110 a 280 pc e ≈ 90 kms⁻¹, para uma cobertura espectral de 4300 – 7100 Å. Utilizamos a rotina PROFIT para ajustar curvas Gaussianas aos perfis das linhas de emissão mais intensas dos espectros. A partir dos ajustes, construímos mapas bidimensionais para as distribuições de fluxo, cinemática do gás e razões de intensidades de linhas para as galáxias da amostra. A emissão do gás é consistente com origem em um gás excitado pela radiação do núcleo Seyfert em todo o campo de visão, para todas as galáxias. Entretando, observa-se gradientes de ionização do gás que estão correlacionados com regiões de maiores dispersão de velocidades as quais são interpretadas como sendo devidas a outflows nucleares que atingem velocidades ao longo da linha de visada de ≈200 kms⁻¹. Outflows bipolares são observados em Mrk 348 e Mrk 79, enquanto em Mrk 1058 apenas um lado (em blueshifts) é claramente observado.

We present the stacking analysis of a sample of 48 QSOs at 4.5, Comment: Accepted in A&A