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Deconstructing the narrow-line region of the nearest obscured quasar.
- Source :
- Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society; 11/21/2015, Vol. 454 Issue 1, p439-456, 18p
- Publication Year :
- 2015
-
Abstract
- We study the physical and kinematic properties of the narrow-line region (NLR) of the nearest obscured quasar MRK 477 (z = 0.037), using optical and near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy. About 100 emission lines are identified in the optical+NIR spectrum (90 in the optical), including several narrow optical Fe+ lines. To our knowledge, this is the first type 2 active galactic nucleus (AGN) with such a detection. The Fe<superscript>+</superscript> lines can be explained as the natural emission from theNLRphotoionized by theAGN. Coronal line emission can only be confirmed in the NIR spectrum. As in many other AGNs, a significant correlation is found between the lines' full width at half-maximum and the critical density log(ncrit).We propose that it is caused by the outflow. This could be the case in other AGNs. The nuclear jet-induced ionized outflow has been kinematically isolated in many emission lines covering a broad range of ionization potentials and critical densities. It is concentrated within R few×100 pc from the central engine. The outflowing gas is denser (n ≳ 8000 cm<superscript>-3</superscript>) than the ambient non-perturbed gas (n 400-630 cm<superscript>-3</superscript>). This could be due to the compression effect of the jet-induced shocks. Alternatively, we propose that the outflow has been triggered by the jet at R ≲220 pc (possibly at ≲30 pc), and we trace how the impact weakens as it propagates outwards following the radiation-pressure-dominated density gradient. The different kinematic behaviour of [Fe Π] λ1.644 µm suggests that its emission is enhanced by shocks induced by the nuclear outflow/jet and is preferentially emitted at a different, less reddened spatial location. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 00358711
- Volume :
- 454
- Issue :
- 1
- Database :
- Complementary Index
- Journal :
- Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 110609231
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stv1864