Double, double, toil, and trouble
Astronomy and Astrophysics, vol. 683, pp. A27
Abstract
Context. Compact obscured nuclei (CONs) are an extremely obscured (NH2 > 1025 cm−2) class of galaxy nuclei thought to exist in 20–40 per cent of nearby (ultra-)luminous infrared galaxies While they have been proposed to represent a key phase of the active galactic nucleus (AGN) feedback cycle, the nature of these CONs – what powers them, their dynamics, and their impact on the host galaxy – remains unknown. Aims. This work analyses the galaxy-scale optical properties of the local CON NGC 4418 (z = 0.00727). The key aims of the study are to understand the impact of nuclear outflows on the host galaxy and infer the power source of its CON. Through the mapping of the galaxy spectra and kinematics, we seek to identify new structures in NGC 4418 to ultimately reveal more about the CON’s history, its impact on the host, and, more generally, the role CONs play in galaxy evolution. Methods. We present new, targeted integral field unit observations of the galaxy with the Multi-Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE). For the first time, we mapped the ionised and neutral gas components of the galaxy, along with their dynamical structure, to reveal several previously unknown features of the galaxy. Results. We confirm the presence of a previously postulated, blueshifted outflow along the minor axis of NGC 4418. We find this outflow to be decelerating and, for the first time, show it to extend in both directions from the nucleus. We report the discovery of two further outflow structures: a redshifted southern outflow connected to a tail of ionised gas surrounding the galaxy and a blueshifted bubble to the north. In addition to these features, we find the [O III] emission reveals the presence of knots across the galaxy, which are consistent with regions of the galaxy that have been photoionised by an AGN. Conclusions. We identify several new features in NGC 4418, including a bubble structure, a reddened outflow, and [O III] knot structures throughout the galaxy. We additionally confirm the presence of a bilateral blueshifted outflow along the minor axis. Based on the properties of these features, we conclude that the CON in NGC 4418 is most likely powered by AGN activity.
Authors 23
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National Radio Astronomy Observatory · University of Florida · University of Virginia
Affiliation as printed
Department of Astronomy, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
Department of Astronomy, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22904, USA
National Radio Astronomy Observatory, Charlottesville, VA 22903, USA
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Institut de Radioastronomie Millimétrique
Affiliation as printed
Institut de radioastronomie millimétrique (IRAM), 300 rue de la Piscine, 38406 Saint-Martin-d'Hères, France
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Affiliation as printed
Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics, Department of Physics and Astronomy, The University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
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Affiliation as printed
Department of Astronomy, University of Virginia, 530 McCormick Road, Charlottesville, VA 22903, USA
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Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique · Collège de France · Université Paris Sciences et Lettres · Observatoire de Paris · Sorbonne Université · Laboratoire d’Etudes du Rayonnement et de la Matière en Astrophysique et Atmosphères
Affiliation as printed
Observatoire de Paris, LERMA, Collège de France, CNRS, PSL University, Sorbonne University, Paris, France
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Foundation for Research and Technology Hellas
Affiliation as printed
Institute of Astrophysics, Foundation for Research and Technology Hellas (FORTH), Heraklion 70013, Greece
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National Radio Astronomy Observatory · University of Virginia
Affiliation as printed
Department of Astronomy, University of Virginia, 530 McCormick Road, Charlottesville, VA 22903, USA
National Radio Astronomy Observatory, 520 Edgemont Road, Char-lottesville, VA 22903, USA
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Affiliation as printed
Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Keble Road, Oxford OX1 3RH, UK
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King Abdulaziz University · Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy
Affiliation as printed
Astronomy Department, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz Uni-versity, PO Box 80203, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie, Auf dem Hügel 69, 53121 Bonn, Germany
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National Institutes of Natural Sciences · National Astronomical Observatory of Japan
Affiliation as printed
National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, National Institutes of Natural Sciences (NINS), 2-21-1 Osawa, Mitaka, Tokyo 181-8588, Japan
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Atacama Large Millimeter Submillimeter Array · European Southern Observatory
Affiliation as printed
European Southern Observatory, Alonso de Córdova, 3107, Vitacura, Santiago 763-0355, Chile
Joint ALMA Observatory, Alonso de Córdova, 3107 Vitacura, San-tiago 763-0355, Chile
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Affiliation as printed
Department of Astronomy, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1, Hongo, Bunkyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
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Peking University · Universidad Diego Portales
Affiliation as printed
Kavli Institute for Astronomy and Astrophysics, Peking University, Beijing 100871, PR China
Núcleo de Astronomía de la Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad Diego Portales, Av. Ejército Libertador 441, Santiago 22, Chile
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National Radio Astronomy Observatory
Affiliation as printed
National Radio Astronomy Observatory, Charlottesville, VA 22903, USA
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Leiden University · Leiden Observatory · University College London
Affiliation as printed
Department of Physics and Astronomy, University College London, Gower Street, WC1E 6BT London, UK
Leiden Observatory, Leiden University, PO Box 9513, 2300 RA Lei-den, The Netherlands
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