GOALS-JWST: Resolving the Circumnuclear Gas Dynamics in NGC 7469 in the Mid-infrared

U. Vivian, Thomas Lai, Marina Bianchin, Raymond P. Remigio, Lee Armus, Kirsten L. Larson, Tanio Díaz-Santos, Aaron Evans, Sabrina Stierwalt, David R. Law, Matthew A. Malkan, Sean Linden, Yiqing Song, Paul P. van der Werf, Tianmu Gao, George C. Privon, Anne M. Medling, Loreto Barcos-Muñoz, Christopher C. Hayward, Hanae InamiJeff Rich, Susanne Aalto, Philip Appleton, Thomas Bohn, Torsten Böker, Michael J.I. Brown, Vassilis Charmandaris, Luke Finnerty, Justin Howell, Kazushi Iwasawa, Francisca Kemper, Jason Marshall, Joseph M. Mazzarella, Jed McKinney, Francisco Muller-Sanchez, Eric J. Murphy, David Sanders, Jason Surace

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Abstract

The nearby, luminous infrared galaxy NGC 7469 hosts a Seyfert nucleus with a circumnuclear star-forming ring and is thus the ideal local laboratory for investigating the starburst-AGN (active galactic nucleus) connection in detail. We present integral-field observations of the central 1.3 kpc region in NGC 7469 obtained with the JWST Mid-InfraRed Instrument. Molecular and ionized gas distributions and kinematics at a resolution of ∼100 pc over the 4.9-7.6 μm region are examined to study the gas dynamics influenced by the central AGN. The low-ionization [Fe ii] λ5.34 μm and [Ar ii] λ6.99 μm lines are bright on the nucleus and in the starburst ring, as opposed to H2 S(5) λ6.91 μm, which is strongly peaked at the center and surrounding ISM. The high-ionization [Mg v] line is resolved and shows a broad, blueshifted component associated with the outflow. It has a nearly face-on geometry that is strongly peaked on the nucleus, where it reaches a maximum velocity of −650 km s−1, and extends about 400 pc to the east. Regions of enhanced velocity dispersion in H2 and [Fe ii] ∼ 180 pc from the AGN that also show high L(H2)/L(PAH) and L([Fe ii])/L(Pfα) ratios to the W and N of the nucleus pinpoint regions where the ionized outflow is depositing energy, via shocks, into the dense interstellar medium between the nucleus and the starburst ring. These resolved mid-infrared observations of the nuclear gas dynamics demonstrate the power of JWST and its high-sensitivity integral-field spectroscopic capability to resolve feedback processes around supermassive black holes in the dusty cores of nearby luminous infrared galaxies.

Original languageEnglish
Article numberL5
Number of pages11
JournalThe Astrophysical Journal Letters
Volume940
Issue number1
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 20 Nov 2022
  • ARC Centre of Excellence for All Sky Astrophysics in 3 Dimensions

    Kewley, L. (Primary Chief Investigator (PCI)), Stuart B Wyithe, J. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Sadler, E. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Staveley-Smith, L. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Glazebrook, K. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Jackson, C. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Bland-Hawthorn, J. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Asplund, M. B. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Trott, C. M. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Webster, R. (Chief Investigator (CI)), trenti, M. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Colless, M. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Croom, S. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Ryan-Weber, E. V. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Power, C. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Croton, D. J. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Driver, S. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Abraham, R. (Partner Investigator (PI)), Ball, L. (Partner Investigator (PI)), Bunker, A. (Partner Investigator (PI)), Couch, W. (Partner Investigator (PI)), Dalcanton, J. (Partner Investigator (PI)), Davies, R. L. (Partner Investigator (PI)), Gaensler, B. M. (Partner Investigator (PI)), Hopkins, A. (Partner Investigator (PI)), Kirby, E. (Partner Investigator (PI)), Koribalski, B. (Partner Investigator (PI)), Li, D. (Partner Investigator (PI)), Martin, D. C. (Partner Investigator (PI)), Morales, M. F. (Partner Investigator (PI)), Morganti, R. (Partner Investigator (PI)), Springel, V. (Partner Investigator (PI)), Wise, M. W. (Partner Investigator (PI)) & Karakas, A. (Chief Investigator (CI))

    Monash University – Internal Faculty Contribution

    30/06/1731/12/24

    Project: Research

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