Nuclear Activity in Galaxies: a 3D Perspective from the Nucleus to the Outskirts

    General
    Description

    This project consists of two main research lines. First, the study of quasar-driven outflows in luminous and nearby obscured active galactic nuclei (AGN) and the impact that they have on their massive host galaxies (AGN feedback). To do so, we have obtained Gran Telescopio CANARIAS (GTC) infrared and optical observations with the instruments CanariCam, EMIR and MEGARA, as well as with ALMA in the sub-mm/mm regime. Part of this project is being done within the framework of the H2020 Innovative Training Network BID4BEST. The group is also devoted to obtain and exploit observing time with the JWST and ALMA as part of the GATOS consortium (Galactic Activity, Torus and Outflow Survey) with the aim of characterizing nuclear obscuration and the gas flow cycle in local AGN. Second, the application of integral field spectroscopy to the study of extended objects (active and star forming galaxies) to investigate the triggering of both phenomena. We also contribute to the development of new instruments and data analysis procedures related to 3D observing techniques. In particular, we participate in the development of HARMONI, the first-light high-spatial resolution integral field spectrograph for the ESO Extremely Large Telescope.

    Principal investigator
    Project staff
    1. Publication of a letter in MNRAS in which we studied the interplay between the ionized gas winds and the young stellar populations in the type-2 quasar Mrk 34 (Bessiere & Ramos Almeida 2022). We find evidence of positive and negative feedback happening in different parts of the same galaxy, induced by the ionized outflow. This study, part of the QSOFEED project, opens a new window to investigate the direct impact of nuclear activity on star formation in galaxies.

    2. Publication of a detailed study of the ionized and warm molecular gas kinematics in the type-2 quasar J0945+1737, part of the QSOFEED sample (Speranza et al. 2022). We reported measurements of an ionized outflow with a maximum outflow rate of 51 Msun/yr, and lack of its warm molecular counterpart.

    3. The European Network H2020-ITN-2019 "Big Data Applications for Black Hole Evolution Studies" (BID4BEST) started on March, 1st 2020 (end date Feb, 28th 2024). PhD student Giovanna Speranza started her contract at the IAC in September 2020.

    4. The total budget awarded to this project through external funding sources corresponds to 1.152.000 euros (452.000 euros - PI: C. Ramos & 700.000 euros - PI: B. García). This only includes projects starting in or after 2020, and most of the funding has been invested in hiring new researchers. Currently we are the IAC group with larger female participation.

    5. Publication of the two first papers based on the GATOS sample (García-Burillo et al. 2021; Alonso-Herrero et al. 2021). The GATOS collaboration was awarded two JWST proposals in Cycle 1, led by D. Rosario (University of Newcastle, UK) and T. Shimizu (MPE, Germany).

    6. Publication of a study of the morphology and kinematics of the cold molecular in a sample of type-2 quasars (QSO2s) at z=0.1 (Ramos Almeida et al. 2022). The study is based on data from the ALMA interferometer in the mm range, and it is part of the QSOFEED project.

    7. Publication of the work García-Lorenzo et al. (2022), which presents an analysis of the capabilities of HARMONI to reveal the stellar morpho-kinematic properties of the host galaxies of AGNs at cosmic noon.

    Related publications

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      We present subarcsecond resolution infrared (IR) imaging and mid-IR (MIR) spectroscopic observations of the Seyfert 1.9 galaxy NGC 2992, obtained with the Gemini North Telescope and the Gran Telescopio CANARIAS (GTC). The N-band image reveals faint extended emission out to ˜3 kpc, and the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon features detected in the GTC

      García-Bernete, I. et al.

      Advertised on:

      5
      2015
      Citations
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    • BUBBLY: a method for detecting and characterizing interstellar bubbles using Fabry-Perot spectroscopy

      We present a new method for the detection and characterization of expansion in galaxy discs based on Hα Fabry-Perot spectroscopy, taking advantage of the high spatial and velocity resolution of our instrument (GHαFaS). The method analyses multipeaked emission line profiles to find expansion along the line of sight on a point-by-point basis. At this

      Camps-Fariña, A. et al.

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      3
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    • Mass constraints to Sco X-1 from Bowen fluorescence and deep near-infrared spectroscopy

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      4
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    • 3D kinematics of the near-IR HH 223 outflow in L723

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      Advertised on:

      3
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    • Ionized gas kinematics of galaxies in the CALIFA survey. I. Velocity fields, kinematic parameters of the dominant component, and presence of kinematically distinct gaseous systems

      Context. Ionized gas kinematics provide important clues to the dynamical structure of galaxies and hold constraints to the processes driving their evolution. Aims: The motivation of this work is to provide an overall characterization of the kinematic behavior of the ionized gas of the galaxies included in the Calar Alto Legacy Integral field Area

      García-Lorenzo, B. et al.

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      1
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    • Differences between CO- and calcium triplet-derived velocity dispersions in spiral galaxies: evidence for central star formation?

      We examine the stellar velocity dispersions (σ) of a sample of 48 galaxies, 35 of which are spirals, from the Palomar nearby galaxy survey. It is known that for ultra-luminous infrared galaxies (ULIRGs) and merger remnants, the σ derived from the near-infrared CO band heads is smaller than that measured from optical lines, while no discrepancy

      Riffel, R. A. et al.

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      1
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    • Nearby supernova host galaxies from the CALIFA Survey. I. Sample, data analysis, and correlation to star-forming regions

      We use optical integral field spectroscopy (IFS) of nearby supernova (SN) host galaxies (0.005 2.4 Gyr, respectively) than the massive SN Ia hosts (0.04%, 2.01%, and 97.95% in these intervals). We estimate that the low-mass galaxies produce ten times fewer SNe Ia and three times fewer CC SNe than the high-mass group. Therefore the ratio between the

      Galbany, L. et al.

      Advertised on:

      12
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    • Near- to mid-infrared imaging and spectroscopy of two buried AGNs of the nearby merging galaxy NGC 6240 with Subaru/IRCS+AO and GTC/CanariCam

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      Mori, T. I. et al.

      Advertised on:

      10
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    • The dust masses of powerful radio galaxies: clues to the triggering of their activity

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      Tadhunter, C. et al.

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      11
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    • Extended warm gas in the ULIRG Mrk273: Galactic outflows and tidal debris

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      Rodríguez Zaurín, J. et al.

      Advertised on:

      11
      2014
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    • A mid-infrared view of the inner parsecs of the Seyfert galaxy Mrk 1066 using CanariCam/GTC

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      Ramos Almeida, C. et al.

      Advertised on:

      12
      2014
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      28
    • Two physical regimes for the giant H II regions and giant molecular clouds in the Antennae galaxies

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      Zaragoza-Cardiel, J. et al.

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      12
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    • CALIFA: a diameter-selected sample for an integral field spectroscopy galaxy survey

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      Walcher, C. J. et al.

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      9
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    • Polarized Mid-infrared Synchrotron Emission in the Core of Cygnus A

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      Lopez-Rodriguez, E. et al.

      Advertised on:

      10
      2014
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      13
    • Molecular line emission in NGC 1068 imaged with ALMA. I. An AGN-driven outflow in the dense molecular gas

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      García-Burillo, S. et al.

      Advertised on:

      7
      2014
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    • The Mice at play in the CALIFA survey. A case study of a gas-rich major merger between first passage and coalescence

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      Wild, V. et al.

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      7
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    • Kinematic alignment of non-interacting CALIFA galaxies. Quantifying the impact of bars on stellar and ionised gas velocity field orientations

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      Barrera-Ballesteros, J. K. et al.

      Advertised on:

      8
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    • Nuclear 11.3 μm PAH emission in local active galactic nuclei

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      Alonso-Herrero, A. et al.

      Advertised on:

      9
      2014
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    • Synapses of active galactic nuclei:. Comparing X-ray and optical classifications using artificial neural networks

      Context. Many classes of active galactic nuclei (AGN) have been defined entirely through optical wavelengths, while the X-ray spectra have been very useful to investigate their inner regions. However, optical and X-ray results show many discrepancies that have not been fully understood yet. Aims: The main purpose of the present paper is to study

      González-Martín, O. et al.

      Advertised on:

      7
      2014
      Citations
      16
    • Spitzer Mid-IR Spectroscopy of Powerful 2Jy and 3CRR Radio Galaxies. II. AGN Power Indicators and Unification

      It remains uncertain which continuum and emission line diagnostics best indicate the bolometric powers of active galactic nuclei (AGNs), especially given the attenuation caused by the circumnuclear material and the possible contamination by components related to star formation. Here we use mid-IR spectra along with multiwavelength data to

      Dicken, D. et al.

      Advertised on:

      6
      2014
      Citations
      41

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