Observational signatures of galactic winds powered by active galactic nuclei

Jesse Nims; Eliot Quataert; Claude André Faucher-Giguére

doi:10.1093/mnras/stu2648

Observational signatures of galactic winds powered by active galactic nuclei

Jesse Nims^*, Eliot Quataert, Claude André Faucher-Giguére

^*Corresponding author for this work

Physics and Astronomy

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

107 Scopus citations

Abstract

We predict the observational signatures of galaxy scale outflows powered by active galactic nuclei (AGN). Most of the emission is produced by the forward shock driven into the ambient interstellar medium (ISM) rather than by the reverse shock. AGN-powered galactic winds with energetics suggested by phenomenological feedback arguments should produce spatially extended ~1-10 keV X-ray emission ~10^41-44 erg s^-1, significantly in excess of the spatially extended X-ray emission associated with normal star-forming galaxies. The presence of such emission is a direct test of whether AGN outflows significantly interact with the ISM of their host galaxy. We further show that even radio-quiet quasars should have a radio luminosity comparable to or in excess of the far-infrared-radio correlation of normal star-forming galaxies. This radio emission directly constrains the total kinetic energy flux in AGN-powered galactic winds. Radio emission from AGN wind shocks can also explain the recently highlighted correlations between radio luminosity and the kinematics of AGN narrow-line regions in radio-quiet quasars.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	3612-3622
Number of pages	11
Journal	Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Volume	447
Issue number	4
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stu2648
State	Published - Mar 11 2015

Keywords

Galaxies: active
Galaxies: evolution
Galaxies: formation
Quasars: general

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Astronomy and Astrophysics
Space and Planetary Science

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10.1093/mnras/stu2648

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title = "Observational signatures of galactic winds powered by active galactic nuclei",

abstract = "We predict the observational signatures of galaxy scale outflows powered by active galactic nuclei (AGN). Most of the emission is produced by the forward shock driven into the ambient interstellar medium (ISM) rather than by the reverse shock. AGN-powered galactic winds with energetics suggested by phenomenological feedback arguments should produce spatially extended ~1-10 keV X-ray emission ~1041-44 erg s-1, significantly in excess of the spatially extended X-ray emission associated with normal star-forming galaxies. The presence of such emission is a direct test of whether AGN outflows significantly interact with the ISM of their host galaxy. We further show that even radio-quiet quasars should have a radio luminosity comparable to or in excess of the far-infrared-radio correlation of normal star-forming galaxies. This radio emission directly constrains the total kinetic energy flux in AGN-powered galactic winds. Radio emission from AGN wind shocks can also explain the recently highlighted correlations between radio luminosity and the kinematics of AGN narrow-line regions in radio-quiet quasars.",

keywords = "Galaxies: active, Galaxies: evolution, Galaxies: formation, Quasars: general",

author = "Jesse Nims and Eliot Quataert and Faucher-Gigu{\'e}re, {Claude Andr{\'e}}",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2015 The Authors.",

year = "2015",

month = mar,

day = "11",

doi = "10.1093/mnras/stu2648",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "447",

pages = "3612--3622",

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AU - Nims, Jesse

AU - Quataert, Eliot

AU - Faucher-Giguére, Claude André

PY - 2015/3/11

Y1 - 2015/3/11

N2 - We predict the observational signatures of galaxy scale outflows powered by active galactic nuclei (AGN). Most of the emission is produced by the forward shock driven into the ambient interstellar medium (ISM) rather than by the reverse shock. AGN-powered galactic winds with energetics suggested by phenomenological feedback arguments should produce spatially extended ~1-10 keV X-ray emission ~1041-44 erg s-1, significantly in excess of the spatially extended X-ray emission associated with normal star-forming galaxies. The presence of such emission is a direct test of whether AGN outflows significantly interact with the ISM of their host galaxy. We further show that even radio-quiet quasars should have a radio luminosity comparable to or in excess of the far-infrared-radio correlation of normal star-forming galaxies. This radio emission directly constrains the total kinetic energy flux in AGN-powered galactic winds. Radio emission from AGN wind shocks can also explain the recently highlighted correlations between radio luminosity and the kinematics of AGN narrow-line regions in radio-quiet quasars.

AB - We predict the observational signatures of galaxy scale outflows powered by active galactic nuclei (AGN). Most of the emission is produced by the forward shock driven into the ambient interstellar medium (ISM) rather than by the reverse shock. AGN-powered galactic winds with energetics suggested by phenomenological feedback arguments should produce spatially extended ~1-10 keV X-ray emission ~1041-44 erg s-1, significantly in excess of the spatially extended X-ray emission associated with normal star-forming galaxies. The presence of such emission is a direct test of whether AGN outflows significantly interact with the ISM of their host galaxy. We further show that even radio-quiet quasars should have a radio luminosity comparable to or in excess of the far-infrared-radio correlation of normal star-forming galaxies. This radio emission directly constrains the total kinetic energy flux in AGN-powered galactic winds. Radio emission from AGN wind shocks can also explain the recently highlighted correlations between radio luminosity and the kinematics of AGN narrow-line regions in radio-quiet quasars.

KW - Galaxies: active

KW - Galaxies: evolution

KW - Galaxies: formation

KW - Quasars: general

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DO - 10.1093/mnras/stu2648

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Observational signatures of galactic winds powered by active galactic nuclei

Abstract

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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