GOALS-JWST: Gas Dynamics and Excitation in NGC 7469 Revealed by NIRSpec

• Published in: The Astrophysical journal 2024-04, Vol.965 (2), p.103
• Main Authors: Bianchin, Marina, U, Vivian, Song, Yiqing, Lai, Thomas S.-Y., Remigio, Raymond P., Barcos-Muñoz, Loreto, Díaz-Santos, Tanio, Armus, Lee, Inami, Hanae, Larson, Kirsten L., Evans, Aaron S., Böker, Torsten, Kader, Justin A., Linden, Sean T., Charmandaris, Vassilis, Malkan, Matthew A., Rich, Jeff, Bohn, Thomas, Medling, Anne M., Stierwalt, Sabrina, Mazzarella, Joseph M., Law, David R., Privon, George C., Aalto, Susanne, Appleton, Philip, Brown, Michael J. I., Buiten, Victorine A., Finnerty, Luke, Hayward, Christopher C., Howell, Justin, Iwasawa, Kazushi, Kemper, Francisca, Marshall, Jason, McKinney, Jed, Müller-Sánchez, Francisco, Murphy, Eric J., van der Werf, Paul P., Sanders, David B., Surace, Jason
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Active galactic nuclei; Active galaxies; Dispersion; Emission analysis; Emission lines; Excitation; Galaxies; Galaxy dynamics; Galaxy kinematics; Galaxy nuclei; Galaxy winds; Gas dynamics; Hydrogen recombinations; Inflow; Infrared astronomy; Integral field spectroscopy; Interstellar chemistry; Interstellar gas; Interstellar matter; Interstellar medium; Kinematics; Luminous infrared galaxies; Outflow; Photoionization; Radio jets (astronomy); Seyfert galaxies; Spatial resolution; Spectroscopy; Star formation; Velocity; Velocity distribution
• ISSN: 0004-637X; 1538-4357; 1538-4357
• DOI: 10.3847/1538-4357/ad2a50

We present new JWST NIRSpec integral field spectroscopy (IFS) data for the luminous infrared galaxy NGC 7469, a nearby (70.6 Mpc) active galaxy with a Seyfert 1.5 nucleus that drives a highly ionized gas outflow and a prominent nuclear star-forming ring. Using the superb sensitivity and high spatial resolution of the JWST instrument NIRSpec IFS, we investigate the role of the Seyfert nucleus in the excitation and dynamics of the circumnuclear gas. Our analysis focuses on the [Fe ii ], H 2 , and hydrogen recombination lines that trace the radiation/shocked-excited molecular and ionized interstellar medium around the active galactic nucleus (AGN). We investigate gas excitation through H 2 /Br γ and [Fe ii ]/Pa β emission line ratios and find that photoionization by the AGN dominates within the central 300 pc of the galaxy except in a small region that shows signatures of shock-heated gas; these shock-heated regions are likely associated with a compact radio jet. In addition, the velocity field and velocity dispersion maps reveal complex gas kinematics. Rotation is the dominant feature, but we also identify noncircular motions consistent with gas inflows as traced by the velocity residuals and the spiral pattern in the Pa α velocity dispersion map. The inflow is 2 orders of magnitude higher than the AGN accretion rate. The compact nuclear radio jet has enough power to drive the highly ionized outflow. This scenario suggests that the inflow and outflow are in a self-regulating feeding–feedback process, with a contribution from the radio jet helping to drive the outflow.