July 28, 2025 to August 1, 2025
Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics
America/Toronto timezone

Complex Dynamics of Stars and Nebular Gas in Active Galaxies Centred in Cooling X-ray Atmospheres

Jul 30, 2025, 11:30 a.m.
10m
PI/1-100 - Theatre (Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics)

PI/1-100 - Theatre

Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics

190
Contributed Talk

Speaker

Marie-Joëlle Gingras (Waterloo Centre for Astrophysics, University of Waterloo)

Description

Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) feedback is known to play a key role in galaxy evolution and in regulating star formation. Studying the interplay between the central AGN and the different gas phases permeating galaxies is crucial to further our understanding of this powerful mechanism. We have observed the central regions of four brightest cluster galaxies at optical wavelengths using the Keck Cosmic Web Imager. With the high-resolution integral field unit data obtained from these observations, we map the fluxes and velocities of both emission lines and stellar absorption lines. This allows for a detailed tracing of gas cooling in galaxy centres. These galaxies have extensive X-ray and radio observations, allowing us to compare the dynamics of different gas phases and to study their interactions. Nebular emission extends up to tens of kiloparsecs from the central cluster galaxies of Abell 1835, PKS 0745-191, Abell 262, and RX J0820.9+0752. With the stellar continua, we map the kinematics and ages of the stars, learning about the systems’ star formation histories. Our findings highlight the complex stellar and gas dynamics which can be induced by radio-mechanical feedback. Surprisingly, three of the four systems have substantial (~ 150 km/s) velocity differences between their central galaxy and its associated nebular gas. This shows that the central galaxy is not at rest with respect to its surrounding nebula. In PKS 0745-191 and Abell 1835, nebular gas is churned up by buoyantly rising bubbles and jets. The churned gas is also surrounded by larger scale, lower velocity dispersion nebular emission. These complex motions will affect thermally unstable cooling, the interactions between the AGN and its atmosphere and how jet energy dissipates in its surroundings. These novel results highlight the deeply complex dynamics of AGN feedback and the multiphase gas in the centre of massive galaxies.

Primary Theme Hot gas to cold gas
Secondary Theme Galactic to intergalactic scales
Presenter's Name Marie-Joëlle Gingras
Presenter's Email Address [email protected]
Keywords nebulae, star formation, cooling flows, ICM, galaxy kinematics, AGN feedback
Recording Permission YES
Virtual Audience Permission YES
Photography Permission YES
If your talk is not accepted for a contributed talk, would you be interested in presenting a fireslide/lightning talk? Yes
If your fireslide/lighting talk is not accepted, would you be interested in presenting a poster? Yes

Author

Marie-Joëlle Gingras (Waterloo Centre for Astrophysics, University of Waterloo)

Co-authors

Alison L. Coil (Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of California, San Diego) Brian R. McNamara (Waterloo Centre for Astrophysics, University of Waterloo) Serena Perrotta (Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of California, San Diego) Fabrizio Brighenti (Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia, Universitá di Bologna; Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of California Observatories/Lick Observatory) Helen R. Russell (School of Physics & Astronomy, University of Nottingham) Muzi Li (Waterloo Centre for Astrophysics, University of Waterloo) S. Peng Oh (Department of Physics, University of California, Santa Barbara) Wenmeng Ning (Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of California, San Diego; Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California)

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External references