A spectacular galactic scale magnetohydrodynamic powered wind in ESO 320-G030
Journal article, 2024
How galaxies regulate nuclear growth through gas accretion by supermassive black holes (SMBHs) is one of the most fundamental questions in galaxy evolution. One potential way to regulate nuclear growth is through a galactic wind that removes gas from the nucleus. It is unclear whether galactic winds are powered by jets, mechanical winds, radiation, or via magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) processes. Compact obscured nuclei represent a significant phase of galactic nuclear growth. These galaxies hide growing SMBHs or unusual starbursts in their very opaque, extremely compact (r < 100 pc) centres. They are found in approximately 30% of the luminous and ultra-luminous infrared galaxy population. Here, we present high-resolution ALMA observations (∼30 mas, ∼5 pc) of ground-state and vibrationally excited HCN towards ESO 320-G030 (IRAS 11506-3851). ESO 320-G030 is an isolated luminous infrared galaxy known to host a compact obscured nucleus and a kiloparsec-scale molecular wind. Our analysis of these high-resolution observations excludes the possibility of a starburst-driven wind, a mechanically or energy driven active galactic nucleus wind, and exposes a molecular MDH wind. These results imply that the nuclear evolution of galaxies and the growth of SMBHs are similar to the growth of hot cores or protostars where gravitational collapse of the nuclear torus drives a MHD wind. These results mean galaxies are capable, in part, of regulating the evolution of their nuclei without feedback.
galaxies: nuclei
galaxies: evolution
galaxies: clusters: individual: ESO 320-G030
galaxies: ISM
galaxies: structure
Author
Mark Gorski
Chalmers, Space, Earth and Environment, Astronomy and Plasmaphysics
Northwestern University
Susanne Aalto
Chalmers, Space, Earth and Environment, Astronomy and Plasmaphysics
Sabine König
Chalmers, Space, Earth and Environment, Onsala Space Observatory
Clare Wethers
Chalmers, Space, Earth and Environment, Astronomy and Plasmaphysics
Chentao Yang
Chalmers, Space, Earth and Environment, Astronomy and Plasmaphysics
Sebastien Muller
Chalmers, Space, Earth and Environment, Onsala Space Observatory
Kyoko Onishi
National Astronomical Observatory of Japan
Chalmers, Space, Earth and Environment, Astronomy and Plasmaphysics
Mamiko Sato
Chalmers, Space, Earth and Environment, Astronomy and Plasmaphysics
Niklas Falstad
Chalmers, Space, Earth and Environment, Astronomy and Plasmaphysics
J. G. Mangum
National Radio Astronomy Observatory
S. T. Linden
University of Massachusetts
F. Combes
Paris Observatory
S. Martin
Atacama Large Millimeter-submillimeter Array (ALMA)
European Southern Observatory Santiago
M. Imanishi
National Astronomical Observatory of Japan
K. Wada
Kagoshima University
Loreto Barcos-Munoz
National Radio Astronomy Observatory
University of Virginia
F. Stanley
Institut de Radioastronomie Millimétrique (IRAM)
S. G. Burillo
Spanish National Observatory (OAN)
P. van der Werf
Leiden University
A. S. Evans
University of Virginia
National Radio Astronomy Observatory
C. Henkel
Xinjiang Astronomical Observatory
Max Planck Society
King Abdulaziz University
Serena Viti
University College London (UCL)
Leiden University
N. Harada
National Astronomical Observatory of Japan
The Graduate University for Advanced Studies (SOKENDAI)
T. Diaz-Santos
Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas (FORTH)
European University Cyprus
J. S. Gallagher III
University of Wisconsin Madison
E. Gonzalez-Alfonso
University of Alcalá
Astronomy and Astrophysics
0004-6361 (ISSN) 1432-0746 (eISSN)
Vol. 684 L11Molecules as Diagnostic Tools for Active and Obscured Galaxies
Swedish Research Council (VR) (2011-4143), 2012-01-01 -- 2014-12-31.
Subject Categories
Astronomy, Astrophysics and Cosmology
Infrastructure
Onsala Space Observatory
DOI
10.1051/0004-6361/202348821