GOALS-JWST: Mid-infrared Spectroscopy of the Nucleus of NGC 7469
Artikel i vetenskaplig tidskrift, 2023

We present mid-infrared spectroscopic observations of the nucleus of the nearby Seyfert galaxy NGC 7469 taken with the MIRI instrument on the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) as part of Directors Discretionary Time Early Release Science program 1328. The high-resolution nuclear spectrum contains 19 emission lines covering a wide range of ionization. The high-ionization lines show broad, blueshifted emission reaching velocities up to 1700 km s−1 and FWHM ranging from ∼500 to 1100 km s−1. The width of the broad emission and the broad-to-narrow line flux ratios correlate with ionization potential. The results suggest a decelerating, stratified, AGN-driven outflow emerging from the nucleus. The estimated mass outflow rate is 1-2 orders of magnitude larger than the current black hole accretion rate needed to power the AGN. Eight pure rotational H2 emission lines are detected with intrinsic widths ranging from FWHM ∼125 to 330 km s−1. We estimate a total mass of warm H2 gas of ∼1.2 × 107 M ⊙ in the central 100 pc. The PAH features are extremely weak in the nuclear spectrum, but a 6.2 μm PAH feature with an equivalent width of ∼0.07 μm and a flux of 2.7 × 10−17 W m−2 is detected. The spectrum is steeply rising in the mid-infrared, with a silicate strength of ∼0.02, significantly smaller than seen in most PG QSOs but comparable to other Seyfert 1s. These early MIRI mid-infrared IFU data highlight the power of JWST to probe the multiphase interstellar media surrounding actively accreting supermassive black holes.

Författare

Lee Armus

California Institute of Technology (Caltech)

Thomas Lai

California Institute of Technology (Caltech)

U. Vivian

University of California at Irvine (UCI)

K. Larson

Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI)

T. Diaz-Santos

Idryma Technologias kai Erevnas (FORTH)

European University Cyprus

Aaron S. Evans

University of Virginia

National Radio Astronomy Observatory

M. A. Malkan

University of California

Jeffrey A. Rich

Carnegie Observatories

Anne M. Medling

ARC Centre of Excellence for All-sky Astrophysics

University of Toledo

David R. Law

Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI)

H. Inami

Hiroshima University

Francisco Muller-Sanchez

University of Memphis

V. Charmandaris

Idryma Technologias kai Erevnas (FORTH)

Panepistimio Kritis

European University Cyprus

P. V.D. van der Werf

Universiteit Leiden

S. Stierwalt

Occidental College

S. T. Linden

University of Massachusetts

G. Privon

University of Florida

National Radio Astronomy Observatory

Loreto Barcos-Munoz

University of Virginia

Christopher C. Hayward

Flatiron Institute

Y. Song

University of Virginia

National Radio Astronomy Observatory

P. Appleton

California Institute of Technology (Caltech)

Susanne Aalto

Chalmers, Rymd-, geo- och miljövetenskap, Astronomi och plasmafysik

Thomas Bohn

Hiroshima University

T. Boker

Europeiska rymdorganisationen (ESA)

Michael J.I. Brown

Monash University

Luke Finnerty

University of California

Justin Howell

California Institute of Technology (Caltech)

K. Iwasawa

Institucio Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avancats

Universitat de Barcelona

F. Kemper

Institucio Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avancats

Institut de Ciències de l'Espai (ICE) - CSIC

J. P. Marshall

Glendale Community College

J. Mazzarella

California Institute of Technology (Caltech)

Jed McKinney

University of Massachusetts

Eric J. Murphy

National Radio Astronomy Observatory

David Sanders

University of Hawaii

J. A. Surace

California Institute of Technology (Caltech)

Astrophysical Journal Letters

2041-8205 (ISSN) 2041-8213 (eISSN)

Vol. 942 2 L37

Ämneskategorier

Subatomär fysik

Astronomi, astrofysik och kosmologi

Atom- och molekylfysik och optik

DOI

10.3847/2041-8213/acac66

Mer information

Senast uppdaterat

2023-12-01