FRAMEx. IV. Mechanical Feedback from the Active Galactic Nucleus in NGC 3079
Using the Very Long Baseline Array, we observed the active galactic nucleus (AGN) in NGC 3079 over a span of six months to test for variability in the two main parsec-scale radio components, A and B , which lie on either side of the AGN. We found evidence for positional differences in the positions...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
IOP Publishing
2023-01-01
|
| Series: | The Astrophysical Journal |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/acfeda |
| _version_ | 1797629410296201216 |
|---|---|
| author | Luis C. Fernandez Nathan J. Secrest Megan C. Johnson Travis C. Fischer |
| author_facet | Luis C. Fernandez Nathan J. Secrest Megan C. Johnson Travis C. Fischer |
| author_sort | Luis C. Fernandez |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Using the Very Long Baseline Array, we observed the active galactic nucleus (AGN) in NGC 3079 over a span of six months to test for variability in the two main parsec-scale radio components, A and B , which lie on either side of the AGN. We found evidence for positional differences in the positions of A and B over the six months consistent with the apparent motion of these components extrapolated from older archival data, finding that their projected rate of separation, (0.040 ± 0.003) c , has remained constant since ∼2004 when a slowdown concurrent with a dramatic brightening of source A occurred. This behavior is consistent with an interaction of source A with the interstellar medium (ISM), as has previously been suggested in the literature. We calculated the amount of mechanical feedback on the ISM for both the scenario in which A is an expulsion of material from the central engine and the scenario in which A is a shock front produced by a relativistic jet, the latter of which is favored by several lines of evidence we discuss. We find that the cumulative mechanical feedback on the ISM is between 2 × 10 ^44 and 1 × 10 ^48 erg for the expulsion scenario or between 3 × 10 ^50 and 1 × 10 ^52 erg for the jet scenario. Integrated over the volume-complete Fundamental Reference AGN Monitoring Experiment (FRAMEx) sample, our results imply that jet-mode mechanical feedback plays a negligible role in the energetics of AGNs in the local Universe. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T10:53:55Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-391d500eedd5403d80a972daa1307e66 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1538-4357 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T10:53:55Z |
| publishDate | 2023-01-01 |
| publisher | IOP Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | The Astrophysical Journal |
| spelling | doaj.art-391d500eedd5403d80a972daa1307e662023-11-13T12:27:21ZengIOP PublishingThe Astrophysical Journal1538-43572023-01-0195816110.3847/1538-4357/acfedaFRAMEx. IV. Mechanical Feedback from the Active Galactic Nucleus in NGC 3079Luis C. Fernandez0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0819-3033Nathan J. Secrest1https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4902-8077Megan C. Johnson2https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4146-1618Travis C. Fischer3https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3365-8875Department of Physics and Astronomy, George Mason University , MSN 3F3, 4400 University Drive, Fairfax, VA 22030-4444, USA ; lfernan@gmu.eduU.S. Naval Observatory , 3450 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20392-5420, USAU.S. Naval Observatory , 3450 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20392-5420, USAAURA for ESA, Space Telescope Science Institute , 3700 San Martin Drive, Baltimore, MD 21218, USAUsing the Very Long Baseline Array, we observed the active galactic nucleus (AGN) in NGC 3079 over a span of six months to test for variability in the two main parsec-scale radio components, A and B , which lie on either side of the AGN. We found evidence for positional differences in the positions of A and B over the six months consistent with the apparent motion of these components extrapolated from older archival data, finding that their projected rate of separation, (0.040 ± 0.003) c , has remained constant since ∼2004 when a slowdown concurrent with a dramatic brightening of source A occurred. This behavior is consistent with an interaction of source A with the interstellar medium (ISM), as has previously been suggested in the literature. We calculated the amount of mechanical feedback on the ISM for both the scenario in which A is an expulsion of material from the central engine and the scenario in which A is a shock front produced by a relativistic jet, the latter of which is favored by several lines of evidence we discuss. We find that the cumulative mechanical feedback on the ISM is between 2 × 10 ^44 and 1 × 10 ^48 erg for the expulsion scenario or between 3 × 10 ^50 and 1 × 10 ^52 erg for the jet scenario. Integrated over the volume-complete Fundamental Reference AGN Monitoring Experiment (FRAMEx) sample, our results imply that jet-mode mechanical feedback plays a negligible role in the energetics of AGNs in the local Universe.https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/acfedaActive galactic nucleiX-ray active galactic nucleiRadio active galactic nucleiRadio jetsVery long baseline interferometry |
| spellingShingle | Luis C. Fernandez Nathan J. Secrest Megan C. Johnson Travis C. Fischer FRAMEx. IV. Mechanical Feedback from the Active Galactic Nucleus in NGC 3079 The Astrophysical Journal Active galactic nuclei X-ray active galactic nuclei Radio active galactic nuclei Radio jets Very long baseline interferometry |
| title | FRAMEx. IV. Mechanical Feedback from the Active Galactic Nucleus in NGC 3079 |
| title_full | FRAMEx. IV. Mechanical Feedback from the Active Galactic Nucleus in NGC 3079 |
| title_fullStr | FRAMEx. IV. Mechanical Feedback from the Active Galactic Nucleus in NGC 3079 |
| title_full_unstemmed | FRAMEx. IV. Mechanical Feedback from the Active Galactic Nucleus in NGC 3079 |
| title_short | FRAMEx. IV. Mechanical Feedback from the Active Galactic Nucleus in NGC 3079 |
| title_sort | framex iv mechanical feedback from the active galactic nucleus in ngc 3079 |
| topic | Active galactic nuclei X-ray active galactic nuclei Radio active galactic nuclei Radio jets Very long baseline interferometry |
| url | https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/acfeda |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT luiscfernandez framexivmechanicalfeedbackfromtheactivegalacticnucleusinngc3079 AT nathanjsecrest framexivmechanicalfeedbackfromtheactivegalacticnucleusinngc3079 AT megancjohnson framexivmechanicalfeedbackfromtheactivegalacticnucleusinngc3079 AT traviscfischer framexivmechanicalfeedbackfromtheactivegalacticnucleusinngc3079 |