On the Origin of Radio-loudness in Active Galactic Nuclei Using Far-infrared Polarimetric Observations
The dichotomy between radio-loud (RL) and radio-quiet (RQ) active galactic nuclei (AGNs) is thought to be intrinsically related to radio jet production. This difference may be explained by the presence of a strong magnetic field ( B -field) that enhances, or is the cause of, the accretion activity a...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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IOP Publishing
2023-01-01
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| Series: | The Astrophysical Journal |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/accb96 |
| _version_ | 1797694064331587584 |
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| author | Enrique Lopez-Rodriguez Makoto Kishimoto Robert Antonucci Mitchell C. Begelman Noemie Globus Roger Blandford |
| author_facet | Enrique Lopez-Rodriguez Makoto Kishimoto Robert Antonucci Mitchell C. Begelman Noemie Globus Roger Blandford |
| author_sort | Enrique Lopez-Rodriguez |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The dichotomy between radio-loud (RL) and radio-quiet (RQ) active galactic nuclei (AGNs) is thought to be intrinsically related to radio jet production. This difference may be explained by the presence of a strong magnetic field ( B -field) that enhances, or is the cause of, the accretion activity and the jet power. Here we report the first evidence of an intrinsic difference in the polarized dust emission cores of four RL and five RQ obscured AGNs using 89 μ m polarization with SOFIA/HAWC+. We find that the thermal polarized emission increases with the nuclear radio-loudness, R _20 = L _5GHz / L _20 _μ _m . The dust emission cores of RL AGNs are measured to be polarized, ∼5%–11%, while RQ AGNs are unpolarized, <1%. For RQ AGNs, our results are consistent with the observed region being filled with an unmagnetized or highly turbulent disk and/or expanding outflow at scales of 5–130 pc from the AGNs. For RL AGNs, the measured 89 μ m polarization arises primarily from magnetically aligned dust grains associated with a 5–130 pc scale dusty obscuring structure with a toroidal B -field orientation highly offset, 65° ± 22°, with respect to the jet axis. Our results indicate that the size and strength of the B -fields surrounding the AGNs are intrinsically related to the strength of the jet power—the stronger the jet power is, the larger and stronger the toroidal B -field is. The detection of a ≤130 pc scale ordered toroidal B -field suggests that (a) the infalling gas that fuels RL AGNs is magnetized, (b) there is a magnetohydrodynamic wind that collimates the jet, and/or (c) the jet is able to magnetize its surroundings. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T02:52:34Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-c940572bc28f460fa54394523362b4d7 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1538-4357 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T02:52:34Z |
| publishDate | 2023-01-01 |
| publisher | IOP Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | The Astrophysical Journal |
| spelling | doaj.art-c940572bc28f460fa54394523362b4d72023-09-03T15:29:37ZengIOP PublishingThe Astrophysical Journal1538-43572023-01-0195113110.3847/1538-4357/accb96On the Origin of Radio-loudness in Active Galactic Nuclei Using Far-infrared Polarimetric ObservationsEnrique Lopez-Rodriguez0https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5357-6538Makoto Kishimoto1https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2216-3252Robert Antonucci2Mitchell C. Begelman3https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0936-8488Noemie Globus4https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9011-0737Roger Blandford5https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1854-5506Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics & Cosmology (KIPAC), Stanford University , Stanford, CA 94305, USA ; elopezrodriguez@stanford.eduDepartment of Physics, Kyoto Sangyo University , Motoyama, Kamigamo, Kita-ku, Kyoto, 603-8555, JapanDepartment of Physics, University of California, Santa Barbara , Broida Hall, Santa Barbara, CA 93109, USAJILA, University of Colorado and National Institute of Standards and Technology , 440 UCB, Boulder, CO 80309-0440, USA; Department of Astrophysical and Planetary Sciences , 391 UCB, Boulder, CO 80309-0391, USADepartment of Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of California, Santa Cruz , Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA; Center for Computational Astrophysics, Flatiron Institute , Simons Foundation, New York, NY 10003, USAKavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics & Cosmology (KIPAC), Stanford University , Stanford, CA 94305, USA ; elopezrodriguez@stanford.edu; Department of Physics, Stanford University , Stanford, CA 94305, USAThe dichotomy between radio-loud (RL) and radio-quiet (RQ) active galactic nuclei (AGNs) is thought to be intrinsically related to radio jet production. This difference may be explained by the presence of a strong magnetic field ( B -field) that enhances, or is the cause of, the accretion activity and the jet power. Here we report the first evidence of an intrinsic difference in the polarized dust emission cores of four RL and five RQ obscured AGNs using 89 μ m polarization with SOFIA/HAWC+. We find that the thermal polarized emission increases with the nuclear radio-loudness, R _20 = L _5GHz / L _20 _μ _m . The dust emission cores of RL AGNs are measured to be polarized, ∼5%–11%, while RQ AGNs are unpolarized, <1%. For RQ AGNs, our results are consistent with the observed region being filled with an unmagnetized or highly turbulent disk and/or expanding outflow at scales of 5–130 pc from the AGNs. For RL AGNs, the measured 89 μ m polarization arises primarily from magnetically aligned dust grains associated with a 5–130 pc scale dusty obscuring structure with a toroidal B -field orientation highly offset, 65° ± 22°, with respect to the jet axis. Our results indicate that the size and strength of the B -fields surrounding the AGNs are intrinsically related to the strength of the jet power—the stronger the jet power is, the larger and stronger the toroidal B -field is. The detection of a ≤130 pc scale ordered toroidal B -field suggests that (a) the infalling gas that fuels RL AGNs is magnetized, (b) there is a magnetohydrodynamic wind that collimates the jet, and/or (c) the jet is able to magnetize its surroundings.https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/accb96Extragalactic magnetic fieldsSeyfert galaxiesFar infrared astronomyActive galactic nucleiMagnetohydrodynamicsPolarimetry |
| spellingShingle | Enrique Lopez-Rodriguez Makoto Kishimoto Robert Antonucci Mitchell C. Begelman Noemie Globus Roger Blandford On the Origin of Radio-loudness in Active Galactic Nuclei Using Far-infrared Polarimetric Observations The Astrophysical Journal Extragalactic magnetic fields Seyfert galaxies Far infrared astronomy Active galactic nuclei Magnetohydrodynamics Polarimetry |
| title | On the Origin of Radio-loudness in Active Galactic Nuclei Using Far-infrared Polarimetric Observations |
| title_full | On the Origin of Radio-loudness in Active Galactic Nuclei Using Far-infrared Polarimetric Observations |
| title_fullStr | On the Origin of Radio-loudness in Active Galactic Nuclei Using Far-infrared Polarimetric Observations |
| title_full_unstemmed | On the Origin of Radio-loudness in Active Galactic Nuclei Using Far-infrared Polarimetric Observations |
| title_short | On the Origin of Radio-loudness in Active Galactic Nuclei Using Far-infrared Polarimetric Observations |
| title_sort | on the origin of radio loudness in active galactic nuclei using far infrared polarimetric observations |
| topic | Extragalactic magnetic fields Seyfert galaxies Far infrared astronomy Active galactic nuclei Magnetohydrodynamics Polarimetry |
| url | https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/accb96 |
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