Context. Warm ionized gas is ubiquitous at the centers of X-ray bright elliptical galaxies. While it is believed to play a key role in the feeding and feedback processes of supermassive black holes, its origins remain under debate. Existing studies have primarily focused on the morphology and kinematics of warm ionized gas. Aims. This work aims to provide a new perspective on warm (∼10 000 K) ionized gas and its connection to X-ray-emitting hot gas (> 106 K) by measuring and comparing their metallicities. Methods. We conducted a joint analysis of 13 massive elliptical galaxies using MUSE/VLT and Chandra observations. Emission-line ratios, including [OIII]/Hβ, [NII]/Hα, were measured using MUSE observations to infer the ionization mechanisms. We derive metallicities of the warm ionized gas using HII, and LINER calibrations. We also computed the warm phase metallicity using X-ray/EUV, and pAGB star models. For two sources at higher redshifts, the direct Te method was also used to measure warm gas metallicities. The metallicity of the hot gas was measured using Chandra X-ray observations. Results. Our observations reveal that most sources exhibit composite ionization, with contributions from both star formation and LINER-like emission. The four sources with the lowest star formation rates in our sample – Centaurus, M87, M84, and Abell 496 – are dominated by LINER emission. A positive linear correlation was found between the gas-phase metallicities of the warm and hot phases, ranging from 0.3 to 1.5 Z⊙. In some sources the warm gas metallicity shows a central drop. A similar radial trend has been reported for the hot gas metallicity in some galaxy clusters. Conclusions. The ionization mechanisms of cooling flow elliptical galaxies are diverse, suggesting multiple channels for powering the warm ionized gas. The positive correlation found in warm and hot gas metallicities suggest the intimate connection between the two gas phases, likely driven by gas cooling and/or mixing. The large variation in the warm gas metallicity further suggests that cold gas mass derived under the assumption of solar metallicity for the CO-to-H2 conversion factor needs to be revised by approximately an order of magnitude.

We present James Webb Space Telescope /Mid-Infrared Instrument imaging of eight nearby active galactic nuclei (AGN) from the GATOS (Galactic Activity, Torus, and Outflow Survey) survey to investigate the physical conditions of extended dust in their narrow-line regions (NLRs). In four galaxies (ESO 428-G14, NGC 4388, NGC 3081, and NGC 5728), we detect spatially resolved dust structures extending '100-200 pc along the NLR. In these systems, we find a strong link between the morphology of the dust, the radio ejecta, and the coronal [Si vi ] emission, implying that dust carries imprints of the processes shaping the NLR. Using spatially resolved spectral energy distributions, we show that dust in the NLR has systematically steeper slopes than star-forming clumps. This dust emits at temperatures in the range 150-220 K , at a distance of similar to 150 pc from the nucleus. Using simple models, we show that, even under optimistic assumptions of grain size and AGN luminosity, the excess mid-infrared emission cannot be explained by AGN illumination alone. We interpret this excess heating as in situ . We show that shocks with velocities v(shock) similar to 200-400 km s(-1) in dense gas can close this gap, and in some cases even account for the total observed emission. This, combined with multiple lines of evidence for shocks in these regions, supports a scenario in which shocks not only coexist with dust but may be playing a key role in heating it. Our findings reveal shocks may be an important and previously overlooked driver of extended dust emission in the central hundreds of parsecs in AGN.

We utilize James Webb Space Telescope/Mid Infrared Instrument (JWST/MIRI) Integral Field Unit observations from the Galaxy Activity, Torus and Outflow Survey to investigate the diverse range of ionized outflow rates of obscured active galactic nuclei (AGN) with similar bolometric luminosity and explore potential associations with AGN feedback. We explore spatial correlations between ionized emission potentially associated with fast shocks ([Fe II](5.34 mu m)) and the excitation of H-2. We further constrain our investigation to the inner 400 pc (the nuclear and circumnuclear regions r < 200 pc), and estimate the excitation temperature and column density of H-2 assuming local thermodynamic equilibrium and using the S(1)-S(8) rotational H-2 emission lines visible to JWST/MIRI spectroscopy. We report the molecular gas temperature of the deprojected 400 pc nuclear region to correlate with the ionized mass outflow rate. We also observe a stronger degree of spatial correlation between [Fe II](5.34 mu m) emission and H-2 gas temperature. We observe regions of enhanced [Fe II](5.34 mu m)/[Ar II](6.99 mu m) spatially coincident with the ionization cones of objects with higher ionized outflow rates and [Fe II](5.34 mu m)/[Ar II](6.99 mu m) in the deprojected 400 pc nuclear region to scale positively with both the ionized outflow rate and the estimated molecular gas temperature. We do not observe the estimated jet cavity power within the central 400 pc as strongly correlated with the ionized mass outflow rate or molecular gas temperature of the nuclear region. We take the preceding observations to suggest a higher degree of interaction between AGN outflows and the circumnuclear disk.

We present new Hubble Space Telescope (HST) imaging of ionised filaments in the brightest group galaxy NGC 5044. These filaments extend several kiloparsecs and have widths of ∼50–120 pc, with some as narrow as those in cluster cores and others broader, reflecting the lower confining pressure in groups. Filament width (W) scales with ambient pressure (P) as W ∝ P^-0.4. Combining HST, ALMA, and MUSE data, we measure column densities and magnetic field strengths. Equipartition fields decline from ∼40 μG at the centre to ∼20 μG at 5 kpc, about 2–3 times weaker than in clusters. Dynamical stability requires stronger radial fields (∼10^2 μG), consistent with simulations and magnetic draping, though such high values exceed Faraday Rotation Measure limits. Turbulence and cosmic rays also contribute support. Group and cluster filaments are stable against gravitational collapse, and ultraviolet imaging reveals no star formation in NGC 5044 (<10^-3 M_⊙ yr^-1). NGC 5044 hosts an ionised gas core within its Bondi radius with n_e ∝ r^-1 and filling factor f ≳ 3 × 10^-3, that is connected to the extended filaments, suggesting a channel for gas inflow toward the black hole. Group and cluster filaments likely share a common origin, with magnetic fields and AGN feedback preserving their structure. Ambient pressure and dust survival regulate molecular gas formation. Lower-pressure groups favour broader, more diffuse filaments with sporadic molecular clumps and weaker dust shielding, whereas higher-pressure clusters host narrower strands with stronger molecular-ionised gas alignment. We predict that (i) filament width scales with ambient pressure, (ii) filament-coincident Faraday rotation structures emerge at ≤ 0.1 kpc resolution, and (iii) molecular/ionised gas co-spatiality is weaker in groups than in clusters.

Galaxy clusters produce a very hostile environment for galaxies: their gas gets stripped by ram pressure, they undergo galaxy interactions, and their star formation is quenched. Clusters, like Abell 2142, grow not only through galaxy accretion but also through galaxy group infall. Our goal was to study the physical and dynamical state of the most conspicuous infalling group, which is located at a projected distance of 1.3 Mpc from the Abell 2142 centre. The galaxy group G is the leading edge of a spectacular 700 kpc long X-ray tail of hot gas stripped by ram pressure. The infalling galaxies are not quenched yet and are ideal objects for studying the transformation processes due to the cluster environment. We used integral field spectroscopy from MaNGA to derive stellar and gas kinematics, and MegaCam for photometry. Stellar populations (with age and metallicity) were obtained through full-spectrum fitting using NBURSTS. The gas kinematics and excitation were derived from the line emission of Hα, [N II], [O III], and Hβ. The group contains four galaxies, two of which are merging and partly superposed on the line of sight. With a simple parametric model for each velocity field, we succeeded in disentangling the contribution of each galaxy and derived their physical state and kinematics. They are primarily rotating discs, but perturbations and out-of-equilibrium gas manifest as regions of elevated dispersion and as tidal tails and loops of intra-group material. All galaxies show sustained star formation, with a global star formation rate of 42 M⊙/yr. We conclude that the long X-ray tail must have come from the hot intra-group medium, present before the group infall, and does not correspond to the ram-pressure stripping of the galaxy gas. Ongoing interactions between the group members enhance the star formation activity by inducing mixing of dense gas from their gas-rich galactic discs.

This Letter presents an analysis of the infrared (∼3–28 μ m) spectra extracted from the nuclear ( r < 150 pc) regions of four low-luminosity active galactic nuclei (AGN), observed by JWST NIRSpec/integral field unit and MIRI/Medium Resolution Spectroscopy as an extension of the Galaxy Activity, Torus, and Outflow Survey. We find that, compared to higher-luminosity AGN, these low-luminosity AGN exhibit distinct properties in their emission of ionized gas, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and molecular hydrogen (H _2 ). Specifically, the low-luminosity AGN exhibit relatively weak high ionization potential lines (e.g., [Ne V ] and [O IV ]), and the line ratios suggest that fast radiative shocks (with v _s of ∼100s km s ^−1 ) are the primary excitation source of ionized gas therein. Under the low-excitation conditions of their nuclear regions, these low-luminosity AGN generally exhibit a higher fraction of PAHs with large size ( N _C ≳ 200), reflecting the preferential destruction of smaller PAH molecules by AGN feedback. Furthermore, the H _2 transitions in these low-luminosity AGN are not fully thermalized, with slow, plausibly jet-driven molecular shocks (with v _s ≤ 10 km s ^−1 ) likely being the extra excitation source. Taken together with results from the literature, these findings indicate that feedback operates in both low- and high-luminosity AGN, although its impact varies with AGN luminosity. In particular, systematic variations in PAH band ratios are found across AGN, demonstrating the differing influence of feedback in AGN of varying luminosities and highlighting the potential of PAH band ratios as diagnostics for distinguishing kinetic- and radiative-mode AGN feedback.

We present a spatially resolved study of cold molecular gas and dust in ten main-sequence galaxies at z=1.1-1.6, using observations of CO(4-3), CO(3-2), [CI](1-0), and dust continuum from the NOEMA3D survey. We find widespread spatially extended molecular gas and dust, with sizes comparable to those of the stellar disk, in contrast to those of centrally dominated starburst galaxies at similar redshifts. Among the targeted molecular gas tracers, the CO line (J=3-2 or J=4-3) remains the most effective for mapping molecular gas distribution and kinematics. The spatially resolved correlations between different molecular gas tracers exhibit about twice the scatter as their galactic-integrated correlations, indicating that interstellar medium (ISM) conditions already deviate from global averages on scales of 3-6 kpc. This likely reflects the clumpy or inhomogeneous ISM in cosmic noon star-forming galaxies. Within our sample, both the molecular gas fraction and its depletion time are nearly constant across the galactic disks out to 2xRe, supporting a global linear Kennicutt-Schmidt law. These galaxies also have relatively small bulges, with bulge-to-total ratios between 6-24

We present new Hubble Space Telescope (HST) imaging of the ionised filaments in the brightest group galaxy NGC 5044, providing the first high-resolution view of such structures in a galaxy group. The filaments extend several kiloparsecs from the centre, with widths of $\sim$ 50-120 pc. Some strands are as narrow as those in cluster cores, while others are broader, consistent with the weaker confining pressure of the intragroup medium. With our limited sample, we find that the filament width (W) roughly scales with ambient pressure (P) as $W \propto P<^>{-0.4}$ . Combining HST with molecular and MUSE observations, we measure column densities and magnetic field strengths. Equipartition magnetic fields decline from $\sim$ 40 $\unicode{x03BC}$ G near the centre to $\sim$ 20 $\unicode{x03BC}$ G at 5 kpc, about 2-3 times weaker than in clusters. Dynamical stability arguments require stronger radial magnetic fields ( $\sim$ 10 $<^>2$ $\unicode{x03BC}$ G), consistent with simulations and magnetic field lines draping and flux freezing around cavities, though such high values may be difficult to reconcile with Faraday Rotation Measure limits. Turbulence and cosmic rays can also provide complementary support. Filaments are stable against gravitational collapse, and ultraviolet imaging reveals no star formation in NGC 5044 ( $\lt$ 10 $<^>{-3}$ M $_\odot$ yr $<^>{-1}$ ), confirming that star formation in filaments in both groups and clusters remains largely quenched. NGC 5044 hosts an ionised gas core within its Bondi radius with $n_e \propto r<^>{-1}$ and filling factor $f \gtrsim 3 \times 10<^>{-3}$ , that is connected to the extended filaments, suggesting a channel for gas inflow toward the black hole. Our results show that group filaments share the same origin and stabilising mechanisms as cluster filaments, with magnetic fields and AGN feedback preserving filamentary structures with ambient pressure and dust survival as key factors for molecular gas formation and survival. Lower pressure groups favour broader, diffuse filaments with sporadic molecular clumps and less dust shielding, while higher pressure clusters host narrower strands with stronger molecular/ionised gas alignment. We predict that (i) filament widths scale with ambient pressure, (ii) filament-coincident Faraday rotation structures should appear at $\leq$ 0.1 kpc resolution, and (iii) molecular/ionised gas co-spatiality is weaker in groups than in clusters.

We present the first spatially resolved kinematic evidence for dust in the outflows of Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN). We utilise observations from JWST with NIRSpec IFU and MIRI MRS data of 10 local Seyferts and use Principal Component Analysis (PCA) tomography to extract the kinematics of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon (PAH) features. PAHs comprise the smallest carbonaceous dust molecules in the Interstellar Medium (ISM), and produce emission features in the infrared providing the potential to measure kinematics. This is however challenging due to their broad shapes and variations in their intrinsic profile, prompting the need for techniques such as PCA tomography. We find that the velocity of the PAHs is similar to the molecular gas as traced by the rotational transitions of H_2, where for NGC 5728 and NGC 7582, both disk and outflow are present. We detect the outflow in the kinematics of large and neutral PAHs, namely the 11.3 μm and 17 μm PAH features, where after subtracting the disk, the velocity field matches that of high-ionisation potential lines such as [NeVI] (7.65 μm, IP = 158 eV). Finally, we fail to detect kinematics of the 6.2 μm PAH due to an altered intrinsic profile while the the 3.3 μm PAH kinematics purely trace the circumnuclear disk. This suggests the PAHs in the outflow are more neutral and larger than in star-forming regions, consistent with PAH band ratios in previous studies of AGN.

We present NOEMA3D, a unique high-resolution study of purely molecular gas kinematics at z ∼ 1.1 to 1.6, providing a dedicated view of cold gas dynamics at the late stages of the peak epoch of cosmic star formation. Using deep (gtrsim 20 hr on source per target) IRAM-NOEMA CO observations of 10 massive (10.45 < log(M^*/M_⊙) < 11.43) ) main-sequence galaxies, complemented by high-resolution JWST imaging, we resolve the molecular gas kinematics and morphology on kiloparsec scales. We find that all galaxies exhibit ordered rotation with moderate intrinsic turbulence (median σ_0 ∼ 32 ± 10 km/s, median V_c/σ_0 ∼ 8.6 ± 2.9), consistent with dynamically turbulent disks at late cosmic noon. After modeling the axisymmetric rotation with the forward-modeling code DysmalPy, we reveal spatially coherent velocity residuals in all but one more inclined system. The inferred in-plane non circular motions reach amplitudes of ∼ 50-100 km/s, significantly larger than typically observed in local disk galaxies. Interpreting these non-circular motions as radial flows we find that the velocity residuals spatially coincide with non-axisymmetric structures – spiral arms and bars – demonstrating a direct link between galaxy morphology and gas transport at z ∼ 1-2. In spiral galaxies, the residual velocity patterns are typically dominated by inflows, while barred systems display an apparent inflow-outflow pattern, characteristic of in-plane bar-driven gas motions. We further find that the inferred molecular gas inflow rates are substantial, with a typical net inflow rate of the order of the star formation rate ( Ṁ∼ -50 M_⊙/yr). This implies that spiral arms and bars at cosmic noon are highly efficient at funneling cold gas toward galaxy centers, perhaps driving the buildup of bulges and feeding central star forming regions and supermassive black holes.

We utilize JWST/MIRI IFU observations from the Galaxy Activity, Torus and Outflow Survey (GATOS) to investigate the diverse range of ionized outflow rates of obscured AGN with similar bolometric luminosity and explore potential associations with AGN feedback. We explore spatial correlations between ionized emission potentially associated with fast shocks ([Fe II]5.34μm) and the excitation of H2. We further constrain our investigation to the inner 400 pc (the nuclear and circumnuclear regions r < 200 pc), and estimate the excitation temperature and column density of H2 assuming local thermodynamic equilibrium (LTE) and using the S(1) to S(8) rotational H2 emission lines visible to JWST/MIRI spectroscopy. We report the molecular gas temperature of the deprojected 400 pc nuclear region to correlate with the ionized mass outflow rate. We also observe the stronger degree of spatial correlation between [Fe II]5.34um emission and H2 gas temperature. We observe regions of enhanced [Fe II]5.34μm / [Ar II]6.99μm spatially coincident with the ionization cones of objects with higher ionized outflow rate and [Fe II]5.34μm / [Ar II]6.99μm in the deprojected 400 pc nuclear region to scale positively with both ionized outflow rate and estimated molecular gas temperature. We do not observe the estimated jet cavity power within the central 400 pc to strongly correlate with the ionized mass outflow rate or molecular gas temperature of the nuclear region. We take the preceding observations to suggest a higher degree of interaction between AGN outflows and the circumnuclear disk.

Recent studies have uncovered a rare population of supermassive (M★ ≳ 1011 M⊙), yet actively star-forming spiral galaxies – super spiral galaxies (SSGs) – whose existence challenges classical mass- and environment-quenching scenarios. We investigate the resolved star-forming and molecular-gas properties of the nearby SSG UGC 8179 (z = 0.052, log(M★/M⊙) = 11.62) in order to assess whether its local star formation (SF) follows the same physical processes as those observed in typical star-forming main-sequence (SFMS) spirals. We combined the first spatially resolved CO(1–0) interferometric observations of an SSG with pixel-by-pixel SED fitting, based on archival UV–to–mid-IR imaging. Our 3″ × 3″ (∼25 kpc2) pixel maps provide spatially resolved measurements of stellar mass, star formation rate (SFR), and molecular gas surface densities across its extended disk. UGC 8179 hosts a massive rotating molecular gas reservoir of MH2 = 1.02 × 1010 M⊙, yielding a standard molecular gas fraction and a typical depletion time of ∼1 Gyr in the region observed by NOEMA, despite its extreme mass. We derive lower limits of log10fmol ≥ −1.61 ± 0.06 and log10τdep ≥ 8.82 ± 0.13 at the scale of the galaxy. The large spatial extent of UGC 8179 enables us to probe low surface-density regimes hardly accessible in nearby disks (Σ★ < 107 M⊙ kpc−2; ΣSFR < 10−3.5 M⊙ yr−1 kpc−2). All three resolved scaling relations (resolved SFMS – rSFMS, resolved Kennicutt Schmidt – rKS, and resolved molecular gas main sequence – rMGMS) are well defined. The rKS slope (0.87 ± 0.09) is broadly consistent with unity, indicating standard local SF processes. The rSFMS shows a shallower global slope (0.80 ± 0.02) due to a central suppression in specific SFR (∼ − 0.5 dex), but a two-component fit restores agreement with literature relations at Σ★ ≲ 107.2 M⊙ kpc−2. This break suggests the influence of a bulge – and possibly a bar – driving a transition to a more dynamically regulated SF regime in the inner disk. A similar flattening in the rMGMS supports this interpretation. UGC 8179 provides evidence that SSGs can sustain standard local SF processes while exhibiting central dynamical regulation at high stellar surface densities. Extending this analysis to our full sample of 19 SSGs and nearby massive unquenched spirals will enable us to test whether such regulation is a common feature among massive unquenched spirals.

The distribution of molecular gas on small scales regulates star formation and the growth of supermassive black holes in galaxy centers. Yet, the role of active galactic nuclei (AGN) feedback in shaping this distribution remains poorly constrained. We investigate how AGNs influence the small-scale structure of molecular gas in galaxy centers by measuring the clumpiness of CO(3 - 2) emission observed with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) in the nuclear regions (50 - 200 pc from the AGNs) of 16 nearby Seyfert galaxies from the Galaxy Activity, Torus, and Outflow Survey (GATOS). To quantify clumpiness we applied three different methods: (1) the median of the pixel-by-pixel contrast between the original and smoothed maps; (2) the ratio of the total excess flux to the total flux, after subtracting the background smoothed emission; and (3) the fraction of total flux coming from clumpy regions, interpreted as the mass fraction in clumps. We find a negative correlation between molecular gas clumpiness and AGN X-ray luminosity (L-X), suggesting that higher AGN activity is associated with smoother gas distributions. All methods reveal a turnover in this relation around L-X = 10(42) erg s(-1), possibly indicating a threshold above which AGN feedback becomes efficient at dispersing dense molecular structures and suppressing future star formation. Our findings provide new observational evidence that AGN feedback can smooth out dense gas structures in galaxy centers.

Active galactic nuclei (AGNs), star formation (SF), and galaxy interactions can drive turbulence in the gas of the interstellar medium (ISM), which, in turn, plays a role in SF taking place within galaxies. The impact on molecular gas is of particular importance, as it serves as the primary fuel for SF. Our goal is to investigate the origin of turbulence and the emission of molecular gas, as well as low-and-intermediate-ionisation gas, in the inner few kpc of both AGN hosts and star-forming galaxies (SFGs). We used archival JWST MIRI/MRS observations of a sample consisting of 54 galaxies at z < 0.1. We present flux measurements for the H2 S(5)λ6.9091 μm, [ArII]λ6.9853 μm, [FeII]λ5.3403 μm, and [ArIII]λ8.9914 μm emission lines along with velocity dispersion estimated by the W80 parameter. For galaxies with coronal line emission, we included measurements of the [MgV]λ5.6098 μm line. We compared the line ratios to photoionisation and shock models to explore the origin of the gas emission. AGNs exhibit broader emission lines than SFGs, with the largest velocity dispersions observed in radio-strong (RS) AGNs. The H2 gas is less turbulent compared to ionised gas, while coronal gas presents higher velocity dispersions. The W80 values for the ionised gas show a decrease when going from the nucleus out to radii of approximately 0.5–1 kpc, followed by an outward increase up to 2–3 kpc. In contrast, the H2 line widths generally display increasing profiles with distance from the center. Correlations between the W80 parameter and line ratios such as H2S(5)/[Ar II] and [Fe II]/[Ar II] indicate that the most turbulent gas is associated with shocks, enhancing H2 and [Fe II] emissions. Based on the observed line ratios and velocity dispersions, the [FeII] emission is consistent with predictions of fast shock models, while the H2 emission is likely associated with molecules formed in the post-shock region. We speculate that these shocked gas regions are produced by AGN outflows and jet-cloud interactions in AGN-dominated sources; whereas in SFGs, they might be created through stellar winds and mergers. This shock-induced gas heating may be an important mechanism of AGN (or stellar) feedback, preventing the gas from cooling and forming new stars.

The distribution of molecular gas on small scales regulates star formation and the growth of supermassive black holes in galaxy centers. Yet, the role of active galactic nuclei (AGN) feedback in shaping this distribution remains poorly constrained. We investigate how AGNs influence the small-scale structure of molecular gas in galaxy centers by measuring the clumpiness of CO(3 − 2) emission observed with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) in the nuclear regions (50 − 200 pc from the AGNs) of 16 nearby Seyfert galaxies from the Galaxy Activity, Torus, and Outflow Survey (GATOS). To quantify clumpiness we applied three different methods: (1) the median of the pixel-by-pixel contrast between the original and smoothed maps; (2) the ratio of the total excess flux to the total flux, after subtracting the background smoothed emission; and (3) the fraction of total flux coming from clumpy regions, interpreted as the mass fraction in clumps. We find a negative correlation between molecular gas clumpiness and AGN X-ray luminosity (LX), suggesting that higher AGN activity is associated with smoother gas distributions. All methods reveal a turnover in this relation around LX = 1042 erg s−1, possibly indicating a threshold above which AGN feedback becomes efficient at dispersing dense molecular structures and suppressing future star formation. Our findings provide new observational evidence that AGN feedback can smooth out dense gas structures in galaxy centers.

Jet–cloud interactions are a key manifestation of active galactic nucleus (AGN) feedback on nuclear scales, which is distinct from the large-scale radio-mode feedback that suppresses gas cooling in galaxy halos. On these smaller scales, radio jets can inject energy and momentum into the interstellar medium (ISM), shaping the physical and kinematic properties of the nuclear and circumnuclear regions of galaxies. Using JWST MIRI/MRS observations of seven nearby radio-loud AGNs (3C 293, 3C 305, Centaurus A, Cygnus A, IC 5063, NGC 1052, and M 87), we investigated jet-driven turbulence in both the warm molecular and ionized gas phases. By combining spatially resolved H2/polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon flux ratios with diagnostic line ratios of the ionized gas, we constrained the dominant H2 excitation processes and assessed the impact of radio jet–ISM interactions on the multiphase gas. We find that radio jets drive increased turbulence in both molecular and ionized (traced by [Fe II], [Ne II], and [Ne III] lines) gas, not only along but also perpendicular to the jet axis, indicating that jet–ISM interactions extend beyond the collimated jet channel and affect the nuclear environment. Strong correlations between the H2/polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon ratio, the H2 excitation temperature, and shock-sensitive ionized-gas tracers indicate that jet-driven shocks dominate the excitation of the H2 rotational lines in most sources. These results indicate that radio jets are a key driver of multiphase ISM kinematics and excitation in nearby radio-loud galaxies.

We present JWST/MIRI imaging of eight nearby Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) from the GATOS survey to investigate the physical conditions of extended dust in their narrow line regions (NLRs). In four galaxies (ESO 428-G14, NGC 4388, NGC 3081, and NGC 5728), we detect spatially resolved dust structures extending 100-200 pc along the NLR. In these systems, we find a strong link between the morphology of the dust, the radio ejecta, and the coronal [Si VI] emission, implying that dust carries imprints of the processes shaping the NLR. Using spatially resolved spectral energy distributions, we show that dust in the NLR has systematically steeper slopes than star forming clumps. This dust emits at temperatures in the range 150 - 220 K, at a distance of 150 pc from the nucleus. Using simple models, we show that, even under optimistic assumptions of grain size and AGN luminosity, the excess MIR emission cannot be explained by AGN illumination alone. We interpret this excess heating as in-situ. We show that shocks with velocities of v_ shock∼ 200- 400 km/s in dense gas can close this gap, and in some cases even account for the total observed emission. This, combined with multiple lines of evidence for shocks in these regions, supports a scenario in which shocks not only coexist with dust but may be playing a key role in heating it. Our findings reveal shocks may be an important and previously overlooked driver of extended dust emission in the central hundreds of parsecs in AGN.

We present a detailed study of the inner regions of NGC 7582, a nearby Seyfert 2 galaxy, from the Galaxy Activity, Torus, and Outflow Survey (GATOS). The galaxy hosts a circumnuclear star-forming disc and an active galactic nucleus (AGN)-driven biconical ionized outflow. Using James Webb Space Telescope Near-Infrared Spectrograph (NIRSpec) and Mid-Infrared Instrument/Medium-Resolution Spectrometer (MIRI/MRS) integral-field spectroscopy, we analyse ionic emission lines spanning a wide range of ionization potentials (IPs, similar to 8-126 eV). Gaussian line-profile fitting reveals kinematic stratification: low-IP species (less than or similar to 20 eV; e.g. [Fe II ], [Ar II ], and [Ne II ]) trace ordered disc rotation with PA similar to -12 +/- 3 degrees, while high-IP species (>= 35 eV; e.g. [O IV ], [Mg IV ], and [Ne V ]) follow the outflow with PA similar to 54 +/- 10 degrees. Outflowing gas exhibits systematically higher velocity dispersions ( 119 +/- 13 km s-1) than the disc ( 78 +/- 11 km s-1), consistent with turbulent or bulk motions. Intermediate-IP lines, [S III ], [Ar III ], and [Ne III ], show contributions from both components, with the outflow characterized by higher dispersion, lower amplitude, and higher velocities in double-Gaussian fits. For these lines, a thin inclined disc plus 1D outflow model enables robust separation and quantification of the disc and outflow velocity fields. The outflow is consistent with a hollow bicone capable of accelerating gas beyond the local escape velocity, implying most material is unlikely to be re-accreted. The ionization cone opening angle shows no dependence on IP, indicating the AGN torus polar regions are largely unobscured. Our study provides new insights into AGN-driven outflows and circumnuclear disc dynamics, offering a framework to disentangle overlapping interstellar medium kinematics in nearby active galaxies.

We investigated the central structure of the S0 galaxy NGC 1553, to understand its origin and the underlying dynamical processes that shape it. The high-resolution integral field spectroscopic data from the Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE) reveal a well-ordered rotation pattern, consisting of a (i) rapidly rotating nuclear disc that is somewhat decoupled from the main disc, and (ii) an inner lens; we collectively refer to these structures as the 'disc-lens'. The central peak in the velocity dispersion indicates the presence of a classical bulge. The nuclear disc is dynamically colder than the surrounding disc, while the lens is dynamically hotter. The higher-order Gauss-Hermite moments, h3 and h4, further characterise the stellar kinematics. An anti-correlation between the line-of-sight velocity and skewness (h3) is consistent with regular rotation. In contrast, the ring-like increase in kurtosis (h(4)) confirms the presence of the nuclear disc component. Unsharp masking of HST images has previously revealed a nuclear bar and faint spiral structures within the central similar to 10 arcsec, supporting the role of secular evolution. The mass-weighted stellar age map reveals an old stellar population in the central regions, with a high metallicity that suggests the in situ formation of the disc-lens from disc material. We discuss possible formation scenarios for the disc-lens, including both minor mergers and secular processes, and examine the influence of the Dorado group environment on NGC 1553. Our findings suggest that the disc-lens in NGC 1553 formed during the early stages of the galaxy's evolution. However, its subsequent development has been shaped by internal and external processes. These results provide new insights into the origin and evolution of kinematically distinct substructures in S0 galaxies.

The polar mid-infrared (MIR) emission detected within tens to hundreds of parsecs in some active galactic nuclei (AGN) has been associated with dusty winds driven away by radiation pressure. The physical characterization of this extended polar emission remains uncertain. Here, we combine 10-21 mu m JWST/Mid-InfRared Instrument (MIRI) imaging observations with 7-25 mu m JWST/MIRI MRS integral field spectroscopic observations of six nearby, D=35.4 +/- 4.6 Mpc, AGN from the GATOS Survey to quantify the nature of the extended MIR emission at similar to 75 pc resolution at 21 mu m. These AGN have similar bolometric luminosities, log10(Lbol[ergs-1])=44.0 +/- 0.3 , span a wide range of optical outflow rates, M= 0.003-0.21 M circle dot yr-1, column densities, log10(NHX-ray[cm-2])= 22.2-24.3, and Eddington ratios, lambda Edd = 0.005-0.06. We cross-correlate the line-only and continuum-only images and find a poor correlation, which indicates that the extended MIR continuum emission is spatially uncorrelated with the warm outflows associated with narrow emission lines within 10-15 mu m. Line emission is resolved along the jet axis, while dust emission is perpendicular to it. The 75-450 pc continuum emission has a fairly constant dust temperature, Td=132-7+7 K, and mass, Md=728-27+29 M circle dot. Using the conditions of energy balance between radiation-pressure and gravity (lambda Edd versus NH), we find that our AGN sample is in the gravitationally bounded regime consistent with no detection of dusty winds. At 10 mu m, the level of extended line emission contribution is correlated with the outflow kinetic energy and mass outflow rates. We find no correlation with the AGN properties. These results indicate that the radio jet may be triggering the gas outflow and line emission, while the extended dust emission is distributed in molecular clouds and/or shocked regions.