We present NOEMA CO(2–1) observations of a nearby, young, low-luminosity radio source, B2 0258+35. Our earlier CO(1–0) study had shown the presence of strong jet-ISM interaction and a massive molecular gas outflow involving 75% of the circumnuclear gas. Our follow-up CO(2–1) observations have revealed even more complex gas kinematics, where the southern radio jet is driving out molecular gas in the form of a swiftly expanding bubble, with velocities up to almost 400 km s−1. We found highly elevated CO(2–1)/CO(1–0) line ratios for the gas belonging to the bubble and also further away from the radio jets. Previous observations have shown that the active galactic nucleus (AGN) in the host galaxy, NGC 1167, is in a very low-accretion state. Thus, we attribute the high line ratios to the high gas excitation caused by the jet–ISM interaction. The radio jets, despite exhibiting a relatively low luminosity (1.3 × 1044 erg s−1), are solely responsible for the observed extreme gas kinematics. This is one of the clearest detections of an expanding cold gas bubble in such a type of source, showing that the jets are affecting both the kinematics and physicals conditions of the gas. Our study adds to the growing store of evidence that low-luminosity radio sources can also affect the kinematics and physical conditions of the cold gas, which fuels star formation, in their host galaxies to a significant extent. Hence, such sources should be considered in models seeking to quantify feedback from radio AGN.

ABSTRACT The impact of winds and jet-inflated bubbles driven by active galactic nuclei (AGN) are believed to significantly affect the host galaxy’s interstellar medium (ISM) and regulate star formation. To explore this scenario, we perform a suite of hydrodynamic simulations to model the interaction between turbulent star-forming clouds and highly pressurized AGN-driven outflows, focusing on the effects of self-gravity. Our results demonstrate that the cloudlets fragmented by the wind can become gravitationally bound, significantly increasing their survival time. While external pressurization leads to a global collapse of the clouds in cases of weaker winds ($10^{42}\!-\!10^{43}~{\rm erg\, s^{-1}}$), higher power winds ($10^{44}\!-\!10^{45}~{\rm erg\, s^{-1}}$) disperse the gas and cause localized collapse of the cloudlets. We also demonstrate that a kinetic energy-dominated wind is more efficient in accelerating and dispersing the gas than a thermal wind with the same power. The interaction can give rise to multiphase outflows with velocities ranging from a few 100 to several 1000 ${\rm km\, s^{-1}}$. The mass outflow rates are tightly correlated with the wind power, which we explain by an ablation-based mass-loss model. Moreover, the velocity dispersion and the virial parameter of the cloud material can increase by up to one order of magnitude through the effect of the wind. Even though the wind can suppress or quench star formation for about 1 Myr during the initial interaction, a substantial number of gravitationally bound dense cloudlets manage to shield themselves from the wind’s influence and subsequently undergo rapid gravitational collapse, leading to an enhanced star formation rate.

The physical link between AGN activity and the suppression of star formation in their host galaxies is one of the major open questions of the AGN feedback scenario. The Spitzer space mission revealed a subset of powerful nearby radio galaxies with unusually bright line emission from warm (T ≥ 100 K) molecular hydrogen, while typical star-formation tracers such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) or a dust continuum have been exceptionally faint or undetected. Here, we present JWST NIRSpec and MIRI MRS IFU observations of one of the best studied galaxies of this class, 3C 326 N at z = 0.09. We identified a total of 19 lines of the S, O, and Q series of ro-vibrational H2 emission with NIRSpec at a 0.11″ spatial resolution, probing a small quantity (1.4 × 104 M⊙) of gas at temperatures of T ∼ 1000 K. We also mapped the rotational mid-infrared lines of H2 0–0 S(3), S(5), and S(6) at a spatial resolution of 0.4″ with MIRI/MRS, probing most of the 2 × 109 M⊙ of warm H2 in this galaxy. The CO band heads show a stellar component consistent with a ‘slow-rotator’ that is typical of a massive (3 × 1011 M⊙) galaxy, offering a reliable systemic redshift of z = 0.08979 ± 0.0003. The extended line emission shows a bipolar bubble expanding through the molecular disk at velocities of up to 380 km s−1, delineated by several bright clumps along the northern outer rim, potentially coming from gas fragmentation. Throughout the disk, H2 is very broadly dispersed, with an FWHM of ∼100 − 1300 km s−1 and complex, dual-component Gaussian line profiles. The extended [FeII]λ1.644 and Paα follow the same morphology, however, [NeIII]λ15.56 is more symmetric about the nucleus. We show that most of the gas (with the exception of [NeIII]λ15.56) is predominantly heated by shocks driven by the radio jets into the gas, both for the ro-vibrational and rotational H2 lines. In addition, the accompanying line broadening is sufficient to suppress star formation in the molecular gas. We also compared the morphology and kinematics of the rotational and ro-vibrational lines, finding the latter to be a good proxy to the global morphology and kinematic properties of the former in strongly turbulent environments. This demonstrates the potential of using the higher frequency ro-vibrational lines in studying turbulent molecular gas. Provided they are bright enough, they would allow us to examine turbulence in galaxies during the early phases of cosmic history, while most rotational lines are red-shifted out of the MIRI bandpass for z ≥ 1.5.

We present an analysis of new VLT/MUSE optical imaging spectroscopic data of 2MASX J23453268–0449256 (J2345–0449), a nearby ( z = 0.0755) massive ( M stellar = 4 × 10 11 M ⊙ ) spiral galaxy. This is a particularly interesting source for a study of active galactic nucleus (AGN) feedback since it hosts two pairs of bright, giant radio jets and a massive, luminous X-ray halo, but it has no massive bulge. The galaxy has a 24 kpc wide ring of molecular gas, and a source-averaged star formation rate that is factors 30 to 70 lower than expected from the Kennicutt-Schmidt law. With MUSE, we have analyzed the stellar continuum and bright optical line emission and have constrained the spatially resolved past and present star formation on scales of approximately 1 kpc. More than 93% of the stellar mass formed ≥10 Gyrs ago including in the disk. Optical emission from the AGN is very faint and contributes 2% of the continuum around the nucleus at most. Most line emission is predominantly excited by shocks and old stellar populations except in 13 young star-forming regions that formed ≤11 Myrs ago, of which only seven are associated with the molecular ring (the others are at larger radii). They avoid a region of high electron densities aligned with the radio source, and form stars at efficiencies that are comparable to those in normal spiral galaxies. We discuss the implications of our findings for the regulation of star formation in galaxies through AGN feedback in the absence of competing mechanisms related to the presence of a massive stellar bulge, such as morphological quenching.

In order to investigate the impact of radio jets on the interstellar medium (ISM) of galaxies hosting active galactic nuclei (AGN), we present subarcsecond resolution Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) CO(2-1) and CO(3-2) observations of the Teacup galaxy. This is a nearby ($D_{\rm L}$=388 Mpc) radio-quiet type-2 quasar (QSO2) with a compact radio jet ($P_{\rm jet}\approx$10$^{43}$ erg s$^{-1}$) that subtends a small angle from the molecular gas disc. Enhanced emission line widths perpendicular to the jet orientation have been reported for several nearby AGN for the ionised gas. For the molecular gas in the Teacup, not only do we find this enhancement in the velocity dispersion but also a higher brightness temperature ratio (T32/T21) perpendicular to the radio jet compared to the ratios found in the galaxy disc. Our results and the comparison with simulations suggest that the radio jet is compressing and accelerating the molecular gas, and driving a lateral outflow that shows enhanced velocity dispersion and higher gas excitation. These results provide further evidence that the coupling between the jet and the ISM is relevant to AGN feedback even in the case of radio-quiet galaxies.

The energy emitted by active galactic nuclei (AGNs) may provide a self-regulating process (AGN feedback) that shapes the evolution of galaxies. This is believed to operate along two modes, namely on galactic scales by clearing the interstellar medium via outflows, and on circumgalactic scales by preventing the cooling and accretion of gas onto the host galaxy. Radio jets associated with radiatively inefficient AGNs are known to contribute to the latter mode of feedback. However, such jets could also play a role on circumnuclear and galactic scales, blurring the distinction between the two modes. We have discovered a spatially resolved, massive molecular outflow, carrying ~75% of the gas in the central region of the host galaxy of a radiatively inefficient AGN. The outflow coincides with the radio jet 540 pc offset from the core, unambiguously pointing to the jet as the driver of this phenomenon. The modest luminosity of the radio source ( L 1.4 GHz = 2.1 × 10 23 W Hz −1 ) confirms predictions of simulations that jets of low-luminosity radio sources carry enough power to drive such outflows. Including kiloparsec-scale feedback from such sources, which comprise the majority of the radio AGN population, in cosmological simulations may assist in resolving some of their limitations.

We report the results of joint Chandra/ACIS - NuSTAR deep observations of NGC 1167, the host galaxy of the young radio jet B2 0258+35. In the ACIS data we detect X-ray emission, extended both along and orthogonal to the jet. At the end of the SE radio jet, we find lower-energy X-ray emission that coincides with a region of CO turbulence and fast outflow motions. This suggests that the hot Interstellar Medium (ISM) may be compressed by the jet and molecular outflow, resulting in more efficient cooling. Hydrodynamic simulations of jet-ISM interaction tailored to NGC 1167 are in agreement with this conclusion and with the overall morphology and spectra of the X-ray emission. The faint hard nuclear source detected with Chandra and the stringent NuSTAR upper limits on the harder X-ray emission show that the active galactic nucleus (AGN) in NGC 1167 is in a very low-accretion state. However, the characteristics of the extended X-ray emission are more consonant to those of luminous Compton Thick AGNs, suggesting that we may be observing the remnants of a past high accretion rate episode, with sustained strong activity lasting 2 x 103 yr. We conclude that NGC1167 is presently a LINER, but was an AGN in the past, given the properties of the extended X-ray emission and their similarity with those of CT AGN extended emission.

Relativistic jets are believed to have a substantial impact on the gas dynamics and evolution of the interstellar medium (ISM) of their host galaxies. In this paper, we aim to draw a link between the simulations and the observable signatures of jet-ISM interactions by analyzing the emission morphology and gas kinematics resulting from jet-induced shocks in simulated disc and spherical systems. We find that the jet-induced laterally expanding forward shock of the energy bubble sweeping through the ISM causes large-scale outflows, creating shocked emission and high-velocity dispersion in the entire nuclear regions (∼2 kpcs) of their hosts. The jetted systems exhibit larger velocity widths (> 800 kms−1), broader Position-Velocity maps and distorted symmetry in the disc’s projected velocities than systems without a jet. We also investigate the above quantities at different inclination angles of the observer with respect to the galaxy. Jets inclined to the gas disc of its host are found to be confined for longer times, and consequently couple more strongly with the disc gas. This results in prominent shocked emission and high-velocity widths, not only along the jet’s path, but also in the regions perpendicular to them. Strong interaction of the jet with a gas disc can also distort its morphology. However, after the jets escape their initial confinement, the jet-disc coupling is weakened, thereby lowering the shocked emission and velocity widths.

We use the results of relativistic hydrodynamic simulations of jet-interstellar medium (ISM) interactions in a galaxy with a radio-loud AGN to quantify the extent of ionization in the central few kpcs of the gaseous galactic disc. We perform post-process radiative transfer of AGN radiation through the simulated gaseous jet-perturbed disc to estimate the extent of photo-ionization by the AGN with an incident luminosity of 1045 erg s-1. We also map the gas that is collisionally ionized due to shocks driven by the jet. The analysis was carried out for simulations with similar jet power (1045 erg s-1) but different jet orientations with respect to the gas disc. We find that the shocks from the jets can ionize a significant fraction (up to 33 [Formula: see text]) of dense gas ([Formula: see text]) in the disc, and that the jets clear out the central regions of gas for AGN radiation to penetrate to larger distances in the disc. Jets inclined towards the disc plane couple more strongly with the ISM and ionize a larger fraction of gas in the disc as compared to the vertical jet. However, similar to previous studies, we find that the AGN radiation is quickly absorbed by the outer layers of dense clouds in the disc, and is not able to substantially ionize the disc on a global scale. Thus, compared to jet-ISM interactions, we expect that photo-ionization by the AGN radiation only weakly affects the star-formation activity in the central regions of the galactic disc (≲ 1 kpc), although the jet-induced shocks can spread farther out.

It has long been suspected that powerful radio sources may lower the efficiency with which stars form from the molecular gas in their host galaxy, but so far, alternative mechanisms, in particular related to the stellar mass distribution in the massive bulges of their host galaxies, are not ruled out. We present new ALMA CO(1-0) interferometry of cold molecular gas in the nearby (z=0.0755), massive (M_stellar=4x10^11 M_sun), isolated, late-type spiral galaxy 2MASSX J23453269-044925, which is outstanding for having two pairs of powerful, giant radio jets, and a bright X-ray halo. The molecular gas is in a massive (M_gas=2x10^10 M_sun), 24 kpc wide, rapidly rotating ring, which is associated with the inner stellar disk. Broad (FWHM=70-180 km s^-1) lines with complex profiles associated with the radio source are seen over large regions in the ring, indicating gas velocities that are high enough to keep the otherwise marginally Toomre-stable gas from fragmenting into gravitationally bound, star-forming clouds. About 1-2% of the jet kinetic energy are required to power these motions. Resolved star-formation rate surface densities fall factors 50-75 short of expectations from the Kennicutt-Schmidt law of star-forming galaxies, and near gas-rich early-type galaxies with signatures of star formation lowered by jet feedback. We argue that radio AGN feedback is the only plausible mechanism to explain the low star-formation rates in this galaxy. Previous authors have already noted that the X-ray halo of J2345-0449 implies a baryon fraction near the cosmic average, which is very high for a galaxy. We contrast this finding with other, equally massive baryon-rich spiral galaxies without prominent radio sources. Most of the baryons in these galaxies are in stars, not in the halos. We also discuss the implications of our results for our general understanding of AGN feedback in massive galaxies.

MeerKAT radio continuum and XMM-Newton X-ray images have recently revealed a spectacular bipolar channel at the Galactic Center that spans several degrees (∼0.5 kpc). An intermittent jet likely formed this channel and is consistent with earlier evidence of a sustained, Seyfert-level outburst fueled by black hole accretion onto Sgr A* several Myr ago. Therefore, to trace a now weak jet that perhaps penetrated, deflected, and percolated along multiple paths through the interstellar medium, relevant interactions are identified and quantified in archival X-ray images, Hubble Space Telescope Paschen α images and Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array millimeter-wave spectra, and new SOAR telescope IR spectra. Hydrodynamical simulations are used to show how a nuclear jet can explain these structures and inflate the ROSAT/eROSITA X-ray and Fermi γ -ray bubbles that extend ± 75° from the Galactic plane. Thus, our Galactic outflow has features in common with energetic, jet-driven structures in the prototypical Seyfert galaxy NGC 1068.

We study the ionization and excitation structure of the interstellar medium in the late-stage gas-rich galaxy merger NGC 6240 using a suite of emission-line maps at similar to 25 pc resolution from the Hubble Space Telescope, Keck/NIRC2 with Adaptive Optics, and the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA). NGC 6240 hosts a superwind driven by intense star formation and/or one or both of two active nuclei; the outflows produce bubbles and filaments seen in shock tracers from warm molecular gas (H-2 2.12 mu m) to optical ionized gas ([O iii], [N ii], [S ii], and [O i]) and hot plasma (Fe XXV). In the most distinct bubble, we see a clear shock front traced by high [O iii]/H beta and [O iii]/[O i]. Cool molecular gas (CO(2-1)) is only present near the base of the bubble, toward the nuclei launching the outflow. We interpret the lack of molecular gas outside the bubble to mean that the shock front is not responsible for dissociating molecular gas, and conclude that the molecular clouds are partly shielded and either entrained briefly in the outflow, or left undisturbed while the hot wind flows around them. Elsewhere in the galaxy, shock-excited H-2 extends at least similar to 4 kpc from the nuclei, tracing molecular gas even warmer than that between the nuclei, where the two galaxies' interstellar media are colliding. A ridgeline of high [O iii]/H beta emission along the eastern arm aligns with the southern nucleus' stellar disk minor axis; optical integral field spectroscopy from WiFeS suggests this highly ionized gas is centered at systemic velocity and likely photoionized by direct line of sight to the southern active galactic nucleus.

We apply a turbulence-regulated model of star formation to calculate the star formation rate (SFR) of dense star-forming clouds in simulations of jet-ISM interactions. The method isolates individual clumps and accounts for the impact of virial parameter and Mach number of the clumps on the star formation activity. This improves upon other estimates of the SFR in simulations of jet–ISM interactions, which are often solely based on local gas density, neglecting the impact of turbulence. We apply this framework to the results of a suite of jet-ISM interaction simulations to study how the jet regulates the SFR both globally and on the scale of individual star-forming clouds. We find that the jet strongly affects the multi-phase ISM in the galaxy, inducing turbulence and increasing the velocity dispersion within the clouds. This causes a global reduction in the SFR compared to a simulation without a jet. The shocks driven into clouds by the jet also compress the gas to higher densities, resulting in local enhancements of the SFR. However, the velocity dispersion in such clouds is also comparably high, which results in a lower SFR than would be observed in galaxies with similar gas mass surface densities and without powerful radio jets. We thus show that both local negative and positive jet feedback can occur in a single system during a single jet event, and that the star-formation rate in the ISM varies in a complicated manner that depends on the strength of the jet-ISM coupling and the jet break-out time-scale.

Relativistic jets can interact with the ambient gas distribution of the host galaxy, before breaking out to larger scales. In the past decade several studies have simulated jet-driven outflows to understand how they affect the nearby environment, and over what spatial and temporal scales such interactions occur. The simulations are able to capture the interaction of the jets with the turbulent clumpy interstellar medium and the resultant energetics of the gas. In this review we summarise the results of such recent studies and discuss their implications on the evolution of the dynamics of the gas distribution and the star formation rate.

We present new, spatially resolved [CI]1–0, [CI]2–1, CO(7–6), and dust continuum observations of 4C 41.17 at z = 3.8. This is one of the best-studied radio galaxies in this epoch and is arguably the best candidate of jet-triggered star formation at high redshift currently known in the literature. 4C 41.17 shows a narrow ridge of dust continuum extending over 15 kpc near the radio jet axis. Line emission is found within the galaxy in the region with signatures of positive feedback. Using the [CI]1–0 line as a molecular gas tracer, and multifrequency observations of the far-infrared dust heated by star formation, we find a total gas mass of 7.6 × 10 10 M ⊙ , which is somewhat greater than that previously found from CO(4–3). The gas mass surface density of 10 3 M ⊙ yr −1 pc −2 and the star formation rate surface density of 10 M ⊙ yr −1 kpc −2 were derived over the 12 kpc × 8 kpc area, where signatures of positive feedback have previously been found. These densities are comparable to those in other populations of massive, dusty star-forming galaxies in this redshift range, suggesting that the jet does not currently enhance the efficiency with which stars form from the gas. This is consistent with expectations from simulations, whereby radio jets may facilitate the onset of star formation in galaxies without boosting its efficiency over longer timescales, in particular after the jet has broken out of the interstellar medium, as is the case in 4C 41.17.

ABSTRACT Local examples of jet-induced star formation lend valuable insight into its significance in galaxy evolution and can provide important observational constraints for theoretical models of positive feedback. Using optical integral field spectroscopy, we present an analysis of the ISM conditions in Minkowski’s object (z = 0.0189), a peculiar star-forming dwarf galaxy located in the path of a radio jet from the galaxy NGC 541. Full spectral fitting with ppxf indicates that Minkowski’s object primarily consists of a young stellar population $\sim \! 10\, \rm Myr$ old, confirming that the bulk of the object’s stellar mass formed during a recent jet interaction. Minkowski’s object exhibits line ratios largely consistent with star formation, although there is evidence for a low level ($\lesssim \! 15 \, \rm per \, cent$) of contamination from a non-stellar ionizing source. Strong-line diagnostics reveal a significant variation in the gas-phase metallicity within the object, with $\log \left(\rm O / H \right) + 12$ varying by $\sim \! 0.5\, \rm dex$, which cannot be explained by in-situ star formation, an enriched outflow from the jet, or enrichment of gas in the stellar bridge between NGC 541 and NGC 545/547. We hypothesize that Minkowski’s object either (i) was formed as a result of jet-induced star formation in pre-existing gas clumps in the stellar bridge, or (ii) is a gas-rich dwarf galaxy that is experiencing an elevation in its star formation rate due to a jet interaction, and will eventually redden and fade, becoming an ultradiffuse galaxy as it is processed by the cluster.

In this white paper, we describe how the unique capabilities of the next-generation Very Large Array will enable new advancements in our understanding of the impact of radio jet-ISM feedback on galaxy growth and evolution.

ABSTRACT Hydrodynamical simulations predict that the jets of young radio sources can inhibit star formation in their host galaxies by injecting heat and turbulence into the interstellar medium (ISM). To investigate jet–ISM interactions in a galaxy with a young radio source, we have carried out a multiwavelength study of the z = 0.025 Compact Steep Spectrum radio source hosted by the early-type galaxy UGC 05771. Using Keck/OSIRIS observations, we detected H2 1–0 S(1) and [Fe ii] emission at radii of 100s of parsecs, which traces shocked molecular and ionized gas being accelerated outwards by the jets to low velocities, creating a ‘stalling wind’. At kpc radii, we detected shocked ionized gas using observations from the CALIFA survey, covering an area much larger than the pc-scale radio source. We found that existing interferometric radio observations fail to recover a large fraction of the source’s total flux, indicating the likely existence of jet plasma on kpc scales, which is consistent with the extent of shocked gas in the host galaxy. To investigate the star formation efficiency in UGC 05771, we obtained IRAM CO observations to analyse the molecular gas properties. We found that UGC 05771 sits below the Kennicutt–Schmidt relation, although we were unable to definitively conclude if direct interactions from the jets are inhibiting star formation. This result shows that jets may be important in regulating star formation in the host galaxies of compact radio sources.

Low-luminosity radio-loud active galactic nuclei (AGN) are of importance in studies concerning feedback from radio AGN since a dominant fraction of AGN belong to this class. We report high-resolution Very Large Array (VLA) and European VLBI Network (EVN) observations of HI-21cm absorption from a young, compact steep-spectrum radio source, B2 0258+35, nested in the early-type galaxy NGC 1167, which contains a 160 kpc HI disc. Our VLA and EVN HI absorption observations, modelling, and comparison with molecular gas data suggest that the cold gas in the centre of NGC 1167 is very turbulent (with a velocity dispersion of ~ 90 km/s) and that this turbulence is induced by the interaction of the jets with the interstellar medium (ISM). Furthermore, the ionised gas in the galaxy shows evidence of shock heating at a few kpc from the radio source. These findings support the results from numerical simulations of radio jets expanding into a clumpy gas disc, which predict that the radio jets in this case percolate through the gas disc and drive shocks into the ISM at distances much larger than their physical extent. These results expand the number of low-luminosity radio sources found to impact the surrounding medium, thereby highlighting the possible relevance of these AGN for feedback.

Supermassive black hole binaries may be detectable by an upcoming suite of gravitational wave experiments. Their binary nature can also be revealed by radio jets via a short-period precession driven by the orbital motion as well as the geodetic precession at typically longer periods. We have investigated Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA) and MERLIN radio maps of powerful jet sources for morphological evidence of geodetic precession. For perhaps the best studied source, Cygnus A, we find strong evidence for geodetic precession. Projection effects can enhance precession features, for which we find indications in strongly projected sources. For a complete sample of 33 3CR radio sources we find strong evidence for jet precession in 24 cases (73 per cent). The morphology of the radio maps suggests that the precession periods are of the order of 10^6 - 10^7 yr. We consider different explanations for the morphological features and conclude that geodetic precession is the best explanation. The frequently observed gradual jet angle changes in samples of powerful blazars can be explained by orbital motion. Both observations can be explained simultaneously by postulating that a high fraction of powerful radio sources have sub-parsec supermassive black hole binaries. We consider complementary evidence and discuss if any jetted supermassive black hole with some indication of precession could be detected as individual gravitational wave source in the near future. This appears unlikely, with the possible exception of M87.