D. Michael Crenshaw

We present an investigation of the Tully–Fisher (TF) relation solely for galaxies hosting an active galactic nucleus (AGN). Using 22 galaxies with primary, z -independent distances, we find that active galaxies exhibit significantly larger scatter about all TF relations compared to each respective calibration for (largely) inactive galaxies. The larger scatter persists despite removal of the AGN contamination from the photometry of the type 1 AGNs via (1) careful surface brightness decompositions or (2) employing spectral energy distributions to constrain the light contribution of the AGN. These results suggest that the influence of an AGN on its host galaxy’s surface brightness may extend beyond the nucleus. We also calculate the percentage difference between TF and primary distances and find that TF-based distances are biased toward overestimation of the primary distances to active galaxies by anywhere from ∼5% to 10% for the optical/near-infrared and ∼15% for distances predicted from inverting the baryonic TF relation. As TF-based distances (especially the I band) are relied on heavily for analysis and modeling of the local peculiar velocity ( V _PEC ) field, we suggest that active galaxies be removed from future V _PEC modeling samples.

We present new Chandra/ACIS-S imaging spectroscopy of two luminous type 2 quasars (QSO2s), FIRST J120041.4+314745 ( z = 0.116) and 2MASX J13003807+5454367 ( z = 0.088), and compare their X-ray emission with Hubble Space Telescope [O III ] λ 5007 morphologies and kinematics. Both systems show kiloparsec-scale soft X-ray emission. In FIRST J120041, the X-ray morphology is clumpy and closely follows the [O III ] structures, with surface-brightness peaks cospatial with the highest [O III ] velocities (600–750 km s ⁻¹ ) and broadest line widths (∼1700 km s ⁻¹ ). In 2MASX J130038, the X-ray emission is centrally concentrated and weakly correlated with rotational [O III ] kinematics. Spectral modeling indicates that photoionization dominates the soft X-rays in both quasars. The inferred hot-gas reservoirs are substantial, M _Xray ∼ 4.5 × 10 ⁸ M _⊙ (FIRST J120041) and M _Xray ∼ 1.8 × 10 ⁸ M _⊙ (2MASX J130038), exceeding the outflowing [O III ] masses by factors of ∼4 and ∼16. In 2MASX J130038, we identify a tentative blueshifted Fe XXVI Ly α line at E _rest = 7.14 ± 0.06 keV ( v ∼ 7600 km s ⁻¹ ), consistent with a hot wind confined to the inner few hundred parsecs. Combining these results with a broader sample of 12 QSO2s, we argue that luminous quasars evolve along a continuous feedback sequence regulated by progressive clearing of circumnuclear gas. As active galactic nucleus radiation and winds pierce the surrounding medium, systems transition from heavily enshrouded, compact configurations to phases where the X-ray and [O III ] components strongly couple and, eventually, to energetically dominant outflows. FIRST J120041 and 2MASX J130038 represent two points along this sequence, tracing the emergence and growth of hot winds as primary drivers of quasar-scale feedback.

Compact galaxy groups are ideal laboratories for studying the effects of interactions between active galactic nuclei (AGN) and multiple nearby galaxies. Recent JWST observations of the nearby compact group Stephan’s Quintet highlight tidal flows between the interacting galaxies as well as outflows from the active galaxy NGC 7319. To study the kinematics on a large scale throughout the group, we obtained spatially resolved long-slit spectra of Stephan’s Quintet at multiple slit positions with Apache Point Observatory’s Kitt Peak Ohio State Multi-Object Spectrograph. We fit multiple Gaussians to the H α λ 6563 and [N II ] λλ 6548, 6583 emission lines to isolate the different kinematic components. We used the kinematics to develop the first biconical outflow model of the narrow-line region of NGC 7319. Using a combination of galactic rotation models, biconical outflow models, and kinematic maps of the ionized gas, we disentangled the outflows, rotation, and tidal flows in the group. We found outflow radial velocities up to 550 km s ⁻¹ peaking at 2.6 kpc from the central supermassive black hole, and a transition from AGN-powered outflows to gravitationally powered tidal flows at a projected distance between 2.4 and 6.3 kpc. We performed a line ratio analysis and determined the gas shows Seyfert-like ionization out to 6.3 kpc (projected), which supports our finding that gas outside this radius is predominantly powered by tidal flows. Our separation of kinematic components in Stephan’s Quintet will enable future studies of the physical conditions and dynamical forces in the ionized gas to better quantify the feeding and feedback processes of AGN in compact groups.

We present spatially resolved mass outflow rates of the ionized and molecular gas in the narrow-line region of the Seyfert 1 galaxy NGC 3227. Using long-slit spectroscopy and [O III ] imaging from from the Hubble Space Telescope’s Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph and Apache Point Observatory’s Kitt Peak Ohio State Multi-Object Spectrograph, in conjunction with Cloudy photoionization models and emission-line diagnostics, we find a peak ionized mass outflow rate of M ̇ ion = 19.9 ± 9.2 M _⊙ yr ⁻¹ at a distance of 47 ± 6 pc from the supermassive black hole (SMBH). Using archival data from the Gemini-North Near-infrared Field Spectrograph measuring H ₂ 2.1218 μ m emission, we find a maximum peak warm molecular outflow rate of M ̇ H 2 ≤ 9 × 10 − 4 M _⊙ yr ⁻¹ at a distance of 36 ± 6 pc from the SMBH. Using archival data from the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array measuring CO(2–1) emission, we find a maximum peak cold molecular gas mass outflow rate of M ̇ CO ≤ 23.1 M _⊙ yr ⁻¹ at a distance of 57 ± 6 pc from the SMBH. For the first time, we calculate spatially resolved gas evacuation timescales for the cold molecular gas reservoirs ostensibly sourcing the outflows, and find that gas evacuating to ∼400 pc from the SMBH occurs on timescales of 10 ^6.0 –10 ^7.6 yr. These results indicate that the multiphase active galactic nucleus (AGN) outflows are effective in clearing the inner few hundred parsecs of NGC 3227’s gas content on timescales that may set the AGN duty cycle of 10 ⁵ –10 ⁸ yr.

Active galactic nuclei (AGN) are known to drive ionized gas into their host galaxies, which may affect the evolution of both the central supermassive black holes and their hosts. In the case of NGC 3516, a nearby Seyfert 1 galaxy, these AGN winds have historically proven difficult to disentangle from galactic rotation. Using long-slit spectroscopy at multiple position angles from Hubble Space Telescope’s Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph and Apache Point Observatory’s Kitt Peak Ohio State Multi-Object Spectrograph, we separate these kinematic components by fitting multiple Gaussians to the Hα, [N II], Hβ, and [O III] emission lines along the slits. We present a biconical outflow model that agrees well with the observed kinematics of the outflowing gas in the narrow-line region (NLR). Our results indicate that the structure of the [O III] emission is explained by dusty gas spirals in the galactic disk that are illuminated by the ionizing bicone, which is viewed along one edge, resulting in the complex nuclear kinematics. Our view into the bicone edge is consistent with the multiple, deep components of ionized absorption lines seen in UV and X-ray spectra of NGC 3516. The observed turnover in the velocity of the NLR clouds matches that from a simple dynamical model of radiative acceleration by the AGN and gravitational deceleration by the AGN and galaxy, indicating they are the principal forces at work on the gas clouds. Finally, the model launch radii indicate that the outflowing clouds originate primarily from the inner dusty spirals near the AGN.

We present spatially resolved measurements of the ionized gas masses and mass outflow rates for six low-redshift (z ≤ 0.02) active galaxies. In this study, we expand our sample to galaxies with more complex gas kinematics modeled as outflows along a galactic disk that is ionized by the active galactic nucleus (AGN) bicone. We use Hubble Space Telescope Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph spectroscopy, Wide Field Camera 3 narrow-band imaging, and the photoionization modeling technique that we developed in M. Revalski et al. (Paper IV in this series) to calculate ionized gas masses using the [O iii]/Hβ ratios at each radius. We combine these with existing kinematic models to derive mass and energy outflow rates, which exhibit substantial radial variations due to changes in the outflow velocities. The full sample of 12 galaxies from this series of studies spans 10³ in bolometric luminosity, and we find that the outflows contain ionized gas masses of M ≈ 10^4.6–10^7.2 M _⊙, reach maximum mass outflow rates of M ̇ o u t ≈ 0.1 − 13 M _⊙ yr⁻¹, and encompass kinetic energies of E ≈ 10⁵²–10⁵⁶ erg. These energetic properties positively correlate with AGN luminosity. The outflow energetics are less than benchmarks for effective feedback from theoretical models, but the evacuation of gas and injection of energy may still generate long-term effects on star formation in these nearby galaxies. These results highlight the necessity of high spatial resolution imaging and spectroscopy for accurately modeling ionized outflows in active galaxies.

Outflowing gas from supermassive black holes in the centers of active galaxies has been postulated as a major contributor to galactic evolution. To explore the interaction between narrow-line region (NLR) outflows and their host galaxies, we use Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS) spectra and Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3) images of 15 nearby (z < 0.02) active galactic nuclei (AGN) to determine the extents and geometries of their NLRs. We combine new HST WFC3 continuum and [O iii] λ5007 images of 11 AGN with four archival AGN to match existing spectra from HST STIS. For the six AGN with suitable long-slit coverage of their NLRs, we use isophotal fitting of ground-based images, continuum-subtracted [O iii] images, and the STIS spectra, to resolve, measure, and de-project the gas kinematics to the plane of the host galaxy disk and distinguish NLR outflows from galaxy rotation and/or kinematically disturbed gas. We find an average [O iii] extent of ∼680 pc with a correlation between gas extent and [O iii] luminosity of R _{[O III]} ∝ L [ O III ] 0.39 . The measured extents depend strongly on the depth of the [O iii] images, highlighting the importance of adopting uniform thresholds when analyzing scaling relationships. The outflows reach from 39% to 88% of the full NLR extents, and we find that all six of the AGN with STIS coverage of their entire NLRs show strong kinematic evidence for outflows, despite previous uncertainty for these AGN. This suggests that NLR outflows are ubiquitous in moderate-luminosity AGN and that standard criteria for kinematic modeling are essential for identifying outflows.

We have characterized the ionized, neutral, and warm molecular gas kinematics in the Seyfert 1 galaxy NGC 3227 using observations from the Hubble Space Telescope Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph, Apache Point Observatory’s Kitt Peak Ohio State Multi-Object Spectrograph, Gemini-North’s Near-Infrared Integral Field Spectrometer, and the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array. We fit multiple Gaussians to several spatially resolved emission lines observed with long-slit and integral-field spectroscopy and isolate the kinematics based on apparent rotational and outflowing motions. We use the kinematics to determine an orientation for the bicone along which the outflows travel and find that the biconical structure has an inclination of 40 − 4 + 5 ° from our line of sight and a half-opening angle with an inner and outer boundary of 47 − 2 + 6 ° and 68 − 1 + 1 °, respectively. We observe ionized outflows traveling 500 km s⁻¹ at distances up to 7″ (800 pc) from the supermassive black hole (SMBH) and disturbed ionized gas up to a distance of 15″ (1.7 kpc). Our analysis reveals that the ionized outflows are launched from within 20 pc of the SMBH, at the same location as a bridge of cold gas across the nucleus detected in Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array CO(2–1) observations. We measure a turnover radius where the gas starts decelerating at a distance of 26 ± 6 pc from the active galactic nucleus. Compared to a turnover radius in the range of 31−63 pc from a radiative driving model, we confirm that radiative driving is the dominant acceleration mechanism for the narrow-line region outflows in NGC 3227.

We present recent Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) 5 GHz radio observations of the nearby, luminous Seyfert 2 galaxy NGC 1068 for comparison to similar VLBA observations made on 1997 April 26. By cross-correlating the positions of emitting regions across both epochs, we find that spatially resolved extranuclear radio knots in this system have subrelativistic transverse speeds (v ≲0.1c). We discuss sources of the observed knots and how the radio emission relates to additional phases of gas in the central ∼150 pc of this system. We suggest that the most likely explanation for the observed emission is synchrotron radiation formed by shocked host media via interactions between active galactic nucleus winds and the host environment.

We present Chandra ACIS imaging spectroscopy of the nucleus of the Seyfert 2 Galaxy Mrk 34. We identify spatially and spectrally resolved features in the band that includes Fe Kα, Fe xxv, and Fe xxvi. These features suggest high-velocity (≳15,000 km s⁻¹ line-of-sight) material spanning ∼0.″5, within ∼200 pc of the nucleus. This outflow could have deprojected velocities ∼12–28× greater than the [O iii]-emitting outflows, and could potentially dominate the kinetic power in the outflow. This emission may point to the origins of the optical and X-ray winds observed at larger radii, and could indicate a link between ultrafast outflows and AGN feedback on ≳kiloparsec scales.