GATOS: Distinct Feedback Modes in AGN Central Regions Revealed by Spatially Resolved JWST Spectroscopy

arXiv:2608.08369 · astro-ph.GA · Submitted 2026-08-08 · Read on arXiv

Lulu Zhang, Chris Packham, Erin K. S. Hicks, Ismael García-Bernete, Almudena Alonso-Herrero, Ric I. Davies, Martin J. Ward, Daniel E. Delaney, Takuma Izumi, Dimitra Rigopoulou, Cristina Ramos Almeida, Omaira González-Martín, Rogemar A. Riffel, Claudio Ricci, Montserrat Villar-Martín, Francoise Combes, Miguel Pereira-Santaella, Sebastian F. Hoenig, Andrew J. Bunker, Peter G. Boorman, Enrica Bellocchi, Nancy A. Levenson, Santiago García-Burillo, Fergus R. Donnan, Anelise Audibert, Lindsay Fuller, Tanio Díaz-Santos, David J. Rosario

astro-ph.GA

Submitted: 2026-08-08

Updated: 2026-08-11

Comments: 23 pages (14 pages of main text); 10 figures (4 figures in the Appendix); ApJL in press

License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

The gist: This manuscript presents JWST MIRI/MRS observations of the central r about 40-240 pc regions of five active galactic nuclei (AGN) spanning a wide range of luminosities (log,L bol/ erg,s-1 about

Terminology

Abstract

This manuscript presents JWST MIRI/MRS observations of the central r about 40-240 pc regions of five active galactic nuclei (AGN) spanning a wide range of luminosities (log,L bol/ erg,s-1 about 39.8-43.8). Combining multiphase diagnostics from polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), molecular hydrogen (H 2), and ionized gas at spatial scales of about 4-24 pc, this study presents a spatially resolved investigation into the effects of the two distinct AGN feedback modes--radiative and kinetic--on the surrounding medium. The results indicate that these two feedback modes, associated with AGN irradiation and shock processing, respectively, collectively drive the relative suppression of PAH emission in the nuclear regions of the targets studied here. Moreover, the coexistence of these two AGN feedback modes, especially the shock processing associated with either jets or outflows, in the central regions of AGN naturally explains both the bimodal distribution of PAH band ratios observed in the targets studied here and the seemingly disparate results reported in the literature. Although based on a limited sample, these findings provide new insights into calibrating star-formation rates (SFRs) from PAH emission in AGN, and more importantly, lay the groundwork for a practical framework to diagnose and quantify AGN feedback in the JWST era.

Sources

Related papers