The Radio Jet Interaction in NGC 5929: Direct Detection of Shocked Gas

TL;DR

This paper presents the first direct detection of shock signatures caused by a radio jet interacting with gas in the galaxy NGC 5929, highlighting the role of shocks in galaxy feedback processes.

Contribution

It provides observational evidence of jet-induced shocks in a Seyfert galaxy and analyzes the ionization and kinematic effects of jet-gas interactions.

Findings

Low ionization gas shows significant disturbance at the interaction site.

Broad low-ionization emission widths match shock velocity predictions.

Shocks are likely important feedback mechanisms in Seyfert galaxies.

Abstract

We report the discovery of kinematic shock signatures associated with a localized radio jet interaction in the merging Seyfert galaxy NGC 5929. We explore the velocity-dependent ionization structure of the gas and find that low ionization gas at the interaction site is significantly more disturbed than high ionization gas, which we attribute to a local enhancement of shock ionization due to the influence of the jet. The characteristic width of the broad low-ionization emission is consistent with shock velocities predicted from the ionization conditions of the gas. We interpret the relative prominence of shocks to the high density of gas in nuclear environment of the galaxy and place some constraints on their importance as a feedback mechanism in Seyferts.