The local LIRG NGC5135: AGN and SN activity traced by NIR IFU spectroscopy

TL;DR

This study uses near-IR integral field spectroscopy to map the AGN outflow, shocks, and supernova activity in the galaxy NGC5135, revealing the largest coronal line outflow and interactions between the AGN and interstellar medium.

Contribution

First detailed kinematic evidence of AGN outflow interaction with the ISM in NGC5135 using near-IR IFU spectroscopy.

Findings

Largest outflow traced by [SiVI] emission to date.

Clear kinematic evidence of AGN-ISM interaction.

Supernova rates consistent with radio emission estimates.

Abstract

By observing the local luminous infrared galaxy NGC5135 with the near-IR IFU spectrograph SINFONI (ESO-VLT), we report an approx. 600 pc (in projection) AGN outflow traced by [SiVI]1.96mum emission. This is the largest outflow traced by a coronal line ever reported. Its large spatial scale suggests that shocks, in addition to AGN continuum emission, are needed to locally produce [SiVI] emission. We also show, for the first time, clear kinematical evidence of the AGN-outflow vs. ISM interaction through variations in the 2D velocity fields of different gas phases. Such local perturbations in the kinematics clearly match the outflow structure. We use the [FeII]1.64mum emission, a supernovae tracer, to estimate the supernovae rate in different star-forming knots (approx. 250 pc across) within the central 2.3 kpc of NGC5135. The estimated supernovae rates go from 0.02 to 0.08 yr^{-1} being in excellent agreement with predictions from 6 cm radio emission in the same areas.