The Nature of LINER-like Emission in Red Galaxies

TL;DR

This study investigates the ionizing sources of LINER-like emission in passive red galaxies, finding that the emission is spatially extended and likely powered by distributed sources such as post-AGB stars rather than AGN activity.

Contribution

It provides evidence that LINER-like emission in red galaxies is mainly due to distributed ionizing sources, challenging the common assumption of AGN dominance.

Findings

Line emission is spatially extended with a specific radial brightness profile.

Ionization parameter increases outward, inconsistent with AGN as the main source.

Post-AGB stars are plausible ionizers despite some deficits.

Abstract

Passive red galaxies frequently contain warm ionized gas and have spectra similar to low-ionization nuclear emission-line regions (LINERs). Here we investigate the nature of the ionizing sources powering this emission, by comparing nuclear spectroscopy from the Palomar survey with larger aperture data from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. We find the line emission in the majority of passive red galaxies is spatially extended; the Halpha surface brightness profile depends on radius (r) as r^(-1.28). We detect strong line ratio gradients with radius in [N II]/Ha, [S II]/Ha, and [O III]/[S II], requiring the ionization parameter to increase outwards. Combined with a realistic gas density profile, this outward increasing ionization parameter convincingly rules out AGN as the dominant ionizing source, and strongly favors distributed ionizing sources. Sources that follow the stellar density profile can additionally reproduce the observed luminosity-dependence of the line ratio gradient. Post-AGB stars provide a natural ionization source candidate, though they have an ionization parameter deficit. Velocity width differences among different emission lines disfavor shocks as the dominant ionization mechanism, and suggest that the interstellar medium in these galaxies contains multiple components. We conclude that the line emission in most LINER-like galaxies found in large aperture (>100pc) spectroscopy is not primarily powered by AGN activity and thus does not trace the AGN bolometric luminosity. However, they can be used to trace warm gas in these red galaxies.