Chandra imaging of the $\sim$kpc extended outflow in 1H 0419-577

TL;DR

This study uses high-resolution Chandra X-ray imaging to resolve and analyze the extended outflow in galaxy 1H 0419-577, revealing its morphology and relationship with ionized gas structures.

Contribution

First detailed Chandra imaging analysis of the extended outflow in 1H 0419-577, clarifying the spatial distribution and geometry of the X-ray emitting and absorbing gas.

Findings

Diffuse X-ray emission extends up to 16 kpc from the nucleus.

X-ray morphology is spherical and does not match the ionization bicone.

Warm absorber gas is likely located closer to the galaxy's equatorial plane.

Abstract

The Seyfert 1 galaxy 1H 0419-577 hosts a $\sim$kpc extended outflow that is evident in the [\ion{O}{iii}] image and that is also detected as a warm absorber in the UV/X-ray spectrum. Here, we analyze a $\sim$30 ks Chandra-ACIS X-ray image, with the aim of resolving the diffuse extranuclear X-ray emission and of investigating its relationship with the galactic outflow. Thanks to its sub-arcsecond spatial resolution, Chandra resolves the circumnuclear X-ray emission, which extends up to a projected distance of at least $\sim$16 kpc from the center. The morphology of the diffuse X-ray emission is spherically symmetrical. We could not recover a morphological resemblance between the soft X-ray emission and the ionization bicone that is traced by the [\ion{O}{iii}] outflow. we argue that the photoionized gas nebula must be distributed mostly along the polar directions, outside our line of sight. In this geometry, the X-ray/UV warm absorber must trace a different gas component, physically disconnected from the emitting gas, and located closer to the equatorial plane.