Properties of cold molecular gas in four type-1 active galaxies hosting outflows

TL;DR

This study uses high-resolution IRAM NOEMA observations to investigate the cold molecular gas properties in four nearby type-1 AGN hosting outflows, providing detailed morphological and kinematic data to better understand AGN feedback mechanisms.

Contribution

The paper presents new high-resolution CO (1-0) observations of four type-1 AGN, offering detailed insights into their cold molecular gas distribution and kinematics, which were previously poorly constrained.

Findings

No unambiguous outflows detected in the sample.

Signs of infalling material in Z11598$-$0112.

Complex kinematics in PG 1440+356 suggesting possible outflows or warped disk.

Abstract

Feedback from active galactic nuclei (AGN) has proven to be a critical ingredient in the current picture of galaxy assembly and growth. However, observational constraints on AGN-driven outflows face technical challenges and as a result, the cold molecular gas outflow properties of type-1 AGN are not well known. We present new IRAM NOrthern Extended Milimeter Array (NOEMA) observations of CO (1-0) in F07599+6508, Z11598$-$0112, F13342+3932, and PG1440+356, all nearby type-1 AGN and ultraluminous infrared galaxies (ULIRGs). We achieve spatial resolution of 1-3 arcsec corresponding to physical scales of 2--8~kpc and spectral resolution of 15-60 km s$^{-1}$ which enables updated CO (1-0) redshifts and a detailed morphological view of the cold molecular gas in these sources. The CO (1-0) luminosities, $L_{CO}^{\prime}$, are in the range 2-12$\times 10^9$ K km s$^{-1}$ pc$^{2}$ and inferred molecular gas masses, $M$(H$_2$), are in the range 2-9$\times 10^9$ M$_{\odot}$. The velocity fields and gas distributions do not unambiguously identify any of these sources as having outflows. However, Z11598$-$0112 has signs of infalling material and after the subtraction of a rotating disk model PG 1440+356 shows complex kinematics in the residuals that may indicate an outflow or warped disk.