GOALS-JWST: Gas Dynamics and Excitation in NGC7469 revealed by NIRSpec

TL;DR

This study uses JWST-NIRSpec data to analyze gas excitation and dynamics in NGC7469, revealing AGN-driven photoionization, shock regions linked to a radio jet, and complex gas motions including inflows and outflows.

Contribution

First detailed JWST-NIRSpec IFS analysis of NGC7469's circumnuclear gas, highlighting AGN influence, shock regions, and gas kinematics with inflow and outflow interactions.

Findings

AGN dominates gas excitation within 300 pc

Shock-heated regions linked to a radio jet identified

Gas inflows and outflows suggest a self-regulating feeding-feedback cycle

Abstract

We present new JWST-NIRSpec IFS data for the luminous infrared galaxy NGC7469: a nearby (70.6Mpc) active galaxy with a Sy 1.5 nucleus that drives a highly ionized gas outflow and a prominent nuclear star-forming ring. Using the superb sensitivity and high spatial resolution of the JWST instrument NIRSpec-IFS, we investigate the role of the Seyfert nucleus in the excitation and dynamics of the circumnuclear gas. Our analysis focuses on the [Fe ii], H2, and hydrogen recombination lines that trace the radiation/shocked-excited molecular and ionized ISM around the AGN. We investigate the gas excitation through H2/Br{\gamma} and [Fe ii]/Pa\b{eta} emission line ratios and find that photoionization by the AGN dominates within the central 300 pc of the galaxy and together with a small region show ing signatures of shock-heated gas; these shock-heated regions are likely associated with a compact radio jet. In addition, the velocity field and velocity dispersion maps reveal complex gas kinematics. Rotation is the dominant feature, but we also identify non-circular motions consistent with gas inflows as traced by the velocity residuals and the spiral pattern in the Pa{\alpha} velocity dispersion map. The inflow is consistent with the mass outflow rate and two orders of magnitude higher than the AGN accretion rate. The compact nuclear radio jet has enough power to drive the highly ionized outflow. This scenario suggests that the inflow and outflow are in a self-regulating feeding-feedback process, with a contribution from the radio jet helping to drive the outflow.