Blowing star formation away in AGN Hosts (BAH) -- I. Observation of Warm Molecular Outflows with JWST MIRI

TL;DR

This study uses JWST MIRI observations to map warm molecular and ionized gas outflows in an AGN host galaxy, revealing powerful outflows capable of quenching star formation within about a million years.

Contribution

First spatially resolved detection and characterization of warm molecular and ionized outflows in an AGN host using JWST MIRI data.

Findings

Outflows reach up to 4.90 M/yr in mass-outflow rate.

Outflows can clear nuclear gas reservoirs in ~1 Myr.

Kinetic power of outflows suggests effective AGN feedback.

Abstract

We use the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) medium-resolution spectrometer (MRS) observations of the radio loud AGN host UGC 8782 to map the warm molecular and ionized gas kinematics. The data reveal spatially resolved outflows in the inner 2 kpc, seen in low ionization (traced by the [Ar ii] 6.99um emission) and in warm molecular gas (traced by the H2 rotational transitions). We find a maximum mass-outflow rate of 4.90 (2.04) M/yr at ~900 pc from the nucleus for the warm outflow (198 K< T< 1000 K) and estimate and outflow rate of up to 1.22 (0.51) M/yr for the hotter gas phase (T > 1000 K). These outflows can clear the entire nuclear reservoir of warm molecular gas in about 1 Myr. The derived kinetic power of the molecular outflows lead to coupling efficiencies of 2-5 percent of the AGN luminosity, way above the minimum expected to the AGN feedback be effective quenching the star formation.