Clues of the restarting active galactic nucleus activity of Mrk 1498 from GTC/MEGARA integral field spectroscopy data

TL;DR

This study uses integral field spectroscopy to investigate ionized gas kinematics in Mrk 1498, revealing evidence of restarted AGN activity and outflows linked to multiple radio emission episodes over the galaxy's history.

Contribution

It provides new insights into the complex ionized gas structures and the AGN activity cycle in Mrk 1498 through detailed spectroscopic analysis.

Findings

Detection of a high-velocity blob coincident with the radio jet

Evidence of multiple radio activity episodes spanning 100 Myr and 2000 years

Identification of fossil outflows likely caused by past AGN episodes

Abstract

Some giant radio galaxies selected at X-rays with an AGN show signs of a restarted nuclear activity. One object in this peculiar class is Mrk1498, a giant low-frequency double radio source that shows extended emission in [OIII]. This emission is likely related to the history of the nuclear activity of the galaxy. We investigate whether this bubble-like emission might trace an outflow from either present or past AGN activity. Using MEGARA/GTC, medium-resolution spectroscopy (R 10000) data, we obtained the kinematics and fluxes of the ionised gas from modelling the [OIII] and Hbeta features.with three kinematic components. All the components show an overall blue to red velocity pattern, with similar peak-to-peak velocities but a different velocity dispersion. At a galactocentric distance of 2.3 kpc, we found a blob with a velocity up to 100km/s, and a high velocity dispersion (170km/s) that is spatially coincident with the direction of the radio jet. The observed [OIII]/Hbeta line ratio indicates possible ionisation from AGN or shocks nearly everywhere. The clumpy structure visibile in HST images at kpc scales show the lowest values of log[OIII]/Hbeta , which is likely not related to the photoionisation by the AGN. Taking optical and radio activity into account, we propose a scenario of two different ionised gas features over the radio AGN lifecycle of Mrk 1498. The radio emission suggests at least two main radio activity episodes: an old episode at Mpc scales (formed during a time span of 100Myr), and a new episode from the core (>2000yr ago). At optical wavelengths, we observe clumps and a blob that are likely associated with fossil outflow. The latter is likely powered by past episodes of the flickering AGN activity that may have occurred between the two main radio phases.