Active Galactic Nuclei-driven Metallicity Enrichment in the Interstellar Medium of Mrk 573

TL;DR

This study maps metallicity at 20 pc scales in Mrk 573, revealing AGN-driven metal enrichment linked to jets and outflows, using advanced spatially resolved diagnostics.

Contribution

First spatially resolved application of AGN-specific metallicity diagnostics at 20 pc scales in Mrk 573, showing localized metal enrichment linked to AGN activity.

Findings

Metallicity reaches up to a few times Solar in AGN regions.

Metallicity distribution is patchy and correlates with radio jet emission.

Enrichment likely caused by AGN-driven winds and outflows.

Abstract

We present the first spatially resolved at $\sim20$ pc scale application of AGN-specific metallicity diagnostics for the nearby Compton-thick Seyfert 2 galaxy Mrk 573 ($z = 0.017$). We use Hubble Space Telescope narrow-band imaging, MUSE integral-field spectroscopy and apply AGN strong-line metallicity diagnostics based on [O III], [S II], H$\beta$, H$\alpha$, and [N II] emission lines. We construct maps of $12 + \log$(O/H) for two different metallicity calibrations and two different N/O-O/H scaling relations out to $\sim1$ kpc and down to $\sim20$ pc scales. Our analysis reveals metallicity enhancement in AGN-dominated regions, with oxygen abundances reaching up to few times Solar. The metallicity shows a patchy spatial distribution, varying on $\sim100$ pc scales, appears to trace the high Seyfert/LINER index (SLI) value regions and the VLA 6 cm jet/radio lobe emission. These spatial correspondences and the lack of evidence for star formation in the bicone region suggest that the enrichment originates from metals transported from the nuclear AGN regions by winds, outflows, or jets.