High Energy Processes in Active Galaxies
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High Energy Processes in Active Galaxies Núria Torres i Albà ADVERTIMENT. La consulta d’aquesta tesi queda condicionada a l’acceptació de les següents condicions d'ús: La difusió d’aquesta tesi per mitjà del servei TDX (www.tdx.cat) i a través del Dipòsit Digital de la UB (diposit.ub.edu) ha estat autoritzada pels titulars dels drets de propietat intelꞏlectual únicament per a usos privats emmarcats en activitats d’investigació i docència. No s’autoritza la seva reproducció amb finalitats de lucre ni la seva difusió i posada a disposició des d’un lloc aliè al servei TDX ni al Dipòsit Digital de la UB. No s’autoritza la presentació del seu contingut en una finestra o marc aliè a TDX o al Dipòsit Digital de la UB (framing). Aquesta reserva de drets afecta tant al resum de presentació de la tesi com als seus continguts. En la utilització o cita de parts de la tesi és obligat indicar el nom de la persona autora. ADVERTENCIA. 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HIGHENERGYPROCESSESIN ACTIVEGALAXIES núria torres i albà directors: Dr Valentí Bosch Ramon Dr Kazushi Iwasawa Departament de Física Quàntica i Astrofísica Facultat de Física Universitat de Barcelona Núria Torres i Albà , High Energy Processes in Active Galaxies, PhD Thesis Barcelona , June 2019 Cover Image: - universitat de barcelona departament de física quàntica i astrofísica Programa de doctorat en física Línia de recerca en astronomia i astrofísica High Energy Processes in Active Galaxies Memòria presentada per Núria Torres i Albà per optar al grau de Doctor en física per la Universitat de Barcelona Directors de la tesi: Dr Valentí Bosch Ramon Dr Kazushi Iwasawa Tutor de la tesi: Dr Alberto Manrique Oliva Barcelona , June 2019 DECLARATION This thesis is presented following the regulations of the University of Barcelona (Aprovada pel CdG en sessió del 16 de març de 2012 i modificada pel CdG de data 9 de maig i 19 de juliol de 2012, 29 de maig i 3 d’octubre de 2013, 17 de juliol de 2014, 16 de juliol de 2015, 15 de juny i 21 de novembre de 2016, 5 de desembre de 2017 i 4 de maig de 2018). The listed regulations allow for the presentation of a PhD thesis as a "compendia of published articles". According to the regulations, the thesis must contain a minimum of four published or accepted articles. This thesis contains the published version of four ar- ticles, which is sufficient to allow its presentation. It also contains two additional articles, not yet accepted for publication at the moment of thesis presentation. Barcelona , June 2019 Núria Torres i Albà ABSTRACT This thesis has as an objective the study of very energetic phenomena in the central regions of active galaxies. Intense star formation is trig- gered by mergers of galaxies, and the funneling of large quantities of gas toward the inner regions is thought to also cause accretion onto the central black hole. Whether the two processes necessarily take place together as a step of galaxy evolution is still debated. Regardless of the origin of their connection, star formation and strong AGN activity often coexist in the nuclei of galaxies. Even after star formation is no longer ongoing, the nuclear starburst in a merger results in the formation of galactic bulges. Therefore, stellar densities in the inner kiloparsecs of a galaxy are typically high. As stars, or star forming regions, are close to the AGN, interaction between the two is expected to be frequent, and it can result in a multitude of phenomena worthy of study. In particular, the goal of the thesis is to study the emission pro- duced by these phenomena, in the range of X-rays to gamma-rays, whether to disentangle their individual contributions or to detect emission resulting from their interaction. The thesis intends to pro- vide data to continue the study of the starburst-AGN connection, and new models to explain the production of gamma rays in other galax- ies. The first part focuses on the X-ray analysis of a local sample of lu- minous infrared galaxies (LIRGs). In this part we analyze data for 84 sources which span a wide range of activity types and merger stages. We provide X-ray images, fluxes, luminosities and radial profiles, as well as comparison with IR data and information on the AGN pres- ence within their nuclei. The central part of the thesis focuses on the interaction of AGN jets with stellar populations. We consider the interaction caused by stars being within the jet, penetrating it, or exploding as supenovae within it. We study whether their dynamical evolution and impact on the jet, and estimate if their gamma-ray emission is detectable. The last part estimates the possible contribution of AGN jets to the reionization of the Universe, given how their interaction with cosmic microwave background radiation can result in the production of ion- izing photons. vii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS In the first place, I would like to thank my supervisors Dr. Valentí Bosch i Ramon and Dr. Kazushi Iwasawa for their teachings and their guidance along these past four years. This thesis would not have been possible without their knowledge and willingness to share it. I would also like to thank Dr. Josep M. Paredes, who introduced me to the group and helped me throughout the first stages of my scientific ca- reer. Part of the research presented in this thesis has been carried out in other institutions. I thank Dr. Andrea Comastri and Dr. Christian Vig- nali for their warm reception in Osservatorio Astronomico di Bologna, where I learnt both X-ray astronomy and properties of AGN at all wavelengths. I thank Dr. Manel Perucho, who kindly welcomed me to Valencia, and taught me about hydrodynamical simulations. I also thank Dr. Gustavo Romero, Dr. Daniela Pérez and Dr. Santiago del Palacio for welcoming me to Instituto Argentino de Radioastronomía in La Plata. In particular, I want to thank Dr. Florencia Vieyro, who has taught me all she knows about relativistic jets and who has be- come a very dear friend. I would also like to thank the GOALS people; in particular Dr. Tanio Díaz Santos, Dr. Claudio Ricci and Dr. Vassilis Charmandaris, who helped improve the C-GOALS paper and gave me valuable ad- vice. Tanio taught me all I know about infrared astronomy, and with- out him my understanding of U/LIRGs would be much poorer. I would like to thank Benito, Xavi, Victor and Dani, my first office mates, who were always present when I struggled and never refused to help me when I asked. Their knowledge of programming and ob- servational astronomy has been invaluable. Likewise, I want to thank Edgar, with whom I’ve shared MAGIC shifts, stays abroad and teach- ing duties, and who has always been reliable. I also need to thank Nico and Jose, who have been there with me from the very beginning, and were always willing to lend me a hand. Special thanks to Laia, who was the friend I needed most and who is missed dearly. I thank also Roger, Lluis, Ignasi, Alfred, Pau, Samuel, Ali, Juan, David, Dani and everyone else who shares our everyday lives and helps make the PhD a truly enjoyable experience. And of course, I thank JR, Rosa, Jordi and all the personnel in secretaries and informatics, who help us make science possible. ix RESUMENCATALÀ Aquesta tesi té com a objectiu l’estudi dels fenòmens altament en- ergètics a les regions centrals de les galàxies actives. Les galàxies ac- tives són aquelles que tenen una emissió molt intensa a les regions més centrals, i que és clarament diferent de l’emissió de la majoria de galàxies. Tant un episodi de formació estel·lar especialment intens (galàxia "starburst", de l’anglès per a "explosió estel·lar") com acre- ció de material sobre el forat negre supermassiu central (AGN, de l’anglès per a "nucli actiu de galàxia") poden donar lloc a aquesta activitat.