Aspects of Supermassive Black Hole Growth in Nearby Active Galactic Nuclei Davide Lena
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Rochester Institute of Technology RIT Scholar Works Theses Thesis/Dissertation Collections 4-2015 Aspects of Supermassive Black Hole Growth in Nearby Active Galactic Nuclei Davide Lena Follow this and additional works at: http://scholarworks.rit.edu/theses Recommended Citation Lena, Davide, "Aspects of Supermassive Black Hole Growth in Nearby Active Galactic Nuclei" (2015). Thesis. Rochester Institute of Technology. Accessed from This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Thesis/Dissertation Collections at RIT Scholar Works. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses by an authorized administrator of RIT Scholar Works. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Aspects of Supermassive Black Hole Growth in Nearby Active Galactic Nuclei A Search for Recoiling Supermassive Black Holes Gas Kinematics in the Circumnuclear Region of Two Seyfert Galaxies Davide Lena A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Ph.D. in Astrophysical Sciences and Technology in the College of Science, School of Physics and Astronomy Rochester Institute of Technology © D. Lena April, 2015 Cover image: flux map for the [NII]λ6583 emission line in the nuclear region of the Seyfert galaxy NGC 1386. The map was derived from integral field observations performed with the Gemini Multi Object Spectrograph on the Gemini-South Observatory. Certificate of Approval Astrophysical Sciences and Technologies R·I·T College of Science Rochester, NY, USA The Ph.D. Dissertation of DAVIDE LENA has been approved by the undersigned members of the dissertation committee as satisfactory for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Astrophysical Sciences and Technology. Dr. Harvey E. Rhody, Committee Chair Date Dr. Andrew Robinson, Dissertation Adviser Date Dr. David Merritt Date Dr. Michael W. Richmond Date Dr. Daniel Batcheldor Date An astronomer walks into a bar, and he is dragged toward the center of the galaxy. To my lovely girlfriend. ABSTRACT Super-massive black holes (SBHs) have long been identified as the en- gines of active galactic nuclei (AGNs) and are now considered to play a key role in galaxy evolution. In this dissertation I present results from two ob- servational studies conducted on nearby AGNs with the aim of furthering our understanding of SBH growth and their interplay with the host galaxies. The first study is an observational search for SBHs spatially offset from the center of their host galaxies. Such offsets can be considered signatures of gravitational recoil following the coalescence of an SBH binary system (formed in the aftermath of a galaxy merger) due to emission of gravita- tional waves. The study is based on a photometric analysis of fourteen nearby elliptical galaxies observed with the Hubble Space Telescope. I find that parsec-scale offsets are common. However, while these are individu- ally consistent with residual gravitational recoil oscillations, there is a high probability that larger offsets than those actually observed should have been found in the sample as a whole. There are a number of possible explanations for this result: the galaxy merger rate may be lower than current estimates; SBH-binaries may reach the merger stage with a configuration which min- imizes recoil velocities; or the SBH oscillations are more quickly damped than predicted. In the second study I use integral field spectroscopy obtained with the Gemini South telescope to investigate the kinematics of the circum-nuclear ionized gas in two active galaxies: NGC 1386, a Seyfert 2, and NGC 1365, a Seyfert 1. The goal of the study is to investigate outflows in low-luminosity AGNs, and the mechanisms channeling gas (the SBH fuel) from the inner kiloparsec down to a few tens of parsecs from the SBH. I find that the dom- inant kinematic components can be explained as a combination of rotation i in the large-scale galactic disk and compact outflows along the axis of the AGN \radiation cone". However, in the case of NGC 1386, there is also compelling evidence for an equatorial outflow, which provides a new clue to the physical processes operating in AGNs. Keywords: (recoiling) supermassive black holes, active galaxies, gas kinematics, integral field spectroscopy, individual galaxies: NGC 1386, 1365. ii CONTENTS Abstract i Declaration viii Acknowledgements x List of published work xii List of Tables xiii List of Figures xiv 1 Introduction 1 1.1 Supermassive black holes . 2 1.2 The AGN unification model . 3 1.2.1 What is the torus? . 7 1.3 AGN feeding and feedback . 10 1.3.1 Inflows . 10 1.3.2 Outflows . 13 1.4 Galaxy mergers and recoiling black holes . 16 1.5 Chapter synopsis . 18 2 Recoiling supermassive black holes: a search in the nearby universe 20 2.1 Introduction . 20 iii CONTENTS 2.2 The sample . 22 2.3 Data Analysis . 27 2.3.1 The inner photocenter . 27 2.3.2 The SBH position . 32 2.3.3 The photocenter{AGN displacement . 33 2.3.4 Errors and biases . 34 2.3.4.1 Position uncertainties . 34 2.3.4.2 Possible biases . 37 2.4 Results . 38 2.4.1 Images, surface brightness and isophotal center distri- butions . 51 2.5 Discussion . 75 2.5.1 The AGN nature of the nuclear point sources . 75 2.5.2 Recoiling SBHs . 76 2.5.3 Distribution of recoil displacements . 83 2.5.4 Other displacement mechanisms . 87 2.6 Notes on individual sources . 98 2.6.1 NGC 4278 (high/intermediate) . 98 2.6.2 NGC 5846 (intermediate) . 100 2.6.3 NGC 4486 (M87, intermediate) . 101 2.6.4 NGC 1399 (low) . 104 2.6.5 IC 4296 (low) . 105 2.6.6 NGC 5419 (low, double nucleus) . 108 2.6.7 Notes on other galaxies . 109 2.6.7.1 NGC 4168 . 109 2.6.7.2 NGC 4261 . 110 2.6.7.3 NGC 4373 . 111 2.6.7.4 NGC 4552 . 111 2.6.7.5 NGC 4636 . 112 2.6.7.6 NGC 4696 (double nucleus) . 112 2.6.7.7 IC 1459 . 113 2.6.7.8 IC 4931 . 114 2.7 Summary and Conclusions . 114 3 Integral field spectroscopy of nearby Seyfert galaxies 117 3.1 Introduction . 117 iv CONTENTS 3.2 Integral field spectroscopy . 118 3.3 The Gemini Multi Object Spectrograph IFU . 120 3.4 Observations . 121 3.5 Data reduction . 121 3.5.1 Calibration data . 122 3.5.2 Science data . 124 3.6 Fitting of the spectral features . 124 3.6.1 Emission lines . 125 3.6.2 Absorption lines . 126 4 Gas kinematics in the Seyfert 2 galaxy NGC 1386 129 4.1 Introduction . 129 4.2 Observations . 134 4.3 Emission line fitting . 135 4.3.1 Uncertainties . 141 4.4 Results . 141 4.4.1 Gas kinematics . 141 4.4.1.1 Velocity and velocity dispersion . 141 4.4.1.2 Uncertainties . 147 4.4.1.3 Channel maps . 150 4.4.2 Stellar kinematics . 150 4.4.2.1 Velocity and velocity dispersion . 150 4.4.2.2 Uncertainties . 152 4.4.3 Line fluxes . 155 4.4.4 Gas excitation . 158 4.4.5 Electron density . 158 4.5 Discussion . 162 4.5.1 The stellar velocity field . 162 4.5.1.1 Stability of the solution . 163 4.5.2 The gas velocity field . 165 4.5.2.1 Stability of the solution . 168 4.5.2.2 Comparison with previous work . 168 4.6 Interpretation . 174 4.6.1 The narrow component - disk rotation . 174 4.6.2 The broad component - nuclear outflow . 175 4.6.2.1 Mass outflow rate . 176 v CONTENTS 4.6.3 Equatorial rotation or expansion? . 179 4.6.4 Velocity residuals in the large-scale disk . 179 4.6.5 The geometry and kinematics of the nuclear region . 180 4.7 Summary and Conclusions . 182 5 Gas kinematics in the Seyfert 1 galaxy NGC 1365 186 5.1 Introduction . 186 5.2 Observations . 189 5.3 Emission line fitting . 190 5.3.1 Uncertainties . 192 5.4 Results . 193 5.4.1 Gas kinematics . 193 5.4.1.1 Velocity and velocity dispersion . 193 5.4.1.2 Uncertainties . 195 5.4.2 Line fluxes . 197 5.4.2.1 Uncertainties . 197 5.4.3 Electron density . 197 5.4.4 Line ratios . 198 5.5 Discussion . 205 5.5.1 Non-circular motions in the gas velocity field . 205 5.5.1.1 Uncertainties . 206 5.5.2 Evidence for an outflow? . 207 5.5.3 Is there any evidence for gas inflows? . 211 5.6 Summary and conclusion . 212 6 Summary and Conclusion 214 6.1 Recoiling SBHs . 214 6.1.1 Is there evidence that SBHs are offset from the center of their host galaxies? . 215 6.1.2 The role of powerful radio jets . 216 6.1.3 Do massive ellipticals really grow via mergers? . 217 6.1.4 The configuration of SBH-binaries at the time of merger217 6.1.5 The gas content of massive ellipticals . 218 6.1.6 Concluding remarks and future directions . 219 6.2 Gas kinematics . 221 6.2.1 NGC 1386 . 223 6.2.2 NGC 1365 . 224 vi CONTENTS 6.2.3 The energy budget of AGN feedback . 225 6.2.4 The structure of active nuclei . 226 6.2.4.1 The torus . 227 6.2.4.2 The narrow line region . 229 6.2.5 Concluding remarks and future directions . 230 Bibliography 232 vii DECLARATION I, Davide Lena (\the Author"), declare that no part of this disserta- tion is substantially the same as any that has been submitted for a degree or diploma at the Rochester Institute of Technology or any other University.