Table · dataset · 2025
AGN inflow and outflow in the Circinus galaxy
Listed in IVOA Registry (Virtual Observatory)
Most active galactic nuclei (AGN) are believed to be surrounded by a dusty molecular torus on the parsec scale, which is often embedded within a larger circumnuclear disk (CND).
Description
AGN are fuelled by the inward transport of material through these structures and can launch multi-phase outflows that influence the host galaxy through AGN feedback. We use the Circinus Galaxy as a nearby laboratory to investigate the physical mechanisms responsible for feeding the torus and launching a multi-phase outflow in this Seyfert-type AGN, as these mechanisms remain poorly understood.
We analysed observations from the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array of the Circinus nucleus at angular resolutions down to 13mas (0.25pc). We traced dust and the ionised outflow using 86-665GHz continuum emission and studied the morphology and kinematics of the molecular gas using the HCO^+^(3-2), HCO^+^(4-3), HCN(3-2), HCN(4-3) and CO(3-2) transitions. We find that the Circinus CND hosts molecular and dusty spiral arms, two of which connect directly to the torus.
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We detect inward mass transport along these structures and argue that the non-axisymmetric potential generated by these arms is the mechanism responsible for fuelling the torus. We estimate a feeding rate of 0.3-7.5M_{sun}_/yr, implying that over 88% of the inflowing material is expelled in a multi-phase outflow before reaching the accretion disk. The inferred feeding time scale (t_feed,torus_=120kyr-2.7Myr) suggests that variability in AGN activity may be driven by changes in torus feeding.
On parsec scales, the ionised outflow is traced by optically thin free-free emission. The outflow is stratified, with a slightly wider opening angle in the molecular phase than in the dusty and ionised components. The ionised outflow is launched or collimated by a warped accretion disk at a radius of r~0.16pc, and its geometry requires an anisotropic launching mechanism.
Links
Where it is published
- Reference page cdsarc.cds.unistra.fr/viz-bin/cat/J/A+A/704/A125 ↗
landing page · from IVOA Registry
Documentation and papers
- ADS 2025A&A...704A.125G ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2025A%26A...704A.125G ↗
publication · from IVOA Registry
Catalogue records · 2
- VOResource record dc.g-vo.org/oai.xml?verb=GetRecord&metadataPrefix=ivo_vor&identifier=ivo%3… ↗
metadata API · from IVOA Registry
- Registry record (GAVO) dc.g-vo.org/I/cds.vizier/j/a%2Ba/704/a125 ↗
catalogue entry · from IVOA Registry
Topics
- Stated by source
- Millimeter
- From keywords
- Astronomy & Astrophysics
Provenance · 1 source records, 8 field assertions
| Source | Key | Last seen | Raw |
|---|---|---|---|
| IVOA Registry (Virtual Observatory) | ivo://cds.vizier/j/a+a/704/a125 | 15 d ago | JSON v1 |
| Field | Assertion | Extractor | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| access_level | source · IVOA Registry | connector:ivoa_registry@1.0.0 | |
| concepts[field].local:field:astronomy | mapping · IVOA Registry | connector:ivoa_registry@1.0.0 | |
| concepts[modality].ivoa_waveband:millimeter | source · IVOA Registry | connector:ivoa_registry@1.0.0 | |
| description | source · IVOA Registry | connector:ivoa_registry@1.0.0 | rr.resource.res_description |
| license_text | source · IVOA Registry | connector:ivoa_registry@1.0.0 | |
| publication_date | source · IVOA Registry | connector:ivoa_registry@1.0.0 | |
| title | source · IVOA Registry | connector:ivoa_registry@1.0.0 | rr.resource.res_title |
| updated_date | source · IVOA Registry | connector:ivoa_registry@1.0.0 |