Aims. Outflows driven by active galactic nuclei (AGN) are invoked by galaxy evolutionary models to quench star formation and to explain the origin of the relations observed locally between super-massive black holes and their host galaxies. We here aim to detect extended ionised outflows in luminous quasars, where we expect the highest activity both in star formation and in black-hole accretion. Currently, there are only a few studies based on spatially resolved observations of outflows at high redshift, z > 2. Methods. We analysed a sample of six luminous (L > 10 47 erg/s) quasars at z ∼ 2.4, observed in H-band using the near-IR integral field spectrometer SINFONI at the VLT. We performed a kinematic analysis of the [O] emission line at λ = 5007 Å. Results. We detect fast, spatially extended outflows in five out of six targets.[O]λ5007 has a complex gas kinematic, with blueshifted velocities of a few hundreds of km s −1 and line widths up to 1500 km s −1 . Using the spectroastrometric method, we infer a size of the ionised outflows of up to ∼2 kpc. The properties of the ionised outflows, mass outflow rate, momentum rate, and kinetic power, are correlated with the AGN luminosity. The increase in outflow rate with increasing AGN luminosity is consistent with the idea that a luminous AGN pushes away the surrounding gas through fast outflows that are driven by radiation pressure, which depends on the emitted luminosity. Conclusions. We derive mass outflow rates of about 6−700 M yr −1 for our sample, which are lower than those observed in molecular outflows. The physical properties of ionised outflows show dependences on AGN luminosity that are similar to those of molecular outflows, but indicate that the mass of ionised gas is lower than that of molecular outflows. Alternatively, this discrepancy between ionised and molecular outflows could be explained with different acceleration mechanisms.

Negative feedback from active galactic nuclei (AGN) is considered a key mechanism in shaping galaxy evolution. Fast, extended outflows are frequently detected in the AGN host galaxies at all redshifts and luminosities, both in ionised and molecular gas. However, these outflows are only potentially able to quench star formation, and we are still lacking decisive evidence of negative feedback in action. Here we present observations obtained with the Spectrograph for INtegral Field Observations in the Near Infrared (SINFONI) Hand K-band integral-field of two quasars at z ∼ 2.4 that are characterised by fast, extended outflows detected through the [Oiii]λ5007 line. The high signal-to-noise ratio of our observations allows us to identify faint narrow (FWHM < 500 km s −1 ) and spatially extended components in [Oiii]λ5007 and Hα emission associated with star formation in the host galaxy. This star formation powered emission is spatially anti-correlated with the fast outflows. The ionised outflows therefore appear to be able to suppress star formation in the region where the outflow is expanding. However, the detection of narrow spatially extended Hα emission indicates star formation rates of at least ∼50-90 M yr −1 , suggesting either that AGN feedback does not affect the whole galaxy or that many feedback episodes are required before star formation is completely quenched. On the other hand, the narrow Hα emission extending along the edges of the outflow cone may also lead also to a positive feedback interpretation. Our results highlight the possible double role of galaxy-wide outflows in host galaxy evolution.

We investigated the interstellar medium (ISM) properties of the disc and outflowing gas in the central regions of nine nearby Seyfert galaxies, all characterised by prominent conical or biconical outflows. These objects are part of the Measuring Active Galactic Nuclei Under MUSE Microscope (MAGNUM) survey, which aims to probe their physical conditions and ionisation mechanism by exploiting the unprecedented sensitivity of the Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE), combined with its spatial and spectral coverage. Specifically, we studied the different properties of the gas in the disc and in the outflow with spatially and kinematically resolved maps by dividing the strongest emission lines in velocity bins. We associated the core of the lines with the disc, consistent with the stellar velocity, and the redshifted and the blueshifted wings with the outflow. We measured the reddening, density, ionisation parameter, and dominant ionisation source of the emitting gas for both components in each galaxy. We find that the outflowing gas is characterised by higher values of density and ionisation parameter than the disc, which presents a higher dust extinction. Moreover, we distinguish high-and low-ionisation regions across the portion of spatially resolved narrow-line region (NLR) traced by the outflowing gas. The high-ionisation regions characterised by the lowest [N ii]/Hα and [S ii]/Hα line ratios generally trace the innermost parts along the axis of the emitting cones where the [S iii]/[S ii] line ratio is enhanced, while the low-ionisation regions follow the cone edges and/or the regions perpendicular to the axis of the outflows, also characterised by a higher [O iii] velocity dispersion. A possible scenario to explain these features relies on the presence of two distinct populations of line emitting clouds: one is optically thin to the radiation and is characterised by the highest excitation, while the other is optically thick and is impinged by a filtered, and thus harder, radiation field which generates strong low-excitation lines. The highest values of [N ii]/Hα and [S ii]/Hα line ratios may be due to shocks and/or a hard filtered radiation field from the active galactic nucleus.

We study the ionization and kinematics of the ionized gas in the nuclear region of the barred Seyfert 2 galaxy NGC 5643 using MUSE integral field observations in the framework of the MAGNUM (Measuring Active Galactic Nuclei Under MUSE Microscope) survey. The data were used to identify regions with different ionization conditions and to map the gas density and the dust extinction. We find evidence for a double sided ionization cone, possibly collimated by a dusty structure surrounding the nucleus. At the center of the ionization cone, outflowing ionized gas is revealed as a blueshifted, asymmetric wing of the [OIII] emission line, up to projected velocity v 10 ∼ −450 km s −1 . The outflow is also seen as a diffuse, low luminosity radio and X-ray jet, with similar extension. The outflowing material points in the direction of two clumps characterized by prominent line emission with spectra typical of HII regions, located at the edge of the dust lane of the bar. We propose that the star formation in the clumps is due to 'positive feedback' induced by gas compression by the nuclear outflow, providing the first candidate for outflow induced star formation in a Seyfert-like radio quiet AGN. This suggests that positive feedback may be a relevant mechanism in shaping the black hole-host galaxy coevolution.

We study a sample of 44 low-luminosity radio-loud AGN, which represent a range of nuclear radio-power spanning 5 orders of magnitude, to unveil the accretion mechanism in these galaxies. We estimate the accretion rate of gas associated with their hot coronae by analyzing archival Chandra data, to derive the deprojected density and temperature profiles in a spherical approximation. Measuring the jet power from the nuclear radio-luminosity, we find that the accretion power correlates linearly with the jet power, with an efficiency of conversion from rest mass into jet power of ∼0.012. These results strengthen and extend the validity of the results obtained by Allen and collaborators for 9 radio galaxies, indicating that hot gas accretion is the dominant process in FR I radio galaxies across their full range of radio-luminosity. We find that the different levels of nuclear activity are driven by global differences in the structure of the galactic hot coronae. A linear relation links the jet power with the host X-ray surface brightness. This implies that a substantial change in the jet power must be accompanied by a global change in its ISM properties, driven for example by a major merger. This correlation provides a simple widely applicable method to estimate the jet-power of a given object by observing the intensity of its host X-ray emission. To maintain the mass flow in the jet, the fraction of gas that crosses the Bondi radius reaching the accretion disk must be 0.002. This implies that the radiative efficiency of the disk must be η 0.005, an indication that accretion in these objects occurs not only at a lower rate, but also at lower efficiency than in standard accretion disks.