We present 1-7 GHz high-resolution radio imaging (VLA and e-MERLIN) and spatially-resolved ionized gas kinematics for ten z < 0.2 type 2 'obscured' quasars (log[L AGN /erg s −1 ] 45) with moderate radio luminosities (log[L 1.4 GHz /W Hz −1 ]=23.3-24.4). These targets were selected to have known ionized outflows based on broad [O iii] emission-line components (FWHM≈800-1800 km s −1 ). Although 'radio-quiet' and not 'radio AGN' by many traditional criteria, we show that for nine of the targets, star formation likely accounts for 10 per cent of the radio emission. We find that ∼80-90 per cent of these nine targets exhibit extended radio structures on 1-25 kpc scales. The quasars' radio morphologies, spectral indices and position on the radio size-luminosity relationship reveals that these sources are consistent with being low power compact radio galaxies. Therefore, we favour radio jets as dominating the radio emission in the majority of these quasars. The radio jets we observe are associated with morphologically and kinematically distinct features in the ionized gas, such as increased turbulence and outflowing bubbles, revealing jetgas interaction on galactic scales. Importantly, such conclusions could not have been drawn from current low-resolution radio surveys such as FIRST. Our observations support a scenario where compact radio jets, with modest radio luminosities, are a crucial feedback mechanism for massive galaxies during a quasar phase.

We present the first results from the Quasar Feedback Survey, a sample of 42 z &lt; 0.2, [O iii] luminous AGN (L[O III] &gt; 1042.1 ergs s−1) with moderate radio luminosities (i.e. L1.4GHz &gt; 1023.4 W Hz−1; median L1.4GHz = 5.9 × 1023 W Hz−1). Using high spatial resolution (∼0.3–1 arcsec), 1.5–6 GHz radio images from the Very Large Array, we find that 67 percent of the sample have spatially extended radio features, on ∼1–60 kpc scales. The radio sizes and morphologies suggest that these may be lower radio luminosity versions of compact, radio-loud AGN. By combining the radio-to-infrared excess parameter, spectral index, radio morphology and brightness temperature, we find radio emission in at least 57 percent of the sample that is associated with AGN-related processes (e.g. jets, quasar-driven winds or coronal emission). This is despite only 9.5–21 percent being classified as radio-loud using traditional criteria. The origin of the radio emission in the remainder of the sample is unclear. We find that both the established anti-correlation between radio size and the width of the [O iii] line, and the known trend for the most [O iii] luminous AGN to be associated with spatially-extended radio emission, also hold for our sample of moderate radio luminosity quasars. These observations add to the growing evidence of a connection between the radio emission and ionised gas in quasar host galaxies. This work lays the foundation for deeper investigations into the drivers and impact of feedback in this unique sample.

Using a sample of 2922 z<0.2, spectroscopically-identified Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) we explore the relationship between radio size and the prevalence of extreme ionised outflows, as traced using broad [O iii] emission-line profiles in Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) spectra. To classify radio sources as compact or extended, we combine a machine-learning technique of morphological classification with size measurements from two-dimensional Gaussian models to data from all-sky radio surveys. We find that the two populations have statistically different [O iii] emission-line profiles, with the compact sources tending to have the most extreme gas kinematics. When the radio emission is confined within 3 (i.e., within the spectroscopic fibre or 5 kpc at the median redshift), there is twice the chance of observing broad [O iii] emission-line components, indicative of very high velocity outflows, with FWHM>1000 km s −1 . This difference is most enhanced for the highest radio luminosity bin of log[L 1.4GHz /W Hz −1 ]=23.5-24.5 where the AGN dominate the radio emission; specifically, >1000 km s −1 components are almost four-times as likely when the radio emission is compact in this subsample. Our follow-up ≈0.3-1 arcsec resolution radio observations, for a subset of targets in this luminosity range, reveal that radio jets and lobes are prevalent, and suggest that compact jets might be responsible for the enhanced outflows in the wider sample. Our results are limited by the available, relatively shallow, all-sky radio surveys; however, forthcoming surveys will provide a more complete picture on the connection between radio emission and outflows. Overall, our results add to the growing body of evidence that there is a close connection between ionised outflows and compact radio emission in highly accreting 'radiative' AGN, possibly due to young or frustrated, lower-power radio jets.

We present a study of a luminous, z = 0.15, type-2 quasar ($L_{[\rm O III]}$=1042.8 erg s−1) from the Quasar Feedback Survey. It is classified as ‘radio-quiet’ ( L1.4 GHz=1023.8 W Hz−1); however, radio imaging reveals ∼ 1 kpc low-power jets (Pjet= 1044 erg s−1) inclined into the plane of the galaxy disk. We combine MUSE and ALMA observations to map stellar kinematics and ionised and molecular gas properties. The jets are seen to drive galaxy-wide bi-conical turbulent outflows, reaching W80 = 1000 - 1300 km s−1, in the ionised phase (traced via optical emission-lines), which also have increased electron densities compared to the quiescent gas. The turbulent gas is driven perpendicular to the jet axis and is escaping along the galaxy minor axis, reaching 7.5 kpc on both sides. Traced via CO(3–2) emission, the turbulent material in molecular gas phase is one-third as spatially extended and has 3 times lower velocity-dispersion as compared to ionised gas. The jets are seen to be strongly interacting with the interstellar medium (ISM) through enhanced ionised emission and disturbed/depleted molecular gas at the jet termini. We see further evidence for jet-induced feedback through significantly higher stellar velocity-dispersion aligned, and co-spatial with, the jet axis (&lt; 5 ○). We discuss possible negative and positive feedback scenarios arising due to the interaction of the low-power jets with the ISM in the context of recent jet-ISM interaction simulations, which qualitatively agree with our observations. We discuss how jet-induced feedback could be an important feedback mechanism even in bolometrically luminous ‘radio-quiet’ quasars.