The nuclear activity and central structure of the elliptical galaxy NGC 5322

Abstract

We have analysed a new high-resolution e-MERLIN 1.5 GHz radio continuum map together with $HST$ and SDSS imaging of NGC 5322, an elliptical galaxy hosting radio jets, aiming to understand the galaxy's central structure and its connection to the nuclear activity. We decomposed the composite $HST$ + SDSS surface brightness profile of the galaxy into an inner stellar disc, a spheroid, and an outer stellar halo. Past works showed that this embedded disc counter-rotates rapidly with respect to the spheroid. The $HST$ images reveal an edge-on nuclear dust disc across the centre, aligned along the major-axis of the galaxy and nearly perpendicular to the radio jets. After careful masking of this dust disc, we find a central stellar mass deficit $M_{\mathrm{def}}$ in the spheroid, scoured by SMBH binaries with final mass $M_{\mathrm{BH}}$ such that $M_{\mathrm{def}}/M_{\mathrm{BH}}\sim 1.3-3.4$. We propose a three-phase formation scenario for NGC 5322 where a few ($2-7$) "dry" major mergers involving SMBHs built the spheroid with a depleted core. The cannibalism of a gas-rich satellite subsequently creates the faint counter-rotating disc and funnels gaseous material directly onto the AGN, powering the radio core with a brightness temperature of $T_{\mathrm{B},\mathrm{core}}\sim 4.5\times 10^7$ K and the low-power radio jets ($P_{\mathrm{jets}}\sim 7.04\times 10^{20}$ W Hz${}^{-1}$) which extend $\sim 1.6$ kpc. The outer halo can later grow via minor mergers and the accretion of tidal debris. The low-luminosity AGN/jet-driven feedback may have quenched the late-time nuclear star formation promptly, which could otherwise have replenished the depleted core.

arXiv comment14 pages, 5 figures, accepted for publication in MNRAS

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