Supermassive black hole feeding and feedback observed on sub-parsec scales

Abstract

Active galaxies contain a supermassive black hole at their center, which grows by accreting matter from the surrounding galaxy. The accretion process in the central ~10 parsecs has not been directly resolved in previous observations, due to the small apparent angular sizes involved. We observed the active nucleus of the Circinus Galaxy using sub-millimeter interferometry. A dense inflow of molecular gas is evident on sub-parsec scales. We calculate that less than 3% of this inflow is accreted by the black hole, with the rest being ejected by multiphase outflows, providing feedback to the host galaxy. The observations also reveal a dense gas disk surrounding the inflow; the disk is gravitationally unstable which drives the accretion into the central ~1 parsec.

First release on Nov 3, 2023 in Science. 32 pages in one column = Main (13 pages, 4 figures) + Supplement (19 pages, 9 figures + 2 tables). This is the accepted version after peer review

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Cited by in corpus (6)

• Deciphering the imprint of AGN feedback in Seyfert galaxies: Nuclear-scale molecular gas deficits
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• Simulating nearby disc galaxies on the main star formation sequence I. Bar formation and the building of the central gas reservoir
• Accurate Determination of Chemical Abundances near a Supermassive Black Hole
• Broad line regions behind haze: Intrinsic shape of Br$\gamma$ line and its origin in a type-1 Seyfert galaxy
• Torus feeding and outflow launching in the active nucleus of the Circinus galaxy