Jet-driven shocks and turbulence in radio-loud Active Galactic Nuclei observed with JWST MIRI/MRS

Abstract

Jet-cloud interactions are a key manifestation of Active Galactic Nucleus (AGN) feedback on nuclear scales, distinct from the large-scale radio-mode feedback that suppresses gas cooling in galaxy halos. On these smaller scales, radio jets can inject energy and momentum into the interstellar medium (ISM), shaping the physical and kinematic properties of the nuclear and circumnuclear regions of galaxies. Using JWST MIRI/MRS observations of seven nearby radio-loud AGN (3C293, 3C305, Centaurus A, Cygnus A, IC5063, NGC1052, and M87), we investigate jet-driven turbulence in both the warm molecular and ionized gas phases. By combining spatially resolved H${}_2$/PAH flux ratios with diagnostic line ratios of the ionized gas, we constrain the dominant H${}_2$ excitation processes and assess the impact of radio jet--ISM interactions on the multiphase gas. We find that radio jets drive enhanced turbulence in both molecular and ionized (traced by [FeII], [NeII] and [NeIII] lines) gas, not only along but also perpendicular to the jet axis, indicating that jet--ISM interactions extend beyond the collimated jet channel and affect the nuclear environment. Strong correlations between the H${}_2$/PAH ratio, the H${}_2$ excitation temperature, and shock-sensitive ionized-gas tracers indicate that jet-driven shocks dominate the excitation of the H${}_2$ rotational lines in most sources. These results indicate that radio jets are a key driver of multiphase ISM kinematics and excitation in nearby radio-loud galaxies.

Accepted for publication in A&A, 19 pages

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