| 1. |
- Armus, Lee, et al.
(author)
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GOALS-JWST: Mid-infrared Spectroscopy of the Nucleus of NGC 7469
- 2023
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In: Astrophysical Journal Letters. - : American Astronomical Society. - 2041-8213 .- 2041-8205. ; 942:2
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We present mid-infrared spectroscopic observations of the nucleus of the nearby Seyfert galaxy NGC 7469 taken with the MIRI instrument on the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) as part of Directors Discretionary Time Early Release Science program 1328. The high-resolution nuclear spectrum contains 19 emission lines covering a wide range of ionization. The high-ionization lines show broad, blueshifted emission reaching velocities up to 1700 km s−1 and FWHM ranging from ∼500 to 1100 km s−1. The width of the broad emission and the broad-to-narrow line flux ratios correlate with ionization potential. The results suggest a decelerating, stratified, AGN-driven outflow emerging from the nucleus. The estimated mass outflow rate is 1-2 orders of magnitude larger than the current black hole accretion rate needed to power the AGN. Eight pure rotational H2 emission lines are detected with intrinsic widths ranging from FWHM ∼125 to 330 km s−1. We estimate a total mass of warm H2 gas of ∼1.2 × 107 M ⊙ in the central 100 pc. The PAH features are extremely weak in the nuclear spectrum, but a 6.2 μm PAH feature with an equivalent width of ∼0.07 μm and a flux of 2.7 × 10−17 W m−2 is detected. The spectrum is steeply rising in the mid-infrared, with a silicate strength of ∼0.02, significantly smaller than seen in most PG QSOs but comparable to other Seyfert 1s. These early MIRI mid-infrared IFU data highlight the power of JWST to probe the multiphase interstellar media surrounding actively accreting supermassive black holes.
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| 2. |
- Lai, Thomas, et al.
(author)
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GOALS-JWST: Small Neutral Grains and Enhanced 3.3 μm PAH Emission in the Seyfert Galaxy NGC 7469
- 2023
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In: Astrophysical Journal Letters. - 2041-8213 .- 2041-8205. ; 957:2
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We present James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) Near Infrared Spectrograph (NIRSpec) integral field spectroscopy of the nearby luminous infrared galaxy NGC 7469. We take advantage of the high spatial/spectral resolution and wavelength coverage of JWST/NIRSpec to study the 3.3 μm neutral polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) grain emission on ∼200 pc scales. A clear change in the average grain properties between the star-forming ring and the central AGN is found. Regions in the vicinity of the AGN, with [Ne iii]/[Ne ii] > 0.25, tend to have larger grain sizes and lower aliphatic-to-aromatic (3.4/3.3) ratios, indicating that smaller grains are preferentially removed by photodestruction in the vicinity of the AGN. PAH emission at the nucleus is weak and shows a low 11.3/3.3 PAH ratio. We find an overall suppression of the total PAH emission relative to the ionized gas in the central 1 kpc region of the AGN in NGC 7469 compared to what has been observed with Spitzer on 3 kpc scales. However, the fractional 3.3 μm-to-total PAH power is enhanced in the starburst ring, possibly due to a variety of physical effects on subkiloparsec scales, including recurrent fluorescence of small grains or multiple photon absorption by large grains. Finally, the IFU data show that while the 3.3 μm PAH-derived star formation rate (SFR) in the ring is 27% higher than that inferred from the [Ne ii] and [Ne iii] emission lines, the integrated SFR derived from the 3.3 μm feature would be underestimated by a factor of 2 due to the deficit of PAHs around the AGN, as might occur if a composite system like NGC 7469 were to be observed at high redshift.
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| 3. |
- Lai, Thomas, et al.
(author)
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GOALS-JWST: Tracing AGN Feedback on the Star-forming Interstellar Medium in NGC 7469
- 2022
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In: Astrophysical Journal Letters. - : American Astronomical Society. - 2041-8213 .- 2041-8205. ; 941:2
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We present James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) integral-field spectroscopy of the nearby merging, luminous infrared galaxy, NGC 7469. This galaxy hosts a Seyfert type-1.5 nucleus, a highly ionized outflow, and a bright, circumnuclear star-forming ring, making it an ideal target to study active galactic nucleus (AGN) feedback in the local universe. We take advantage of the high spatial/spectral resolution of JWST/ MIRI to isolate the star-forming regions surrounding the central active nucleus and study the properties of the dust and warm molecular gas on ∼100 pc scales. The starburst ring exhibits prominent polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) emission, with grain sizes and ionization states varying by only ∼30%, and a total star formation rate of 10–30 Me yr−1 derived from fine structure and recombination emission lines. Using pure rotational lines of H2 we detect 1.2 × 107 Me of warm molecular gas at a temperature higher than 200 K in the ring. All PAH bands get significantly weaker toward the central source, where larger and possibly more ionized grains dominate the emission, likely the result of the ionizing radiation and/or the fast wind emerging from the AGN. The small grains and warm molecular gas in the bright regions of the ring however display properties consistent with normal star-forming regions. These observations highlight the power of JWST to probe the inner regions of dusty, rapidly evolving galaxies for signatures of feedback and inform models that seek to explain the coevolution of supermassive black holes and their hosts.
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| 4. |
- Rich, Jeffrey A., et al.
(author)
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GOALS-JWST: Pulling Back the Curtain on the AGN and Star Formation in VV 114
- 2023
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In: Astrophysical Journal Letters. - : American Astronomical Society. - 2041-8213 .- 2041-8205. ; 944:2
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We present results from the James Webb Space Telescope Director’s Discretionary Time Early Release Science program 1328 targeting the nearby, luminous infrared galaxy, VV 114. We use the MIRI and NIRSpec instruments to obtain integral-field spectroscopy of the heavily obscured eastern nucleus (V114E) and surrounding regions. The spatially resolved, high-resolution spectra reveal the physical conditions in the gas and dust over a projected area of 2-3 kpc that includes the two brightest IR sources, the NE and SW cores. Our observations show for the first time spectroscopic evidence that the SW core hosts an active galactic nucleus as evidenced by its very low 6.2 μm and 3.3 μm polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon equivalent widths (0.12 and 0.017 μm, respectively) and mid- and near-IR colors. Our observations of the NE core show signs of deeply embedded star formation including absorption features due to aliphatic hydrocarbons, large quantities of amorphous silicates, as well as HCN due to cool gas along the line of sight. We detect elevated [Fe ii]/Pfα consistent with extended shocks coincident with enhanced emission from warm H2, far from the IR-bright cores and clumps. We also identify broadening and multiple kinematic components in both H2 and fine structure lines caused by outflows and previously identified tidal features.
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| 5. |
- Bianchin, Marina, et al.
(author)
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GOALS-JWST: Gas Dynamics and Excitation in NGC 7469 Revealed by NIRSpec
- 2024
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In: Astrophysical Journal. - 1538-4357 .- 0004-637X. ; 965:2
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We present new JWST NIRSpec integral field spectroscopy (IFS) data for the luminous infrared galaxy NGC 7469, a nearby (70.6 Mpc) active galaxy with a Seyfert 1.5 nucleus that drives a highly ionized gas outflow and a prominent nuclear star-forming ring. Using the superb sensitivity and high spatial resolution of the JWST instrument NIRSpec IFS, we investigate the role of the Seyfert nucleus in the excitation and dynamics of the circumnuclear gas. Our analysis focuses on the [Fe ii], H2, and hydrogen recombination lines that trace the radiation/shocked-excited molecular and ionized interstellar medium around the active galactic nucleus (AGN). We investigate gas excitation through H2/Brγ and [Fe ii]/Paβ emission line ratios and find that photoionization by the AGN dominates within the central 300 pc of the galaxy except in a small region that shows signatures of shock-heated gas; these shock-heated regions are likely associated with a compact radio jet. In addition, the velocity field and velocity dispersion maps reveal complex gas kinematics. Rotation is the dominant feature, but we also identify noncircular motions consistent with gas inflows as traced by the velocity residuals and the spiral pattern in the Paα velocity dispersion map. The inflow is 2 orders of magnitude higher than the AGN accretion rate. The compact nuclear radio jet has enough power to drive the highly ionized outflow. This scenario suggests that the inflow and outflow are in a self-regulating feeding-feedback process, with a contribution from the radio jet helping to drive the outflow.
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| 6. |
- Vivian, U., et al.
(author)
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GOALS-JWST: Resolving the Circumnuclear Gas Dynamics in NGC 7469 in the Mid-infrared
- 2022
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In: Astrophysical Journal Letters. - : American Astronomical Society. - 2041-8213 .- 2041-8205. ; 940:1
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The nearby, luminous infrared galaxy NGC 7469 hosts a Seyfert nucleus with a circumnuclear star-forming ring and is thus the ideal local laboratory for investigating the starburst-AGN (active galactic nucleus) connection in detail. We present integral-field observations of the central 1.3 kpc region in NGC 7469 obtained with the JWST Mid-InfraRed Instrument. Molecular and ionized gas distributions and kinematics at a resolution of ∼100 pc over the 4.9-7.6 μm region are examined to study the gas dynamics influenced by the central AGN. The low-ionization [Fe ii] λ5.34 μm and [Ar ii] λ6.99 μm lines are bright on the nucleus and in the starburst ring, as opposed to H2 S(5) λ6.91 μm, which is strongly peaked at the center and surrounding ISM. The high-ionization [Mg v] line is resolved and shows a broad, blueshifted component associated with the outflow. It has a nearly face-on geometry that is strongly peaked on the nucleus, where it reaches a maximum velocity of −650 km s−1, and extends about 400 pc to the east. Regions of enhanced velocity dispersion in H2 and [Fe ii] ∼ 180 pc from the AGN that also show high L(H2)/L(PAH) and L([Fe ii])/L(Pfα) ratios to the W and N of the nucleus pinpoint regions where the ionized outflow is depositing energy, via shocks, into the dense interstellar medium between the nucleus and the starburst ring. These resolved mid-infrared observations of the nuclear gas dynamics demonstrate the power of JWST and its high-sensitivity integral-field spectroscopic capability to resolve feedback processes around supermassive black holes in the dusty cores of nearby luminous infrared galaxies.
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| 7. |
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| 8. |
- Finnerty, N. J., et al.
(author)
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Brain nitric oxide: Regional characterisation of a real-time microelectrochemical sensor
- 2012
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In: Journal of Neuroscience Methods. - : Elsevier BV. - 0165-0270. ; 209:1, s. 13-21
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- A reliable method of directly measuring endogenously generated nitric oxide (NO) in real-time and in various brain regions is presented. An extensive characterisation of a previously described amperometric sensor has been carried out in the prefrontal cortex and nucleus accumbens of freely moving rats. Systemic administration of saline caused a transient increase in signal from baseline levels in both the prefrontal cortex (13 +/- 3 pA, n = 17) and nucleus accumbens (12 +/- 3 pA, n = 8). NO levels in the prefrontal cortex were significantly increased by 43 +/- 9 pA (n = 9) following administration of L-arginine. A similar trend was observed in the nucleus accumbens, where an increase of 44 +/- 9 pA (n = 8) was observed when compared against baseline levels. Systemic injections of the non-selective NOS inhibitor L-NAME produced a significant decrease in current recorded in the prefrontal cortex (24 +/- 6 pA, n = 5) and nucleus accumbens (17 +/- 3 pA, n = 6). Finally it was necessary to validate the sensors functionality in vivo by investigating the effect of the interferent ascorbate on the oxidation current. The current showed no variation in both regions over the selected time interval of 60 min, indicating no deterioration of the polymer membrane. A detailed comparison identified significantly greater affects of administrations on NO sensors implanted in the striatum than those inserted in the prefrontal cortex and the nucleus accumbens. (c) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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| 9. |
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| 10. |
- Finnerty, N., et al.
(author)
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Increased brain nitric oxide levels following ethanol administration
- 2015
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In: Nitric oxide. - : Elsevier BV. - 1089-8603 .- 1089-8611. ; 47, s. 52-57
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Nitric oxide is a ubiquitous messenger molecule, which at elevated concentrations has been implicated in the pathogenesis of several neurological disorders. Its role in oxidative stress, attributed in particular to the formation of peroxynitrite, proceeds through its high affinity for the superoxide radical. Alcoholism has recently been associated with the induction of oxidative stress, which is generally defined as a shift in equilibrium between pro-oxidant and anti-oxidant species in the direction of the former. Furthermore, its primary metabolite acetaldehyde, has been extensively associated with oxidative damage related toxic effects following alcohol ingestion. The principal objective of this study was the application of long term in vivo electrochemistry (LIVE) to investigate the effect of ethanol (0.125, 0.5 and 2.0 g kg-1) and acetaldehyde (12.5, 50 and 200 mg kg-1) on NO levels in the nucleus accumbens of freely moving rats. Systemic administrations of ethanol and acetaldehyde resulted in a dose-dependent increases in NO levels, albeit with very differing time courses. Subsequent to this the effect on accumbal NO levels, of subjecting the animal to different drug combinations, was also elucidated. The nitric oxide synthase inhibitor L-NAME (20 mg kg-1) and acetaldehyde sequestering agent D-penicillamine (50 mg kg-1) both attenuated the increase in NO levels following ethanol (1 g kg-1) administration. Conversely, the alcohol dehydrogenase inhibitor 4-methylpyrazole (25 mg kg-1) and catalase inhibitor sodium azide (10 mg kg-1) potentiated the increase in NO levels following ethanol administration. Finally, dual inhibition of aldehyde dehydrogenase and catalase by cyanamide (25 mg kg-1) caused an attenuation of ethanol effects on NO levels. Taken together these data highlight a robust increase in brain NO levels following systemic alcohol administration which is dependent on NO synthase activity and may involve both alcohol- and acetaldehyde-dependent mechanisms. © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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